80% of new Piccadilly line trains to be made in Yorkshire as part of £200m investment

Sambit Banerjee, Joint CEO of Siemens Mobility, said: “This is a truly exciting milestone not just for us but the industry and local economies as a whole. And the fact that we will be increasing the amount up to 80 per cent of Piccadilly line Tube trains being assembled in Goole is a testament of our manufacturing capabilities.

“We are proud to be assembling these trains here in Yorkshire, which will transform rail travel for commuters and visitors to our great capital city.”

The first Piccadilly line train was built in the Goole facility’s sister factory in Vienna, and has been undergoing testing by Siemens Mobility’s engineers at its test track and climate chamber in Germany.

The testing is being carried out ahead of the first train arriving in London this summer.

Transport for London will then undertake further infrastructure testing and integration before the new trains start entering passenger service in London in 2025.  

Siemens Mobility said that the new trains are designed to be more environmentally friendly and improve accessibility.

Stuart Harvey, Transport for London’s chief capital officer, said: “Producing more Piccadilly line trains in Goole will support local supply chains, clearly demonstrating how investment in transport in London benefits the whole of the UK.

“We have ensured that this development will not impact when the first train arrives for testing in London later this year, ahead of entering service in 2025, nor the planned timetable uplift in 2027.

“Subject to long-term certainty on Government funding, the factory in Goole is also expected to deliver a replacement fleet for the Bakerloo line, which at more than 50 years old is the oldest train in passenger service in the UK.”

Siemens said that it is now in the final stages of fitting out the new Goole factory.

The wider rail village in Goole will include assembly and commissioning halls, a train components servicing facility and a materials and logistics warehouse.

It will also include the Rail Accelerator & Innovation Solutions Hub for Enterprise, which Siemens says will establish Goole as a “centre of excellence” for rail technology in the UK.

Siemens said the new metro trains will increase capacity by around 10 per cent. They are also lighter than existing designs, which the company says will mean the trains are more energy efficient as well as providing a “smoother ride” for passengers.

The company added that the trains will offer an “improved customer experience” with walk-through, air-conditioned carriages.