new temporary timetable TTN87/23 22 May 2023

There are multiple reasons why they can't just buy more trains for the Jubilee line -
1. They aren't made any more and all the tooling to make them will have been discarded and the machines put to use making much newer trains
2. TfL doesn't have the money to buy new trains at the moment
3. You can't just buy tube-gauge trains - they are a bespoke product designed and/or customised for each line so new trains would need to be designed, developed, built, tested and approved - this would take 4-5 years at absolute minimum, and more than likely longer, even if they had the money in hand
4. Any new trains that have different door spacing to the 1996 stock would require a complex and expensive programme of replacing the platform edge doors. The new trains being built for the Piccadilly line have different door spacing.

At current estimates, when will the fleet be back to full size post repairs?

Brilliant work there jimbo!

I think the word I am looking for is shocking. It is shocking that TfL haven't communicated a reason to passengers on why there is a shortage of trains. We all know the reason why but I won't go into it. What are the cancellation figures for the Jubilee line lately? TfL have been reporting a 'good service' for the past few days/weeks (apart from other service disruptions) but you're better off asking anyone but the official status page.

A report on the GLA states back in March:

"The Jubilee line fleet was due to be overhauled in 2020 but this was deferred as a result of the pandemic, with works beginning in September 2022. Since February 2023, TfL has seen an increase in parts required to be replaced, but the war in Ukraine has led to difficulties sourcing parts from Europe. To mitigate the impact of this, TfL is working closely with its supply chain to increase availability of materials. TfL is working to address the fleet issues that have contributed to recent performance issues on the Jubilee line."

One item that is a constant spares issue on all lines are provision of replacement wheelsets (and has been for many years), whilst wheels are reprofiled they cannot go below a certain size before issues occur with the car heights and the critical level of the underside of the gearboxes on track crossings. Many other items are required during a heavy overhaul programme, where traction and door components are replaced, the supply chains for parts is very complex and often there are no other parts providers for bespoke parts and where a big order is underway for an overhaul, materlals becomes an issue for the suppliers.

The underframe cracks may have some impact, but the shortages of critical running items as wheelsets, especially in the autumn where wheelsets are turned more frequently due to wheel damage, and as train fleets come due for wheelset replacement at Overhaul, many of the trains have small wheels so cannot run beyond wheel scrapping size and the trains have to be taken out of service, Im sure wheelsets have been moved around to keep other units in service, but without parts arriving on time, the problems will get worse.

This is also impacting the Overhauls of the S8 stock and the 09 stocks currently.

Also the building of many new trains around the world currently is using the resourses required for spares provisions.

I recall how some C Stock cars were bespoke built in Eastern Europe!

Nicknamed C85 stock!

Please explain.

I was asking about "bespoke" and "eastern bloc" neither of which has been explained.

One message from jimbo does refer to rebuild, not bespoke build, and nowhere does it say where, never mind eastern bloc, so it reads like it was something else. Especially as "the eastern bloc" ceased to exist from about ~1990 onwards which was way before the events of 2005.

Therefore it all read like a different group of cars. Hence my question.

So what was the "eastern bloc" connection and are we talking about rebuilds of 2005 damage - or builds or rebuilds of something else ?