New Tube for London – all the info + the graffiti story
Some people may already be aware of the new trains for London Underground’s Piccadilly line, manufactured by Siemens, due to enter service in mid 2025 to replace old rolling stock (NTFL).
The Graffiti story
The new trains came from its depot in Wildenrath, Germany to Siemens’ factory in East Yorkshire. As it arrived on the 18th of October, the trains were found to have been graffitied all over by an unknown party, with the British Transport Police (BTP) receiving reports at 6:45 AM on the 14th of October and are still requesting enquiries for the perpetrators. An opinion that I heard on X (formerly Twitter) was that graffiti on a train is “not a form of vandalism, but a form of art.” This is true as graffiti can be used to make something bland receive more substance, with the New York subway being a prime example of the beauty of street art on transport. However, you could always argue that the iconic red and white livery of the Tube is the art that we are presented with, with its American counterpart being grey, steel tubes, lacking any sort of substance.
What will the new trains offer?
However, aside from the graffiti story, the NTFL has been heavily anticipated as it seems to be one of the only things that is not delayed when it comes to any sort of change to the London Underground network. These trains will have completely walk through carriages and air conditioning, the first deep level line to have this. Moreover, these new trains will retire the trains that have been used on this line since 1975, so it is long overdue an upgrade. I for one am excited for the new trains, as the old trains were clearly not built to be future proof – with temperatures rising beneath the ground, air con has now become a necessity. 2025 cannot come soon enough!
