London Underground 1995 Stock
| Company type | Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport manufacturing |
| Headquarters | Birmingham , United Kingdom |
| Products | London Underground 1995 Stock trains |
The London Underground 1995 Stock consists of trains that serve the Northern line on the London Underground. A fleet of 106 six-car sets was produced between June 1998 and April 2001, replacing the older London Underground 1959 Stock, 1962 Stock, and 1972 Stock models. Its design is closely aligned with the London Underground 1996 Stock deployed on the Jubilee line.
During the early 1990s, plans to extensively upgrade the Northern line included replacing the existing 1959, 1962, and 1972 Stock trains. Companies bidding for the contract included Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier, and ABB. In December 1994, London Underground awarded a £700 million contract to GEC Alsthom (later known as Alstom) to deliver trains based on the design used for the Jubilee line’s 1996 Stock.
In April 1995, a £400 million Private Finance Initiative (PFI) agreement was finalized with Alstom for the supply of 106 six-car trains. Unlike previous procurement arrangements, this contract made Alstom responsible not only for designing and manufacturing but also financing and maintaining the fleet for a minimum of 20 years, extendable up to 36 years. Payments were structured around train availability and operational reliability.
Manufacturing took place at Alstom’s Washwood Heath facility in Birmingham, with bodyshells imported from Spain. Production began in 1996; one carriage was exhibited publicly during the Lord Mayor's Show in November of that year. The first complete train arrived at Ruislip depot in December 1996. Testing commenced early in 1997, and passenger services started on 12 June 1998. The final unit entered operation on 10 April 2001.
Refurbishment
More than a decade after their introduction, refurbishment of the 1995 Stock began in 2013. The upgrade involved installing new flooring featuring contrasting colors near doorways, repainting yellow grab rails in dark blue, and fitting the standard London Underground "Barman" moquette fabric. Additional modifications included adding wheelchair backboards to trailer cars, covering external door open/close buttons, and replacing internal door buttons with visual warning lights. Windows were polished to remove graffiti damage, and the exterior livery was refreshed.
Alstom carried out this refurbishment program; the first refurbished train returned to service on 30 May 2013, with completion achieved by 13 April 2015. In that year, TfL extended Alstom’s PFI maintenance contract through to 2033, coinciding with the trains approaching roughly 35 years in operation.
Design
The bodyshell of the 1995 Stock is identical to that of the London Underground 1996 Stock used on the Jubilee line; both were constructed concurrently at the same factory. However, significant differences exist in their mechanical and electrical systems due to distinct design objectives: while the Jubilee line stock emphasized minimizing initial contract costs, the Northern line stock focused on optimizing life cycle costs to support Alstom’s long-term maintenance commitment.
From a technical standpoint, the 1995 Stock is equipped with Alstom’s "Onix" three-phase insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) traction motors, which represent newer technology compared to the Jubilee line’s three-phase induction motors paired with gate turn-off thyristor (GTO) inverters. This results in smoother and quieter acceleration for the Northern line trains.
The bogie designs also vary: Adtranz bogies fitted with air suspension are used on the 1995 Stock to better accommodate the Northern line’s demanding track conditions, whereas the Jubilee line stock features Alstom bogies with rubber suspension.
Other notable differences include centrally positioned tip-up seats within each carriage (in contrast to perch seats found on the Jubilee line trains) and orange LED passenger information displays instead of red ones.
Each six-car train comprises two coupled three-car units arranged as DM-T-UNDM+UNDM-T-DM. Some trailer cars are equipped with de-icing tanks that spray fluid onto conductor rails along above-ground sections; these cars are identified by a small circle following their car number.
A distinctive feature of the 1995 Stock among deep-level tube trains is its use of selective door operation due to short platform lengths at stations such as Moorgate, Charing Cross, Hampstead, and Clapham Common.
Maintenance
Alstom is responsible for the upkeep of the trains under a private finance initiative (PFI) agreement that extends through to 2033. The main maintenance hub is located at Golders Green, supported by a significant facility at Morden, along with smaller maintenance sites at Highgate and Edgware.
See also
References