Further Delay To Turnham Green Piccadilly Line Stop
TfL to lobby new government to fund signal upgrade needed
Piccadilly line train speeds through Turnham Green
The start of a Piccadilly line service at Turnham Green station looks set to be even further into the future as funding for key signalling work looks uncertain.
Transport for London (TfL) has published its latest five year plan in which it acknowledges that the completion of the project to upgrade the signals on the line is dependent on further government funding being available as it cannot currently afford to pay for the project from its own resouces.
Last year TfL announced it was postponing the signalling upgrade due to a shortage of finance citing 'uncertainty over government funding'.
The upgrade of the Piccadilly Line was part of a £5.4billion modernisation of the deep tube lines which had already been delayed by four years by the switching of part of the contract from Bombardier to Thales.
Even on the previous timetable the introduction of a stop at Turnham Green could have been as late as 2026. Although the new trains and signalling were due to be introduced on the Piccadilly line by 2023 the service was not going to reach 27 trains per hour (tph) until 2026 which was thought to be the most likely date when the service to Chiswick would be upgraded.
TfL has criticised the Government for failing to support the transport network adequately, saying, "TfL did not see any commitment in the 2019 Government spending round. This is now materially limiting long-term investment in the transport network.
"Following the General Election, the Mayor and London’s Transport Commissioner will be writing to the new Government to press the need to confirm the steady and sustained funding London needs to the benefit of the UK as a whole.
"TfL will continue to make the case for Government investment to replace the life-expired signalling system on the Piccadilly line, which it had to pause last year owing to a lack of certainty around Government funding. It remains TfL’s intention to press ahead with this essential work as soon as funding is confirmed."
Prime Minster Boris Johnson had voiced support for a Piccadilly line stop while he was London Mayor saying in 2012, “Chiswick is a fantastic place and I hope that after the TfL consultation we see the Piccadilly Line stop at Turnham Green station.”
Priority on local services will be given by the transport company to completing the signalling upgrade and increasing capacity by 33 per cent on the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and District line, with work to be completed by 2023.
December 21, 2019