Tfl signs contract to bring new, air-conditioned trains to London Overground
In today's extreme heat, the prospect of feeling cool on London transport seems too good to be true.
But thanks to a new contract signed by TfL, from 2018 some London overground trains will be blasting out air conditioning in the summer months.
A new fleet of 45 trains is being built by manufacturing company Bombardier Transportation, to carry thousands of passengers to and fro each day via a more “comfortable” and “reliable” service.
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Other improvements will include walk-through carriages and improved accessibility, and the build of the new fleet is due to begin immediately.
“These 45 new trains will significantly improve the comfort, reliability and overall quality of train services for our customers,” Mike Brown, managing director of London Rail, said in a statement.
Some of the trains we have inherited along the West Anglia route are over 30 years old and have not been in use for some time. We're now working hard to overhaul these trains to make them more reliable until the new trains come into service from 2018.
The routes affected
The new trains will operate on the Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters) and Chingford routes, which became part of the TfL network in May, as well as on the routes between Barking and Gospel Oak and between Romford and Upminster.
TfL says the improved service will also increase train frequencies on other routes.
Ordering new trains for the Gospel Oak to Barking line and West Anglia route together, as well as including a provision to order more trains should passenger demand warrant additional capacity, ensures that we get best value for money for our customers.