The 1995 Tube Stock fleet was built in the late 1990s to modernise the Northern Line. They replaced the 1959 and 1972 Tube Stock on the line. Externally, the 1995 Tube Stock looks very similar to the 1996 Tube Stock which was built concurrently for the Jubilee Line. The 1995 Tube Stock is in six-car sets [1] not seven like the 1996 trains and has quite different electrical equipment and internal layouts to the Jubilee Line stock.
 |
| 51502 at Edgware |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Number built: | 636 (106 6-car sets) |
| Built: | 1996-1999 |
| Builder: | GEC Alstom Birmingham |
| Engine: | 4 Alstom ONIX three-phase AC induction motors per motor car (630v DC fourth rail) |
| Formation: | Driving Motor (DM)+Trailer (T)+Non-Driving Motor (UNDM)+UNDM+T+DM |
The 1995 Tube Stock has an AC traction control system unlike earlier tube stock which had DC. It has an Alstom ONIX three phase insulated gate bipolar transistor drive (IGBT) drive which supplies variable voltage and frequency to four traction motors per motor car [2]. This is considered more efficient than DC drive and lighter (for example AC motors have no brushes) giving a better power/weight ratio. The IGBT drive can switch high currents very rapidly with a smoother and more even acceleration than earlier systems including the Gate Turn Off system used on the 1996 Tube Stock [3].
The fleet has served the Northern Line well and was given a refresh in 2013 with new seats and improved interiors [4]. The extension of the Northern Line to Battersea Power Station [5] and a possible splitting of the two Northern Line branches into separate lines was at one time thought to require more rolling stock. A top-up order of 1995 Tube Stock was mooted, however recent financial constraints have put paid to that plan for now.
 |
| 51622 arrives at Highgate |
 |
| 51677 departs Tufnell Park |
 |
| 51683 at Battersea Power Station |
 |
| 51665 arrives at Totteridge & Whetstone |
 |
| 51683 arrives at Nine Elms |
[1] Ben Muldoon, London Underground Rolling Stock Guide (Ian Allan, 2014) p. 50
[2] TfL London Underground Rolling Stock Information Sheet (4th Edition)
[3] Piers Connor, The London Underground Electric Train (Crowood Press, 2015) p. 175
[4] Kim Rennie, Underground and Overground Trains (Capital Transport, 2017) p. 22
[5] Northern Line extension <https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/northern-line-extension>