I will be reviewing various Freedom of Information (FOI) requests that have been responded to and published by Transport for London (TfL), particularly in relation to the current situation involving the Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP) and the new 2024 Tube Stock for the London Underground Piccadilly Line.
Actual off-peak Oyster times
Request ID: FOI-3161-2425
Date published: 14 January 2025
Please see the answer to a similar request published on the FOI pages of our website via the following link, which provides the requested data:
The ‘tolerance/buffer’ remains unchanged.
As the FOI request above references a previous FOI request, here is the information below:
Oyster Card Peak/Off Peak Grace Periods
Request ID: FOI-1798-1718
Date published: 16 October 2017
1) Touching in after the start of the AM peak
Peak starts at 06.35.
2) Touching in before the end of the AM peak
Off-peak starts at 09.27.
3) Touching in after the start of the PM peak
Peak starts at 16.05.
4) Touching in before the end of the PM peak
Off-peak starts at 18.57.
Please note that the grace times quoted above apply for both Oyster and Contactless. The quoted times are as set at the particular validation devices and these may sometimes vary from true time; the grace times are therefore not guaranteed to apply from the perception of the user.
Why is the Thameslink line still shown on the Tube Map in 2025?
Request ID: FOI-3145-2425
Date published: 14 January 2025
I can confirm that we do hold the information you require. Thameslink has been added to the tube map as it operates a through-London service, and highlighting this gives Londoners more options, as well as accepting pay as you go ticketing.
Bus lane enforcement on Christmas day
Request ID: FOI-3261-2425
Date published: 14 January 2025
There was no exemption in place on Christmas Day.
Central Line Upgrade
Request ID: FOI-2927-2425
Date published: 14 January 2025
Please can you tell me when the Central Line train upgrade project began?
The Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP) involves the complete refurbishment of the existing Central line trains and features more reliable motors, better accessibility, improved customer information and a new moquette. It is the largest intervention we have conducted on our trains. The £500m programme will boost future reliability as well as providing wheelchair bays, better customer information systems, CCTV in carriages and new seating.
CLIP began in 2015.
How many trains to date have been completed as part of the upgrade?
2 trains have been upgraded and entered into passenger service.
When is the project expected to be completed, and if it is on time and on budget?
When CLIP began, the original outline of the project and its timing would have improved reliability before the trains were planned to be replaced between 2028 and 2031. However, with the changes to the timescales of replacement trains as a result of the lack of funding for new trains, the scope of the project was expanded by around 60 per cent and the budget increased to £500m to enable us to keep the trains running for longer in passenger service.
Challenges experienced in our supply chain, the COVID pandemic and more recent cost inflation have had an impact on the original timescale of the project. These factors taken together mean that all the trains will be upgraded by the end of 2029.
Piccadilly line train shortage
Request ID: FOI-3061-2425
Date published: 09 January 2025
We are unable to run any Piccadilly line services between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge until mid-January 2025 due to a shortage of Piccadilly line trains caused by leaf fall causing extensive damage to train wheels.
There will also be a reduced Piccadilly line service between Acton Town and Rayners Lane, with trains running approximately every 15 minutes throughout the day until mid-January.
We are working to restore normal services as soon as possible.
The Metropolitan line will run as normal and continue to serve stations between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.
Conditions this year have been particularly challenging, with leaves staying on trees for longer than usual, before falling rapidly during recent storms. This has meant that despite efforts to manage services during times of particularly high leaf fall, we now have fewer trains available than are needed to run a reliable service.
Find out more about how leaves on the track can cause disruption and the work we're doing to minimise that disruption. Plan ahead, allow more time for your journey and check before you travel.
New Piccadilly line timetable from 13 January and short-term weekend closures to prepare for new trains
From Monday 13 January 2025, a new timetable will be in operation on the Piccadilly line.
As part of the new timetable, there will be a reduction in Piccadilly line services between Uxbridge and Acton Town stations during weekday peak times. Metropolitan line services between Uxbridge and Rayners Lane are unaffected.
This change is required to accommodate the 94 new Piccadilly line trains, which will begin entering service from late 2025, replacing the existing fleet. The new trains are part of a modernisation programme which will improve journey times, train frequency and reliability as well as making the Piccadilly line more accessible and sustainable.
