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Any extreme weather can leave a Londoner thinking twice about taking the tube. The Central line, for example, should be avoided at all costs during a heatwave, unless you actually enjoy the sensation of feeling like you're slowly melting into somebody else's armpit.
But the new Crossrail trains, due to run between Liverpool Street and Shenfield from May this year, are undergoing extreme weather testing to ensure passengers travel in comfort. The route will be rebranded the Elizabeth line when trains start running through central London from next December.
Bombardier Transportation, the Derby-based manufacturer of the new trains, delivered the front carriage of a test train to the Rail Tec Arsenal test centre in Vienna for three weeks of testing in a number of weather conditions, with temperatures ranging from -25C up to 40C, as well as high winds.
Dean Taplin, Senior Vehicle Engineer at Bombardier said: 'Subjecting the new trains to a range of climatic conditions, including thick snow and ice, is another crucial step towards making sure that the trains perform as intended whatever the weather. With these new trains entering passenger service from next year, it's key that all elements of the train are fully tested so that passengers have a comfortable experience.'
One questions remains, however: will the new trains be able to handle leaves on the line?
Photo: TfL
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