TheLondon Undergroundhas had a long history of refurbishing its trains and making them look brand new. The most recent project was renovating all seventy-five District Line trains, the last of the older Tube trains to have a facelift.
The oldest trains in the London Underground are 48 years old, currently on the Metropolitan Line. By renovating the interiors and painting the formerly unpainted metal sides, these trains are to survive until 2009 when a new stock will start its delivery. Other trains built in the 70s, such as those on the Piccadilly Line, have transformed themselves into newer looking trains with refurbishment in the 90s. The District Line trains, built in 1980, now have the livery of the London Tube on its exterior, improved announcements, extra space for luggage and wheelchairs, and CCTV cameras. The wearing seats have been replaced and the previous hanging balls for standees have been swapped with metal poles. These trains are not expected to be replaced until new trains start arriving in 2013.
About 600,000 passengers take the District line every weekday. The newly renovated trains have sometimes been mistaken as "new trains" according to Transport for London.
Photo by Chris McKenna. Used under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
