London Underground 1972 Stock
Encyclopedia
The London Underground
1972 stock is a fleet of train
s used on the London Underground
. The 1972 Stock was ordered to make up the shortfall in trains on the Northern line
's 1959 Tube Stock
fleet. It is, however, currently used on the Bakerloo line
.
A total of 252 cars were ordered from Metro-Cammell and later refurbished by Tickford
and Rosyth Dockyard
.
In the early 1970s the 1938 Tube stock
on the Bakerloo
and Northern lines was life-expired and due for replacement. Tentative designs for a new Northern Line fleet were abandoned when the go-ahead was given for the Piccadilly Line
to be extended to Heathrow Airport. That required a totally new fleet of trains to replace the 1959 stock then in use. The plan was made to transfer the 1959 trains to the Northern, to allow the worst of the 1938 stock there to be scrapped, but there were only 76 1959 Tube stock trains, and the Northern Line needed more than that to operate. Originally it was planned to refurbish some 30 1938 trains, but this was scrapped in favour of 30 new trains - 1972 Mk1 Tube stock.
The 1972 Tube stock was ordered in a hurry, so there was no time to create a new design; the trains were based on the 1967 Tube stock
on the Victoria Line
. Although almost identical looking, the 1972 trains had a guard and door controls in the rear car, and was not compatible with 1967 Tube stock (though in recent years some 1972 cars have been adapted to run with the 1967 trains on the Victoria Line).
A further 33 trains of 1972 Tube stock were ordered to provide service on the Jubilee Line
. The 1972 Mk2 stock had slightly different interiors, such as dark blue seating moquette (unlike the red and grey on the earlier 1972/1967 trains). Externally the biggest difference was that the doors were painted red, with a LT
roundel on the side of the carriages, rather than the Johnston
lettering. The train number plates on the The 1972 Mk2 trains operated on the Northern and Bakerloo Lines prior to the opening of the Jubilee Line in 1979.
With the introduction of the 1983 Tube stock
on the Jubilee in 1984, the 1972 Mark 2 trains were transferred to the Northern line, then subsequently to the Bakerloo line, where they remain in service. The earlier (Mark 1) 1972 stock on the Northern line was replaced by 1995 Tube Stock
in 1999. The 1972 Mark 2 stock was extensively refurbished in the 1990s. After being withdrawn from the Northern line, a few cars of 1972 Mark 1 stock were converted to run with 1967 stock in service on the Victoria line. A further two trains were converted to be compatible with the MkII type, and these now run on the Bakerloo Line.
The 1972 trains are formed of seven-car sets, and have a total of 268 passenger seats.
, Bombardier
and Siemens
to develop a new concept of lightweight, low-energy, possibly semi-articulated train for the deep-level lines, provisionally called "Evo" (for 'evolution'). So far only Siemens has publicised an outline design, which would feature air-conditioning and would also have battery power enabling the train to run on to the next station if fourth rail power were lost. It would have a lower floor and 11% higher passenger capacity than the present tube stock.
There would be a weight saving of 30 tonnes, and the trains would be 17% more energy-efficient with air-conditioning included, or 30% more energy-efficient without it. The intention is that these new trains would eventually operate on the Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines. This would mean a replacement of the 1992, 1973 and 1972 stocks.
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
1972 stock is a fleet of train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s used on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. The 1972 Stock was ordered to make up the shortfall in trains on the Northern line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
's 1959 Tube Stock
London Underground 1959 Stock
The 1959 Tube Stock was a type of London Underground tube train constructed in the late 1950s. They were intended for use on the Piccadilly line, but also saw use on several other tube lines...
fleet. It is, however, currently used on the Bakerloo line
Bakerloo Line
The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
.
Construction
Tickford
Tickford is an automobile engineering and testing company with a history of coachbuilding and tuning and is famous for such products as the 140 mph Tickford Turbo Capri.-Early years:...
and Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard is a large naval dockyard on the Firth of Forth at Rosyth, Fife, Scotland, owned by Babcock Marine, which primarily undertakes refitting of Royal Navy surface vessels.-History:...
