Nine of the 12 London Underground lines are to be upgraded with new trains that feature video surveillance cameras. 190 new trains are to be fitted with the system, the first of which is due to begin passenger services on the Metropolitan Line in 2009.
Metronet Rail, the consortium company of Atkins, Balfour Beatty, Bombardier, EDF Energy and RWE Thames Water, is responsible for the maintenance of two thirds of the Underground network. The only lines not covered by the company are the Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The company plans to invest ”15.5bn ($30bn) over the next 30 years in the Underground network.
The new technology, developed by Bombardier Transportation and March Networks, is called the Bombardier SEKURFLO transit security solution. It will allow operations staff to monitor passengers when on the trains, a much-needed function after the terrorist bombings on 7 July 2005. The surveillance system will also include intelligent video analytics that enhance the reliability and quality of the surveillance system.