Transport chiefs today began seeking a supplier of 250 driverless Tube trains for a contract that will be worth £16 billion.
London Underground has advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union for the trains that will begin operating from the middle of the next decade on the Piccadilly, Central, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines.
Branded the New Tube for London, the model will not feature a driver’s cab, although the trains will be staffed. For the first time, passengers on the lines will benefit from air-conditioning and walk-through carriages, and capacity will rise by up to 60 per cent.
Among those expected to bid are Siemens, Bombardier, Hitachi and Spanish firm CAF. The contract will be awarded in 2016.
Mike Brown, managing director of London Underground, said: “We want the New Tube for London to encompass the very latest technology, as well as respecting our design heritage.”
