First air-conditioned Tube train arrives in London » Communities » 24dash.com

The Tube's first air-conditioned train arrived in London in the early hours of today ahead of its installation next summer.

The new train, which is at the London Underground (LU) Neasden depot in north-west London, will be going into service on the Metropolitan line.

By 2011, 58 new air-conditioned trains, known as Stock trains, will have replaced existing rolling stock on the Metropolitan line.

And by 2015 the new air-conditioned trains will be in service on the District and Circle lines.

However, LU faces the problem of trying to incorporate this kind of air-conditioning on the deep-level part of the system - such as parts of the Bakerloo, Northern and Piccadilly lines - which get the hottest.

The arrival of the new train comes as the Transport For London (TfL) board consider TfL's updated business plan which includes a number of key projects.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "London's first air-conditioned Tube train has arrived. The next milestone in the rebuilding of our transport system."

In the next year TfL will complete several key projects, including the opening of the new £1.4billion extension and upgrade of the East London line and the completion of the upgrade of the Jubilee line bringing a 33% increase in capacity.

Other parts of the plan include the building of the £16billion cross-London Crossrail project, the improving of traffic flows, improvements in ticketing and measures to increase cycling and walking in London.

Mr Johnson said: "It is essential that we keep investing in London's critical transport projects and continue along the track toward giving Londoners the transport network that they want and need."

Last week Mr Johnson announced that average London bus fares would be rising by more than 12% from January 2012 and that average tube fares would be going up 3.9%.

TfL is looking to make efficiency savings of more than £5 billion by 2018.