The existing train fleet is nearly 50 years old, and a number of these trains can no longer be used. This means that from January 2025, we will be required to operate the Piccadilly line with slightly fewer trains.
For a more efficient journey during peak times, if you are travelling on the Piccadilly line between Uxbridge and Eastcote, you should board the first train to Rayners Lane and change there for the Piccadilly line if necessary.
To carry out the necessary work, weekend part-closures of the line have been required. The latest information about these closures can be found on our website.
New Piccadilly line trains
Request ID: FOI-2964-2425
Date published: 09 January 2025
1. The first question is in relation to the stopping marks for the new trains every station on the Piccadilly line is expected to have new stopping marks so for the ones in the tunnel section how will they be installed will it be in station or will it be in the station or a bit further in the tunnel and what impact will it have on the stopping position of the train and also most of the stopping marks say not in use when will they be operational.
The new trains are longer than the current trains, and as such will have different stopping positions. At stations which are not in tunnels, the stopping markers will be on the platforms. At stations which are in tunnels, the stopping markers will mostly be beyond the platform area and into the tunnel. The new stopping markers are currently being installed but will not be in use until the new trains are in service.
2. The second question is what is the plan for the integration process since the new trains and old trains will be running together at the same time what challenges will this pose and how does TFL plan to cope with this.
There are a number of infrastructure changes underway in order to prepare for the new trains whilst also supporting operation of the current train fleet. These include new sidings delivered at South Harrow and Northfields, and signalling works to name a few examples. Plans are currently being worked on to manage the period of fleet transition, where the new trains will gradually replace the old. This includes considerations such as the impact of timetables, and the training of our Train Operator colleagues.
3. My last question is the first train is expected to enter service in 2025 what month is expected to enter service in 2025.
TfL is aiming for the first new Piccadilly line train to be introduced by the end of this year. This is subject to the progress of system testing, operational readiness activities and completion of a line-wide programme of infrastructure enabling works. The introduction of new systems to a legacy railway like the Piccadilly line is challenging as these works are being carried out whilst seeking to minimise disruption to customers.
The new higher-capacity, air-conditioned and accessible trains are expected to be introduced progressively following testing with the full fleet of 94 trains expected to be in service by the end of 2027.
Piccadilly Line shortage of trains.
Request ID: FOI-2908-2425
Date published: 06 January 2025
We are unable to run any Piccadilly line services between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge until mid-January 2025 due to a shortage of Piccadilly line trains caused by leaf fall causing extensive damage to train wheels.
There will also be a reduced Piccadilly line service between Acton Town and Rayners Lane, with trains running approximately every 15 minutes throughout the day until mid-January.
We are working to restore normal services as soon as possible.
The Metropolitan line will run as normal and continue to serve stations between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.
We are sorry for the disruption this will cause to journeys. Thank you for your ongoing patience throughout the part closures between these stations in recent weeks.
Conditions this year have been particularly challenging, with leaves staying on trees for longer than usual, before falling rapidly during recent storms. This has meant that despite efforts to manage services during times of particularly high leaf fall, we now have fewer trains available than are needed to run a reliable service.
New Piccadilly line timetable from 13 January and short-term weekend closures to prepare for new trains
From Monday 13 January 2025, a new timetable will be in operation on the Piccadilly line.
As part of the new timetable, there will be a reduction in Piccadilly line services between Uxbridge and Acton Town stations during weekday peak times. Metropolitan line services between Uxbridge and Rayners Lane are unaffected.
This change is required to accommodate the 94 new Piccadilly line trains, which will begin entering service from late 2025, replacing the existing fleet. The new trains are part of a modernisation programme which will improve journey times, train frequency and reliability as well as making the Piccadilly line more accessible and sustainable.
The existing train fleet is nearly 50 years old, and a number of these trains can no longer be used. This means that from January 2025, we will be required to operate the Piccadilly line with slightly fewer trains.
For a more efficient journey during peak times, if you are travelling on the Piccadilly line between Uxbridge and Eastcote, you should board the first train to Rayners Lane and change there for the Piccadilly line if necessary.
Last month (December), I published an FOI request from TfL regarding the Bakerloo Line extension to Hayes in Bromley.
Use of Yutong City Master, HESS AG lighTram and self-driving/autonomous buses for London's Buses
Request ID: FOI-2953-2425
Date published: 07 January 2025
Please note, the Freedom of Information Act covers the provision of specific, recorded information only. It does not cover the provision of opinion, explanation or more general questions such as whether TfL is “aware of” different bus models in use in different cities across the world. With this in mind, your questions 1 and 2 do not fall within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act.
