Another weekend of testing has been completed on the brand-new signalling system set to transform the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, Transport for London (TfL) has announced. More trains were run between Hammersmith and Edgware Road this weekend than had been run in any other weekend of testing. This represents another step forward for the programme before the first trains operate under the new system this summer.

The new system, provided by Thales, will improve reliability and boost capacity on 40 per cent of the Tube network and has undergone significant testing since October. It will transform one of the oldest parts of the Tube network into one of the most modern. The section between Hammersmith and Edgware Road will be the first to go live on the new system, which will provide better, more accurate real-time customer information and improve reliability.

The new system will be introduced progressively over 14 sections across the network, each one improving reliability as it is introduced. Customers will benefit from quicker, more frequent services from 2021, with all four lines using the new system by 2023. The new, modern signalling will allow trains to run closer together, which will increase the frequency of train services across these lines with 32 trains per hour set to operate in the central London section. This will boost capacity by a third across all four lines – equivalent to space for an extra 36,500 customers during the busiest times of day.

The new, state-of-the-art control centre for all four lines at Hammersmith is also nearing completion. This will bring all the aspects of managing the lines under one roof, helping ensure a smooth, integrated service and more accurate and up-to-date information for customers. The fleet of 192 new S-stock trains are now being fitted with the technology needed to operate the new system and train operators are undergoing training.