Piccadilly line's new London Tube trains tested in Germany

The Piccadilly line's first new train was transported to a Siemens testing facility in Germany

The first new Piccadilly Tube train to have rolled off the production line is being tested in Germany ready to replace the current 48-year-old trains.

The new model is undergoing acceleration and brake testing, with noise and vibration trials.

The line's existing trains have been in use since 1975 and are set to be replaced with the new models in 2025.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said the trains would "transform travel" on the line.

The new fleet features walk-through carriages, air cooling, wider all-double doorways, enhanced digital information screens, improved step-free access onto the platform and on-train CCTV cameras.

Mr Khan said: "Ensuring London's transport network keeps up with the demands of our great city means continually improving and updating our infrastructure."

The new trains will increase capacity by about 10% and are also significantly lighter than existing designs, which will mean the trains are more energy efficient as well as providing a smoother ride, TfL says.

The new fleet is expected to be rolled out in 2025

Stuart Harvey, Transport for London's (TfL) chief capital officer, said: "We hope to follow the introduction of these new trains to the Piccadilly line by doing the same on the Bakerloo line, replacing the 51-year-old trains that it currently operates, and then by introducing new signalling across the deep Tube lines to realise the full benefits of the new trains."

Meanwhile, work to complete Siemens Mobility's new site in Goole, in East Riding of Yorkshire - where about half the trains will be assembled - is nearing completion.

The site is currently in the final stages of fit-out, with recruitment well under way, ahead of production starting from early 2024.

Sambit Banerjee, a managing director at Siemens Mobility UK, said: "This is the first stage of testing before London Underground's newest train reaches the UK for further testing and integration in late 2024.

"I am incredibly proud to see this first train continue its journey towards enhancing passenger experience and transforming rail travel on the Piccadilly line."

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