Jubilee line train drivers’ seats getting an overdue refurbishment

Train drivers on the Jubilee line are about to get refurbished seats in their drivers cabs, after Transport for London (TfL) put out a request for a contractor to carry out the work.

The seats are long overdue for replacement or repair, as they were last overhauled in 2011, and should have been maintained again in 2020 — but a pandemic put most maintenance plans on hold. TfL is now seeking a supplier to overhaul the seats, which it says are suffering from a high rate of failure. The contractor will be given between two and three years to carry out the repair work, which is estimated to cost around £420,000.

Although it’s advertised as an overhaul, it’s possible that some seats or the covers will need to be replaced.

Which in totally unrelated news, might mean that TfL may soon have some ex-drivers seats to dispose of, and that could see them being offered for sale, as has occasionally happened in the past through the London Transport Museum.

The Jubilee line is served by the 96 Tube Stock (96TS) fleet, which comprises 63 x 7 car trains and 126 driver cars with 126 seats.