London Underground 1983 Stock

1983 Stock
In service	1984–98
Manufacturer	Metro Cammell
Line(s) served	Jubilee
Stock type	Deep-level tube
Notes
London Transport portal

The interior of the 1983 tube stock train at London's Transport Museum depot

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 Stock. The stock was built by Metro Cammell to replace the 1972 Mark II Tube Stock operating on the Jubilee line; in turn this was intended to enable those trains to replace the ageing 1938 Tube Stock on the Bakerloo line.

Design of the 1983 Tube Stock was finalised in 1980; originally 30 trains were planned, but declining traffic meant that only 15 trains were ordered in 1982, entering service in 1984. A surge in passenger numbers meant that another 15 trains were built (called Batch Two) and these were delivered in 1986. All trains were formed of 6 vehicles.

The 1983 Tube stock owed much to the sub-surface D Stock in design. Like D Stock, the 1983 Tube Stock had single leaf doors, a similar orange interior and cab design. Unlike the D Stock however, the 1983 Tube Stock proved to be unreliable. Electrical generators for lighting the carriages failed often, as did the motors. Boarding of passengers was slow because of the single leaf doors.

With the Jubilee Line Extension in mind, it was planned the 1983 Tube Stock would be refurbished to run with the newer 1996 Stock that entered Jubilee line service in 1997. The 1983 Tube stock was to be given similar interiors. This was abandoned in favour of re-equipping the line entirely with the 1996 Stock. Then it was proposed for the 1983 Stock to be added to the refurbished 1973 Tube Stock on the Piccadilly line; the plans included replacing the single leaf doors on the 1983 Tube Stock with double doors to speed up passenger boarding. This was abandoned on the grounds of cost. The last 1983 Tube Stock train ran on the Jubilee line on 9 July 1998.

Despite their newness and attempts to sell the trains abroad, the trains have never returned to service. A number were stored at various locations around the network, and others were scrapped.^[1] One heavily vandalised example can still be seen on sidings south of South Harrow tube station on eastbound Piccadilly line trains, through windows looking east.^[2]

One carriage of the stock has been preserved by the London Transport Museum and another is used as a studio by Radio Lollipop at Great Ormond Street Hospital. A few more have been placed on the disused Broad Street viaduct in Shoreditch for use as artists' studios.^[3][4]

References

• Tubeprune - Rolling Stock

External links

• Squarewheels.org.uk - 1983 Tube Stock
• London Transport Museum Photographic Archive. 1983 Stock train at Charing Cross, Jubilee line platform, 1986.

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