JNP (Jubilee, Northern & Piccadilly) upgrade

Tube Lines, the private consortium in charge of maintaining these lines, has promised a series of upgrades.

Tube Lines have said that they will replace the entire trackwork for these lines (except the Jubilee Line Extension (JLE)) in the first Review Period (the first 7.5 years of the contract, after which they will be assessed).

They also need to upgrade every station (except on the JLE) in some form or another during this period.

A 45% increase in capacity is proposed by 2006. This comes from two projects - one is the addition of a seventh car to every train (platforms can currently take 7 cars but the trains are only 6 cars long), and the other is the introduction of moving block signalling which was originally planned for the 1999 extension. Moving block signalling allows trains to run closer to each other safely, and will enable a 6tph peak-hour frequency increase from 27tph to 33tph.

The switch over from six to seven car trains requires an alteration to the software used to align trains with platform edge doors on the Jubilee Line Extension stations from Westminster to North Greenwich. This means the gradual addition of an extra car to a train would be complicated; instead, it is proposed that the Jubilee Line will be closed completely for a week or so over Christmas 2005, to allow all the extra cars to be added, and the software change to take place.

Modernisation is planned at Wembley Park, Neasden (2006), Swiss Cottage (incl. escalators, 2006), St John's Wood (2006), Baker Street (2009), Bond Street (2009), Green Park (2006) and Waterloo (2009). Refurbishment is planned for all other stations by 2010.

New escalators will be installed at North Greenwich by 2006 to cater for extra demand from new developments on the peninsula.

The major upgrade for the Northern Line is a replacement of the aging signalling, which can be the cause of delays, especially at the Camden Town and Kennington junctions. This should be complete by 2012.

All stations will be at least refurbished by 2011; modernisation is planned at 25 Northern Line stations which are detailed in TfL's Focus on the Tube document.

The Piccadilly is a long-term project. It requires complete signalling replacement (the control centre at Earl's Court with the District Line is renowned for its age; it is rumoured that several years ago a replacement computer part had to be acquired from a museum), and the current fleet of trains, although refurbished in 2001, needs to be replaced in the next decade, since it dates from 1973. Therefore 93 new trains will be ordered; the full line upgrade should be achieved by 2014.

Modernisation is planned for 14 Piccadilly line stations including Earl's Court, Gloucester Road, Knightsbridge, Green Park, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Holborn and King's Cross. Refurbishments are planned for all other stations, and all station improvements should be complete by 2011.

No current news for this project.