One of my most read, talked about and popular posts was 'Saying goodbye to the D Stock'. Since then I have received numerous questions about the rolling stock on the London Underground, so I am going to take you through my thoughts and opinions of every one of the rolling stock used on the London Underground in age order. Online there are differences in the number of seats and capacity of passengers, I have took my information from Rolling Stock Sheets 4.
1972 Stock - Bakerloo line
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| A refurbished 1972 Stock between Lambeth North and Elephant & Castle, 9th February 2017 |
The 1972 Stock, which is used by the Bakerloo line, is the oldest and most unique stock on the London Underground. Rolled out between 1972 and 1975, the 1972 Stock has 7 cars, 268 seats and can carry around 700 passengers. Despite now being known for serving the Bakerloo line, the 1972 Stock was initially ordered for the Northern line, as the line did not have enough trains to cope with demand. All trains still in service were refurbished between 1991 and 1995, and have again began further refurbishments since 2016, due to be completed in 2020. The 1972 Stock is the most tired looking on the network, despite new refurbishments. Personally, I am a fan of heritage on the London Underground, so there is something special about the 1972 Stock that I am particularly fond of. However, I understand why tourists and commuters dislike this Stock and find it uncomfortable. For train spotters, the 1972 Stock is a delight, but it is understandable why this Stock is the brunt of jokes and unpopular amongst many Londoners. As Londonist coined it "never again will we see a tube train that's so comfortable in its own wrinkled skin".
1973 Stock - Piccadilly line
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| A poster on a 1973 Stock showing places of interest the Piccadilly line serves, 3rd June 2017 |
Despite being built in the same decade as the 1972 Stock, the two, from the inside, look decades apart. However, this is due to the refurbishment of the entire fleet which occurred between 1996 and 2001. During this period, transverse seating was removed, straphangers were replaced by grab rails and the end of the cars were fitted with windows. The 1972 Stock still features transverse seating, and it is likely they were replaced on the 1973 Stock during the 90s due to the Piccadilly line serving Heathrow and a need to create luggage accommodation for passengers for the airport. The first train was introduced in 1975 and is 6 cars in length, with 228 seats and a capacity of 684 passengers. In 2006, the 1973 Stock was fitted with a system to allow the driver to chose between a tourist setting or a commuter setting for automated announcements. The Piccadilly line markets itself as a line to connect people with Heathrow and through tourist hotspots in central London, so if the driver selects the tourist setting announcements such as "alight here for" .... "Buckingham Palace", "The museums and Royal Albert Hall" and "London Transport Museum" occur to aid tourists. Personally I have begun to notice how dirty the Piccadilly line trains have become. It is common to see an unoccupied seat moquette lift up. However, the trains are relatively comfortable, in my opinion, and on certain routes it is highly likely you will get to use a seat.
1992 Stock - Central line and Waterloo & City line
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| The interior of the 1992 Stock on the Central line at Newbury Park, 3rd April 2017 |
The 1992 Stock is the only 'tube' stock to currently operate on more than one line. Many may not realise that the same stock serves both lines as there are some suitable, but noticeable differences between the Central and Waterloo & City lines. The most noticeable difference is the number of carriages used on the Central line compared to the Waterloo & City line. The Central line is twice as long by having 8 carriages, compared to the Waterloo & City line having 4 carriages. This means the Central line can carry over 480 more passengers than the Waterloo & City line. In 2011, the 1992 Stock was refurbished, with new moquettes on both the Central line and Waterloo & City line. However, the Central line fleet underwent further refurbishment, which saw improvement to lighting, tinted windows and new cab ends. When the trains went into operation in 1993, they were the first on the network to have a Digital Voice Announcer (DVA) from new. The Waterloo & City line is well known for being the only line to be entirely underground, and this includes where the trains 'sleep' when they are not in service. In order to get the trains onto the tracks, at Waterloo station there is a crane on Spur Road which they use to take the fleet off lorries onto the tracks underground. Central line trains are well known for being rather hot during the summer, and the curved ceiling means that during peak times passengers have to curve their backs to fit into the carriages.
1995 Stock - Northern line
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| The interior of the 1995 Stock on the Northern line between Tooting Broadway and Colliers Wood, 28th May 2017 |
The 1995 Stock was rolled out between 1998 and 2001 on the Northern line, and replaced 1959 Stock and 1972 Stock, which is still in service on the Bakerloo line. The trains are 6 cars in length, feature 200 seats, and can carry roughly 660 passengers. The 1995 Stock is the only deep-level tube stock to operate selective door opening, this is due to shorter platforms at stations such as Moorgate, Charing Cross and Clapham Common. Before April 2016, the 1995 Stock was unique in the fact that at stations which interchange with National Rail, the announcer would say "Main Line Intercity and Suburban Rail Services" instead of "National Rail Services". However, since April 2016 the new announcements say "National Rail Services". All 106 1995 Stock trains were recently refurbished between 2013 and 2015. The improvements saw the yellow grab rails re-painted dark blue, new flooring fitted and a new moquette on the seats. The external door buttons were plated over, and internal door buttons were replaced by a visual warning light. I find the interior of the 1995 Stock comfortable and relatively spacious for deep-level stock.
