The New London Underground Trains: It’s Amazing!
Priestmangoode is the leading global travel and transport design consultancy. They believe that design is not just about style, but also about making products and services better and more efficient. From initial strategy and concept design for production, their works deliver creative, effective and innovative design solutions that help transform businesses. Priestmangoode has collaborated with Airbus, Boeing, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways.
The British studio has been commissioned by Transport for London to design the new wave of next generation trains to be implemented into London’s subway system. The $4 billion innovative makeover includes upgrades such as recessed LED lighting, digital screens, air-conditioning and built-in Wi-Fi. Subway trains will feature wider doors and improved wheelchair access, which will support traffic flow between passengers boarding and exiting, in addition to increasing car capacity anywhere from 25 to 50 percent.
The design had been launched at an event with Mike Brown and the Mayor of London, where one of the company’s Directors, Paul Priestman, said: “We wanted the New Tube for London to celebrate the great history of transport design in London, whilst acting as a beacon of innovative 21st century public transport. We took inspiration from iconic London landmarks and key attributes of British design to create a tube that is beautiful, simple, functional and maintainable.”
London’s Tube is one of the most iconic trains around the world. We’re proud to have designed something that it’s part of the very fabric of London life, celebrating all that’s great about London’s environment; cutting edge technology, rich history and diversity. The New Tube for London will take the city into the future by enriching the everyday journey of its passengers, said the Priestmangoode Team
The images of the trains will be on show at King’s Cross St. Pancras station until November 16th. A formal invitation is expected to be issued to tender early next year and a contract to build the new trains to be awarded in 2016. The first train is expected to come into service on the Piccadilly Line in 2022.
Mike Brown, the managing director of the London Underground, believes that the trains would help them keep pace with the city’s growing population. Share your comments with us.