In regard to Questions 3 and 4, currently TfL does not have plans to introduce self-driving/autonomous buses to the fleet, nor do we have plans to reinstate all-door open boarding.
It’s quite a disappointing response, as TfL usually responds to FOI requests when a requester asks for recorded information. However, it’s interesting that TfL has no plans to trial an autonomous bus, despite the AB1 trial in Scotland, which operates from Ferrytoll to Edinburgh Park, set to cease operations in February 2025.
Duties of a FOI Case Officer
Request ID: FOI-3242-2425
Date published: 10 January 2025
The FOI Case Officer role predominantly revolves around answering FOI cases - i.e. logging and acknowledging cases; liaising with the relevant business area to source the requested information and to determine whether any exemptions apply to it; and then drafting and issuing a response to the request. FOI Case Officers may also be involved in other work related to the wider Information Governance team – for example, production of the annual Publications Schedule and other transparency related matters.
Please note, the statement in the automated message that you refer to does not so much relate to the role of the FOI Case Officer but, rather, to other colleagues throughout the rest of TfL whose input will often be needed in answering FOI cases. On most occasions when answering an FOI request the FOI Case Officer will rely on the relevant business area to identify, source and contextualise the relevant information. Those colleagues will often be asked for their views on whether there is any sensitivity around the information, in order that the FOI Case Officer can determine whether any exemptions apply to it. The statement that “Answering FOI requests requires the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity” refers to those staff in other business areas, including operational roles, rather than the FOI Case Officer role.
The ‘tolerance/buffer’ remains unchanged.
As the FOI request above references a previous FOI request, here is the information below:
Oyster Card Peak/Off Peak Grace Periods
Request ID: FOI-1798-1718
Date published: 16 October 2017
1) Touching in after the start of the AM peak
Peak starts at 06.35.
2) Touching in before the end of the AM peak
Off-peak starts at 09.27.
3) Touching in after the start of the PM peak
Peak starts at 16.05.
4) Touching in before the end of the PM peak
Off-peak starts at 18.57.
Please note that the grace times quoted above apply for both Oyster and Contactless. The quoted times are as set at the particular validation devices and these may sometimes vary from true time; the grace times are therefore not guaranteed to apply from the perception of the user.
Why is the Thameslink line still shown on the Tube Map in 2025?
Request ID: FOI-3145-2425
Date published: 14 January 2025
I can confirm that we do hold the information you require. Thameslink has been added to the tube map as it operates a through-London service, and highlighting this gives Londoners more options, as well as accepting pay as you go ticketing.
Bus lane enforcement on Christmas day
Request ID: FOI-3261-2425
Date published: 14 January 2025
There was no exemption in place on Christmas Day.
Central Line Upgrade
Request ID: FOI-2927-2425
Date published: 14 January 2025
Please can you tell me when the Central Line train upgrade project began?
The Central Line Improvement Programme (CLIP) involves the complete refurbishment of the existing Central line trains and features more reliable motors, better accessibility, improved customer information and a new moquette. It is the largest intervention we have conducted on our trains. The £500m programme will boost future reliability as well as providing wheelchair bays, better customer information systems, CCTV in carriages and new seating.
CLIP began in 2015.
How many trains to date have been completed as part of the upgrade?
2 trains have been upgraded and entered into passenger service.
When is the project expected to be completed, and if it is on time and on budget?
When CLIP began, the original outline of the project and its timing would have improved reliability before the trains were planned to be replaced between 2028 and 2031. However, with the changes to the timescales of replacement trains as a result of the lack of funding for new trains, the scope of the project was expanded by around 60 per cent and the budget increased to £500m to enable us to keep the trains running for longer in passenger service.
Challenges experienced in our supply chain, the COVID pandemic and more recent cost inflation have had an impact on the original timescale of the project. These factors taken together mean that all the trains will be upgraded by the end of 2029.
Piccadilly line train shortage
Request ID: FOI-3061-2425
Date published: 09 January 2025
We are unable to run any Piccadilly line services between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge until mid-January 2025 due to a shortage of Piccadilly line trains caused by leaf fall causing extensive damage to train wheels.