.
In the early 1970s the 1938 Tube stock
London Underground 1938 Stock
The 1938 Tube Stock is a London Underground tube stock design. The trains were built by Metro-Cammell and Birmingham RC&W, and were used on the London Underground until 1988. During their long lives they worked on the Bakerloo, Piccadilly, Northern, East London and Central lines...
on the Bakerloo
Bakerloo Line
The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
and Northern lines was life-expired and due for replacement. Tentative designs for a new Northern Line fleet were abandoned when the go-ahead was given for the Piccadilly Line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
to be extended to Heathrow Airport. That required a totally new fleet of trains to replace the 1959 stock then in use. The plan was made to transfer the 1959 trains to the Northern, to allow the worst of the 1938 stock there to be scrapped, but there were only 76 1959 Tube stock trains, and the Northern Line needed more than that to operate. Originally it was planned to refurbish some 30 1938 trains, but this was scrapped in favour of 30 new trains - 1972 Mk1 Tube stock.
The 1972 Tube stock was ordered in a hurry, so there was no time to create a new design; the trains were based on the 1967 Tube stock
London Underground 1967 Stock
The 1967 Stock was a fleet of deep-level tube stock which operated on the Victoria line between 1 September 1968 and 30 June 2011, and was the original rolling stock provided from the line's opening...
on the Victoria Line
Victoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
. Although almost identical looking, the 1972 trains had a guard and door controls in the rear car, and was not compatible with 1967 Tube stock (though in recent years some 1972 cars have been adapted to run with the 1967 trains on the Victoria Line).
A further 33 trains of 1972 Tube stock were ordered to provide service on the Jubilee Line
Jubilee Line
The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...
. The 1972 Mk2 stock had slightly different interiors, such as dark blue seating moquette (unlike the red and grey on the earlier 1972/1967 trains). Externally the biggest difference was that the doors were painted red, with a LT
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
roundel on the side of the carriages, rather than the Johnston
Johnston (typeface)
Johnston is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by and named after Edward Johnston. It is well known for its use by Transport for London....
lettering. The train number plates on the The 1972 Mk2 trains operated on the Northern and Bakerloo Lines prior to the opening of the Jubilee Line in 1979.
With the introduction of the 1983 Tube stock
London Underground 1983 Stock
The London Underground 1983 Stock was a class of electric multiple unit designed for the Jubilee Line.The 1983 Tube Stock could be considered the last train to be designed by London Underground; it was the last conventional Tube train in the long line of evolving design since the 1938 Tube...
on the Jubilee in 1984, the 1972 Mark 2 trains were transferred to the Northern line, then subsequently to the Bakerloo line, where they remain in service. The earlier (Mark 1) 1972 stock on the Northern line was replaced by 1995 Tube Stock
London Underground 1995 Stock
The London Underground's 1995 stock is used in daily service on the Northern Line. There are 106 six car trains in operation; they entered service between 12 June 1998 and 10 April 2001....
in 1999. The 1972 Mark 2 stock was extensively refurbished in the 1990s. After being withdrawn from the Northern line, a few cars of 1972 Mark 1 stock were converted to run with 1967 stock in service on the Victoria line. A further two trains were converted to be compatible with the MkII type, and these now run on the Bakerloo Line.
The 1972 trains are formed of seven-car sets, and have a total of 268 passenger seats.
Future replacement
London Underground has invited AlstomAlstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
, Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
and Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
to develop a new concept of lightweight, low-energy, possibly semi-articulated train for the deep-level lines, provisionally called "Evo" (for 'evolution'). So far only Siemens has publicised an outline design, which would feature air-conditioning and would also have battery power enabling the train to run on to the next station if fourth rail power were lost. It would have a lower floor and 11% higher passenger capacity than the present tube stock.
There would be a weight saving of 30 tonnes, and the trains would be 17% more energy-efficient with air-conditioning included, or 30% more energy-efficient without it. The intention is that these new trains would eventually operate on the Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines. This would mean a replacement of the 1992, 1973 and 1972 stocks.