1996 Stock - Jubilee line
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| Un-refurbished 1996 Stock at Stratford, 4th April 2017 |
Entering service in 1997, one year before the 1995 Stock, the 1996 Stock is very similar to the 1995 Stock, especially when they entered service during the late 1990s and early 21st Century. The stocks have different layouts and cab designs, but the most apparent difference is technical. The 1995 Stock uses air suspension, where as the 1996 Stock uses rubber suspension. This is different due to the difference in track conditions between the Northern line and Jubilee line. The 1996 Stock is 7 cars in length, has 234 seats and can accommodate 875 passengers, over 200 more than the 1995 Stock. Despite entering service 20 years ago, there have been various changes to the 1996 Stock over the years. In 2005 it was decided that the Jubilee line should have 7 cars, instead of 6, and the new cars were slightly different to the original cars. The passenger information displays of the newer cars are amber, instead of red, and have a black floor instead of grey. Gradually, these differences were not noticeable as the original cars were refurbished to match the ones introduced in 2005. However, we are now experiencing another period of refurbishment. Starting in 2017, the fleet is gradually being refurbished. The improvements have seen the grab rails painted grey, external door buttons have been plated over and turquoise blue panels have been painted white. The first refurbished train entered service in February 2017. Have you been on a refurbished train on the Jubilee line?
2009 Stock - Victoria line
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| A 2009 Stock train at Pimlico station, 28th May 2017 |
The 2009 Stock is the latest deep-level tube stock on the network. 47 trains entered service on the Victoria line between 2009 and 2011, and replaced the 1967 Tube Stock. The trains are 8 cars in length, have 288 seats, and can carry 876 passengers. The 2009 Stock have a moquette unique to the Victoria line, and there can be up to 43 trains in service at any one time. The stock were the first trains to be designed since the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations were introduced, so have more facilities for wheelchair access, passengers with impaired mobility and space for pushchairs. Along with the 1973 Stock, the driver can select between two settings for audio announcements. The 2009 Stock is comfortable and spacious for deep-level tube stock, and the lighting is excellent, particularly around the doors. Although the trains have been in service for just 8 years, it will be interesting to see if any refurbishments will take place.
S7 Stock - Circle line, District line and Hammersmith & City line and S8 Stock - Metropolitan line
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| Transverse seating on a S8 Stock train at Rayners Lane, 3rd June 2017 |
I have decided to group the S7 and S8 Stocks together due to the fact they are incredibly similar. Coming into service between 2010 and 2017, the S Stock (commonly used to group the stocks together) has become a favourite amongst Londoners and is a staple of the sub-surface lines. The S stands for sub-surface, and follows tradition of the Metropolitan lines A Stock (A for Amersham), Circle lines C Stock (C for Circle), and District lines D Stock (D of District). The S Stock is noticeably different to other stock on the network, mainly due to being able to walk the whole length of the train, they have a different moquette, and are more square than the 'tube' trains. The S Stock features air-conditioning and better displays for passengers. The S7 has a capacity of 865, where as the S8 has a larger capacity with 1003. The S Stock carries roughly 30% of the capitals annual user ship on the London Underground network. The S8 Stock features transverse and longitudinal seating, where as the S7 Stock is purely longitudinal seating. The S7 and S8 have become a popular train, and are extremely comfortable and spacious.
Rolling Stock have provided enthusiasts with entertainment for years. The suitable differences between the lines is part of why the London Underground is so interesting. In the future, the New Train for London will see 250 new trains operating on the Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines. Whilst this is providing the capital with much needed infrastructure, the loss of uniqueness each line offers to the network will be felt. The 1972 Stock has become part of the character of the Bakerloo line, and the curved roofing of the 1992 Stock is a feature that helps defines the Central line. The New Train for London is expected to enter service in 2022/23 on the Piccadilly line, increasing capacity by 60%. It would be until the late 2020s before we are expected to see the new Stock appear on the Central and Waterloo & City lines. Finally, by 2033 we may see new trains replace the 1972 Stock, which will likely mean the 1972 Stock served London for an impressive 61 years.
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