There will also be a reduced Piccadilly line service between Acton Town and Rayners Lane, with trains running approximately every 15 minutes throughout the day until mid-January.
We are working to restore normal services as soon as possible.
The Metropolitan line will run as normal and continue to serve stations between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.
Conditions this year have been particularly challenging, with leaves staying on trees for longer than usual, before falling rapidly during recent storms. This has meant that despite efforts to manage services during times of particularly high leaf fall, we now have fewer trains available than are needed to run a reliable service.
Find out more about how leaves on the track can cause disruption and the work we're doing to minimise that disruption. Plan ahead, allow more time for your journey and check before you travel.
New Piccadilly line timetable from 13 January and short-term weekend closures to prepare for new trains
From Monday 13 January 2025, a new timetable will be in operation on the Piccadilly line.
As part of the new timetable, there will be a reduction in Piccadilly line services between Uxbridge and Acton Town stations during weekday peak times. Metropolitan line services between Uxbridge and Rayners Lane are unaffected.
This change is required to accommodate the 94 new Piccadilly line trains, which will begin entering service from late 2025, replacing the existing fleet. The new trains are part of a modernisation programme which will improve journey times, train frequency and reliability as well as making the Piccadilly line more accessible and sustainable.
The existing train fleet is nearly 50 years old, and a number of these trains can no longer be used. This means that from January 2025, we will be required to operate the Piccadilly line with slightly fewer trains.
For a more efficient journey during peak times, if you are travelling on the Piccadilly line between Uxbridge and Eastcote, you should board the first train to Rayners Lane and change there for the Piccadilly line if necessary.
To carry out the necessary work, weekend part-closures of the line have been required. The latest information about these closures can be found on our website.
New Piccadilly line trains
Request ID: FOI-2964-2425
Date published: 09 January 2025
1. The first question is in relation to the stopping marks for the new trains every station on the Piccadilly line is expected to have new stopping marks so for the ones in the tunnel section how will they be installed will it be in station or will it be in the station or a bit further in the tunnel and what impact will it have on the stopping position of the train and also most of the stopping marks say not in use when will they be operational.
The new trains are longer than the current trains, and as such will have different stopping positions. At stations which are not in tunnels, the stopping markers will be on the platforms. At stations which are in tunnels, the stopping markers will mostly be beyond the platform area and into the tunnel. The new stopping markers are currently being installed but will not be in use until the new trains are in service.
2. The second question is what is the plan for the integration process since the new trains and old trains will be running together at the same time what challenges will this pose and how does TFL plan to cope with this.
There are a number of infrastructure changes underway in order to prepare for the new trains whilst also supporting operation of the current train fleet. These include new sidings delivered at South Harrow and Northfields, and signalling works to name a few examples. Plans are currently being worked on to manage the period of fleet transition, where the new trains will gradually replace the old. This includes considerations such as the impact of timetables, and the training of our Train Operator colleagues.
3. My last question is the first train is expected to enter service in 2025 what month is expected to enter service in 2025.
TfL is aiming for the first new Piccadilly line train to be introduced by the end of this year. This is subject to the progress of system testing, operational readiness activities and completion of a line-wide programme of infrastructure enabling works. The introduction of new systems to a legacy railway like the Piccadilly line is challenging as these works are being carried out whilst seeking to minimise disruption to customers.
The new higher-capacity, air-conditioned and accessible trains are expected to be introduced progressively following testing with the full fleet of 94 trains expected to be in service by the end of 2027.
Piccadilly Line shortage of trains.
Request ID: FOI-2908-2425
Date published: 06 January 2025
We are unable to run any Piccadilly line services between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge until mid-January 2025 due to a shortage of Piccadilly line trains caused by leaf fall causing extensive damage to train wheels.
There will also be a reduced Piccadilly line service between Acton Town and Rayners Lane, with trains running approximately every 15 minutes throughout the day until mid-January.
We are working to restore normal services as soon as possible.
The Metropolitan line will run as normal and continue to serve stations between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.
We are sorry for the disruption this will cause to journeys. Thank you for your ongoing patience throughout the part closures between these stations in recent weeks.
Conditions this year have been particularly challenging, with leaves staying on trees for longer than usual, before falling rapidly during recent storms. This has meant that despite efforts to manage services during times of particularly high leaf fall, we now have fewer trains available than are needed to run a reliable service.
