TWO 1973 Stock trains converted into rail adhesion trains are to enter service on the Piccadilly Line at the end of September.
Transport for London has confirmed the plan after the line suffered major problems with wheel flats last autumn, with many trains having to be withdrawn and a greatly reduced service operating. TfL responded by commissioning an independent report from Xanta Ltd into leaf fall issues on the line. The adhesion trains are one response, and will treat rails to reduce the risk of poor adhesion.
Other actions taken by TfL include trackside vegetation clearance, securing access to more detailed weather prediction data to allow a quicker response to changing leaf fall conditions, new trackside signage warning drivers of low adhesion areas and temporary speed restrictions, developing a new autumn timetable which reduces speeds in areas where low adhesion is expected, and recruiting additional maintenance staff and purchasing more spare wheels to provide a 24/7 wheel changing facility at the line’s depots.
