Editing Piccadilly line (section)

==Future upgrade and proposals==
The Piccadilly line is to be upgraded under the [[New Tube for London]] scheme, involving new trains as well as new signalling, increasing the line's capacity by some {{nowrap|24 per cent}} and reducing journey times by one fifth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tube improvement plan: Piccadilly line |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/18098.aspx |publisher=Transport for London |access-date=29 December 2013 |archive-date=18 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518090304/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/18098.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bids for new rolling stock were originally submitted in 2008. However, after the acquisition of [[Tube Lines]] by Transport for London in June 2010, this order was cancelled and the upgrade postponed.<ref name="ford201010">{{Cite news |last=Ford |first=Roger |date=October 2010 |title=Rolling stock famine deepens as Bombardier feasts on past orders |work=Modern Railways |volume=67 |issue=745 |page=22 |location= London}}</ref>

LUL then invited [[Alstom]], [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]] and [[Siemens Mobility]] to develop a new concept of lightweight, low-energy, semi-articulated train for the deep-level lines, provisionally called "Evo" (for 'evolution'). Siemens publicised an outline design featuring air-conditioning and battery power to enable the train to run on to the next station if [[Fourth rail|third and fourth rail]] power were lost. It would have a lower floor and {{nowrap|11 per cent}} higher passenger capacity than the present tube stock.<ref name="waboso">{{cite news |title=Transforming the tube |author=Waboso, David |work=Modern Railways |location=London |date=December 2010 |page=44}}</ref>
There would be a weight saving of 30&nbsp;tonnes, and the trains would be {{nowrap|17 per cent}} more energy-efficient with air-conditioning included, or {{nowrap|30 per cent}} more energy-efficient without it.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/siemens-unveils-london-underground-concept-train.html |work=Railway Gazette International |location =London |title= Siemens unveils London Underground concept train |date=20 June 2011 |access-date=31 October 2020 |archive-date=31 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031063602/https://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/siemens-unveils-london-underground-concept-train.html}}</ref> Siemens Mobility was awarded a £1.5 billion contract in June 2018 to produce the new trains at a [[Siemens Goole|planned factory in Goole]], [[East Yorkshire]].<ref name=Siemens2018>{{cite news |title=East Yorkshire factory wins £1.5bn Tube train deal |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-44496526 |access-date=15 June 2018 |work=BBC News |date=15 June 2018}}</ref>

The intention is for the new trains to eventually operate on the Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines.<ref>{{cite news |title= Siemens reveals innovative air-con for deep Tube trains |page= 12 |work= Rail |location =Peterborough |issue=673 |date=29 June 2011}}</ref> Resignalling work on the Piccadilly line was to begin in 2019<ref>{{cite web |publisher= Transport for London |date= December 2013 |url= http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/tfl-business-plan-december-2013.pdf |title= Business Plan 2013 |page= 35 |access-date= 9 January 2014 |archive-date= 11 February 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140211030139/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/tfl-business-plan-december-2013.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gelder |first1=Sam |title=Piccadilly line trains still run by 'obsolete' signalling system from the 1950s |url=https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/piccadilly-line-trains-still-run-by-obsolete-signalling-system-from-3792756 |access-date=4 March 2021 |work=[[Islington Gazette]] |date=15 May 2018}}</ref> but this has since been shelved because of lack of funds.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Alexandra |title=Treasury rebuffed TfL bid for Piccadilly line funds in spending round |url=https://www.cityam.com/treasury-rebuffed-tfl-bid-for-piccadilly-line-funds-in-spending-round/ |website=CityAM |access-date=4 March 2021 |date=22 September 2019}}</ref> New trains were due to enter service in 2023,<ref name=Siemens2018/> bringing an increase in peak frequencies from 24 to 27 tph.<ref name="railtechntfl">{{cite news |date=21 November 2018 |title=London Underground awards £1.5bn deal to Siemens for 94 Tube trains |work=Railway Technology |url=https://www.railway-technology.com/news/london-siemens-94-tube-trains/ |url-status=live |access-date=27 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827162739/https://www.railway-technology.com/news/london-siemens-94-tube-trains/ |archive-date=27 August 2020}}</ref> In March 2021, it was reported that the new trains would not enter service before 2025, that the increase in peak frequency from 24 to 27 tph would not take place until about 2027, and that any further increase to 30 tph would be delayed until the signalling system is upgraded, for which funds are not currently available.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lydall|first=Ross|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/design-new-piccadilly-line-trains-unveiled-tfl-b922086.html|title=First look: TfL unveils design of new Piccadilly line trains|work=[[Evening Standard]]|location=London|date=4 March 2021|access-date=4 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Improving the trains |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/tube-improvements/what-we-are-doing/improving-the-trains |website=Transport for London |access-date=4 March 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324011843/https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/tube-improvements/what-we-are-doing/improving-the-trains |archive-date=24 March 2021}}</ref>

There have previously been some proposals, predominantly by [[Slough Borough Council]], to extend the line towards [[Slough railway station]] from [[Heathrow Terminal 5 station]]. A number of routes have been proposed, and the main ones pass very close to but do not call at [[Windsor & Eton Central railway station|Windsor]].<ref name="thamesvalleychamber.co.uk">{{cite web |url=http://www.thamesvalleychamber.co.uk/uploads/Policy/SBCpresentationSep09.pdf |title=Slough Borough Council presentation |publisher=Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group |access-date=29 December 2013 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809230423/http://www.thamesvalleychamber.co.uk/uploads/Policy/SBCpresentationSep09.pdf |archive-date=9 August 2013 }}</ref> The current thinking, and most viable options are to support a western access link diverging from the Great Western Main Line just east of [[Langley station]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://aec.heathrowconsultation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/06/Preferred-Masterplan-Hi-Res.pdf|title=Preferred Masterplan |website=Heathrow Airport Expansion Consultation|page=19 |access-date=27 August 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910101431/https://consultations.networkrail.co.uk/communications/westernraillinktoheathrow/ |archive-date=10 September 2016 |date=2016}}</ref>

In 2005, a business case was prepared to re-open the disused [[York Road tube station|York Road station]], to serve the [[King's Cross Central]] development and help relieve congestion at King's Cross St Pancras.<ref name="kce_yorkroad">{{cite web |url=http://www.kingscrossenvironment.com/files/york_road_business_case_report__final__2sided.pdf |title=York Road Station Re-opening – Business Case Analysis |year=2005 |publisher=[[Halcrow Group Limited]] |page=6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726075815/http://www.kingscrossenvironment.com/files/york_road_business_case_report__final__2sided.pdf |archive-date=26 July 2011 |url-status = dead|quote=The objective would be to ensure that public transport users travelling from the KCC development would benefit from travelling via York Road Station rather than using King’s Cross St Pancras Station. This in turn leads to the subobjective of providing congestion relief for King’s Cross St Pancras Station.}}</ref>