New Piccadilly line timetable from 13 January and short-term weekend closures to prepare for new trains
From Monday 13 January 2025, a new timetable will be in operation on the Piccadilly line.
As part of the new timetable, there will be a reduction in Piccadilly line services between Uxbridge and Acton Town stations during weekday peak times. Metropolitan line services between Uxbridge and Rayners Lane are unaffected.
This change is required to accommodate the 94 new Piccadilly line trains, which will begin entering service from late 2025, replacing the existing fleet. The new trains are part of a modernisation programme which will improve journey times, train frequency and reliability as well as making the Piccadilly line more accessible and sustainable.
The existing train fleet is nearly 50 years old, and a number of these trains can no longer be used. This means that from January 2025, we will be required to operate the Piccadilly line with slightly fewer trains.
For a more efficient journey during peak times, if you are travelling on the Piccadilly line between Uxbridge and Eastcote, you should board the first train to Rayners Lane and change there for the Piccadilly line if necessary.
Last month (December), I published an FOI request from TfL regarding the Bakerloo Line extension to Hayes in Bromley.
Use of Yutong City Master, HESS AG lighTram and self-driving/autonomous buses for London's Buses
Request ID: FOI-2953-2425
Date published: 07 January 2025
Please note, the Freedom of Information Act covers the provision of specific, recorded information only. It does not cover the provision of opinion, explanation or more general questions such as whether TfL is “aware of” different bus models in use in different cities across the world. With this in mind, your questions 1 and 2 do not fall within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act.
In regard to Questions 3 and 4, currently TfL does not have plans to introduce self-driving/autonomous buses to the fleet, nor do we have plans to reinstate all-door open boarding.
It’s quite a disappointing response, as TfL usually responds to FOI requests when a requester asks for recorded information. However, it’s interesting that TfL has no plans to trial an autonomous bus, despite the AB1 trial in Scotland, which operates from Ferrytoll to Edinburgh Park, set to cease operations in February 2025.
Duties of a FOI Case Officer
Request ID: FOI-3242-2425
Date published: 10 January 2025
The FOI Case Officer role predominantly revolves around answering FOI cases - i.e. logging and acknowledging cases; liaising with the relevant business area to source the requested information and to determine whether any exemptions apply to it; and then drafting and issuing a response to the request. FOI Case Officers may also be involved in other work related to the wider Information Governance team – for example, production of the annual Publications Schedule and other transparency related matters.
Please note, the statement in the automated message that you refer to does not so much relate to the role of the FOI Case Officer but, rather, to other colleagues throughout the rest of TfL whose input will often be needed in answering FOI cases. On most occasions when answering an FOI request the FOI Case Officer will rely on the relevant business area to identify, source and contextualise the relevant information. Those colleagues will often be asked for their views on whether there is any sensitivity around the information, in order that the FOI Case Officer can determine whether any exemptions apply to it. The statement that “Answering FOI requests requires the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity” refers to those staff in other business areas, including operational roles, rather than the FOI Case Officer role.
Here are a few more FOI responses that I have posted on social media:
#Transport for #London Freedom of Information release: DLR Train Dispatch Equipment "The mirrors and monitors are not the primary method of dispatching a DLR train." tfl.gov.uk/corporate/tr...
— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) January 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM
[image or embed]
#TfL Freedom of Information release:
— CLondoner92 (@CLondoner92) January 9, 2025
Fare Evasion on the London Underground
"Staff at our London Underground stations are encouraged to report instances of fare evasion through an app on their tablet devices."https://t.co/HSHZXzPkSb pic.twitter.com/K83QiIxo2z
#Transport for #London Freedom of Information release: Accessible travel for the disabled on the Underground network "London Underground staff receive extensive customer-service and accessibility training when they first join TfL" tfl.gov.uk/corporate/tr...
— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 11:49 AM
[image or embed]
Greater London Authority Freedom of Information release:
— CLondoner92 (@CLondoner92) January 8, 2025
Mayor’s communications with Electric and Hydrogen Bus manufacturershttps://t.co/5zJwr2hjLL pic.twitter.com/U7L7eXWWqW
I would like to extend an invite for you to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) for transport-related updates. You can find me by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my X page here. I am also present on BlueSky and Mastodon. I look forward to connecting with you on these platforms. Thank you for your support.
