London Underground 1992 Stock
Encyclopedia
The 1992 Tube Stock is the type of train used on the Central line
and Waterloo & City line
of the London Underground
.
and now Bombardier Transportation
) for the Central line
as the result of the extensive testing of the three 1986 tube stock
prototype trains. Even so, the introduction of this stock was far from trouble-free and there were many technical teething problems.
Eighty-five trains were ordered from ABB, each formed of four two-car units (two units have driving cabs, the others are fitted with shunting controls). Upon entering service in April 1993, the new units gradually replaced the previous 1962 tube stock, which was finally withdrawn two years later. The trains were manufactured at the former BREL Carriage Works in Derby (Now the Bombardier Derby Carriage and Wagon Works also in Derby which occupies the same site).
The propulsion for the trains was manufactured by a consortium of ABB
and Brush Traction
, and was one of the first examples of microprocessor controlled traction featuring a network to connect the different control units.
A fault with one of this type of trains that led to the derailment on 25 January 2003. The whole fleet had to be taken out of service for several months, causing the complete withdrawal of services on the Central Line, to permit faulty bolts to be replaced.
The 1992 stock's design is reminiscent of the 1986 prototypes. The new 2009 stock
trains, presently being built by Bombardier Transport for the Victoria Line
, are more like the 1992 stock in shape and design than the 1995-6 stock.
Due to ongoing problems, the replacement of the DC motors was considered, but decided against. However the 1992 stock may still receive AC motors in the future.
for the Waterloo & City Line
, which until 1994 was part of the national railway network, and became their Class 482
. When this line passed to London Underground
at the start of the process to privatise British Rail on 1 April 1994, these units also passed to London Underground.
TfL
and Metronet
closed the Waterloo & City line for five months from April to September 2006 to allow major upgrade work on the tunnels and rolling stock. The line's limited access meant that this was first time that the units had been brought above ground since their introduction 12 years earlier. The refurbishment of the trains saw them finally painted in the London Underground white, red and blue livery having operated in Network SouthEast
colours since the stock's introduction.
This functionality is configured via a master switch in the drivers' cab which can be set to one of three positions: Automatic, Coded Manual & Restricted Manual.
In Automatic Mode the ATO and ATP are both fully operational. The Driver is only required to open and close the doors and press both "Start" buttons when the train is ready to depart.
In Coded Manual Mode, the ATO is disabled and the driver operates the train manually, however the ATP is still detecting the codes in the track and restricting the drivers actions. The speedometer
on 1992 stock is the horizontal strip design covering two speeds, the Current Speed in green, indicating the speed the train is travelling at, and the Target Speed indicating the speed the train should be travelling at. Although the target speed is always active whilst running in Automatic or Coded Manual mode, whilst in coded manual, changes in the target speed are indicated with an upwards or downwards tone depending on whether the target speed is increasing or decreasing. Should the driver exceed the target speed, an alarm sounds and the emergency brakes are automatically applied until the train is within the target speed, the alarm then stops.
In Restricted Manual Mode, the train cannot exceed 18 km/h (11 mph) and the motors automatically cut out at 16 km/h (10 mph). The ATO and ATP are both disabled and the driver operates the train entirely by sight and according to the signals. This mode is used when there has been an ATP failure or a signal failure or in a depot where ATP is not used i.e. West Ruislip and Hainault depots. On the main line, driving in ATO is the same for a train driver as driving through a section where signals have failed.
(originally Janet Mayo).
On a Central Line train to Ealing Broadway:
"This is . Please mind the gap
between the train and the platform. Change here for the Circle, District
, Northern
and Waterloo & City Line
s, and the DLR
. This is a Central Line train to ."
On a Central Line train travelling to Woodford via the Hainault loop:
"This is . Please mind the gap between the train and the platform. Change here for the Jubilee Line
, the DLR
, and National Rail
services. This is a Central Line train to via ."
. The 1992 Stock on the Waterloo and City Line underwent a refresh during the line's 2006 upgrade and are not undergoing the current refresh.
, 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
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
and Waterloo & City line
Waterloo & City Line
The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank...
of 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...
.
Construction
The 1992 Stock was built by ABB (later AdtranzAdtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
and now Bombardier Transportation
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....
) for the Central line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
as the result of the extensive testing of the three 1986 tube stock
London Underground 1986 Stock
The London Underground 1986 Tube Stock consisted of prototype electric multiple units that led to the development of the 1992 Stock. Two prototypes were built by Metro-Cammell, and the third by BREL ....
prototype trains. Even so, the introduction of this stock was far from trouble-free and there were many technical teething problems.
Eighty-five trains were ordered from ABB, each formed of four two-car units (two units have driving cabs, the others are fitted with shunting controls). Upon entering service in April 1993, the new units gradually replaced the previous 1962 tube stock, which was finally withdrawn two years later. The trains were manufactured at the former BREL Carriage Works in Derby (Now the Bombardier Derby Carriage and Wagon Works also in Derby which occupies the same site).
The propulsion for the trains was manufactured by a consortium of ABB
Asea Brown Boveri
ABB is a Swiss-Swedish multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, and best known for its robotics. ABB operates mainly in the power and automation technology areas. It ranked 143rd in Forbes Ranking ....
and Brush Traction
Brush Traction
This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-...
