A new timetable for the Piccadilly line has come into effect today (Monday, January 13), ahead of a new fleet of trains being added to the Tube line later this year. Transport for London (TfL) confirmed the change while responding to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
The revised London Underground schedule will see a reduction in services on the branch of the line between Uxbridge and Acton Town station during weekday peak times. The transport authority has stated that Metropolitan line services between Uxbridge and Rayners Lane will not be affected.
TfL said the change comes as a result of the existing fleet of trains for the service being nearly 50 years old, with several of them no longer being suitable for use. It said this meant the line had to operate with fewer trains from the start of this month.
94 new trains are expected to be added to the service this year
(Image: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The new timetable will make it possible to accommodate the 94 new trains planned to replace the line’s current fleet at the end of this year. It is hoped that the scheme will improve journey times, train frequency and reliability as well as making the line more accessible and sustainable as a whole.
The work will also cause part-closures on the lines as necessary, with more information available from TfL. Passengers travelling on the Piccadilly line between Uxbridge and Eastcote during peak times have been advised to board the first train the Rayners Lane and change for the service there is necessary.
TfL also said in its response to the FoI request that Piccadilly line services between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge would not be running until mid-January due to a shortage of trains as a result of leaves falling. The transport authority said the leaves had caused extensive damage to train wheels.
A reduced service will also operate between Acton Town and Rayners Lane, with trains running approximately every 15 minutes throughout the day until mid-January. The Metropolitan line is expected to run as normal, with work being done to restore Piccadilly line services to normal as soon as possible.
TfL said in the response: “Conditions this year have been particularly challenging, with leaves staying on trees for longer than usual, before falling rapidly during recent storms. This has meant that despite efforts to manage services during times of particularly high leaf fall, we now have fewer trains available than are needed to run a reliable service.”
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