London's New Subway Trains Look Like Spaceships
Next stop: the future. Transport for London just pulled the cover off its new subway train for the London Underground - and its design is straight out of a sci-fi flick.
London-based studio PriestManGoode designed the new train model, which is called the "New Tube for London."
It sports luxuries like wider double doors, Wi-Fi and air conditioning for the first time in deep-level trains.
The new design also abandons the seperate-car model for an articulated design that allows passengers to move up and down the full length of the train.
The interior of the train has been overhauled and sports the classic London Underground color scheme of oxblood and neutral grays, as well as large display screens full of real-time travel information and moving advertisements.
This new rolling stock won't hit the rails until about 2022 and will only be used for a few lines: the Piccadilly, the Central, Bakerlooand Waterloo & City.
Who will build the trains has not yet been decided, but CNet.com reports that Alstom, Siemens, Hitachi, CAF and Bombardier (the builder of the Underground's current S Stock trains) are all in the running. The contract will be awarded in 2016.
Hey, MTA: Any room for these babies in that $32 million capital budget?