, and was one of the first examples of microprocessor controlled traction featuring a network to connect the different control units.
A fault with one of this type of trains that led to the derailment on 25 January 2003. The whole fleet had to be taken out of service for several months, causing the complete withdrawal of services on the Central Line, to permit faulty bolts to be replaced.
The 1992 stock's design is reminiscent of the 1986 prototypes. The new 2009 stock
London Underground 2009 Stock
The 2009 Tube Stock is a type of London Underground train built by Bombardier as part of its Movia family at its Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England. 47 eight-car units are being built for the Victoria line and have replaced the original 1967 tube stock...
trains, presently being built by Bombardier Transport for 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...
, are more like the 1992 stock in shape and design than the 1995-6 stock.
Due to ongoing problems, the replacement of the DC motors was considered, but decided against. However the 1992 stock may still receive AC motors in the future.
Waterloo & City line
After the initial construction run, an additional ten two-car units were built for British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
for the Waterloo & City Line
Waterloo & City Line
The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank...
, which until 1994 was part of the national railway network, and became their Class 482
British Rail Class 482
This article concerns the trains used on the Waterloo & City Line immediately prior to its takeover by London Underground in 1994. For their service after 1994, see London Underground 1992 Stock...
. When this line passed to 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...
at the start of the process to privatise British Rail on 1 April 1994, these units also passed to London Underground.
TfL
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
and Metronet
Metronet
Metronet Rail was one of two companies in a public-private partnership with London Underground.Metronet was responsible for the maintenance, renewal, and upgrade of the infrastructure on nine London Underground lines from 2003 to 2008. This included track, trains, signals, civil work and stations...
closed the Waterloo & City line for five months from April to September 2006 to allow major upgrade work on the tunnels and rolling stock. The line's limited access meant that this was first time that the units had been brought above ground since their introduction 12 years earlier. The refurbishment of the trains saw them finally painted in the London Underground white, red and blue livery having operated in Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
colours since the stock's introduction.
Operation
The 1992 stock is one of the few stock types on the London underground to feature both ATO (Automatic Train Operation) and ATP (Automatic Train Protection) which effectively allow the trains to drive themselves. The ATO is responsible for operating the train whilst the ATP detects electronic codes in the track and feeds them to the cab displaying the target speed limits.This functionality is configured via a master switch in the drivers' cab which can be set to one of three positions: Automatic, Coded Manual & Restricted Manual.
In Automatic Mode the ATO and ATP are both fully operational. The Driver is only required to open and close the doors and press both "Start" buttons when the train is ready to depart.
In Coded Manual Mode, the ATO is disabled and the driver operates the train manually, however the ATP is still detecting the codes in the track and restricting the drivers actions. The speedometer
Speedometer
A speedometer is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a land vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the 1900s, and as standard equipment from about 1910 onwards. Speedometers for other vehicles have specific names...
on 1992 stock is the horizontal strip design covering two speeds, the Current Speed in green, indicating the speed the train is travelling at, and the Target Speed indicating the speed the train should be travelling at. Although the target speed is always active whilst running in Automatic or Coded Manual mode, whilst in coded manual, changes in the target speed are indicated with an upwards or downwards tone depending on whether the target speed is increasing or decreasing. Should the driver exceed the target speed, an alarm sounds and the emergency brakes are automatically applied until the train is within the target speed, the alarm then stops.
In Restricted Manual Mode, the train cannot exceed 18 km/h (11 mph) and the motors automatically cut out at 16 km/h (10 mph). The ATO and ATP are both disabled and the driver operates the train entirely by sight and according to the signals. This mode is used when there has been an ATP failure or a signal failure or in a depot where ATP is not used i.e. West Ruislip and Hainault depots. On the main line, driving in ATO is the same for a train driver as driving through a section where signals have failed.
Announcer System
The Central Line is fitted with an automated voice announcer voiced by Emma ClarkeEmma Clarke
Emma Clarke is a writer of comedy and drama scripts and an award-winning voice-over artist, best known as the voice of the automated messages on certain lines of the London Underground....
(originally Janet Mayo).
On a Central Line train to Ealing Broadway:
"This is . Please mind the gap
Mind the gap
"Mind the gap" is a warning to train passengers to take caution while crossing the gap between the train door and the station platform. It was introduced in 1969 on the London Underground...
between the train and the platform. Change here for the Circle, District
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
, Northern
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...
and Waterloo & City Line
Waterloo & City Line
The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank...
s, and the DLR
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
. This is a Central Line train to ."
On a Central Line train travelling to Woodford via the Hainault loop:
"This is . Please mind the gap between the train and the platform. Change here for 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 DLR
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
, and National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
services. This is a Central Line train to via ."
2011 refresh
The 1992 Stock is currently undergoing a refresh of both the interior and exterior. Some of the noticable changes include new blue seat covers, improved lighting and improvements to the window frames. The refresh comes after nearly twenty years of continuous service on the Central LineCentral Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
. The 1992 Stock on the Waterloo and City Line underwent a refresh during the line's 2006 upgrade and are not undergoing the current refresh.
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