TFL unveils futuristic new tube trains for London

Transport for London has unveiled futuristic new driverless tube trains with more space for commuters as well as air cooling to keep temperatures down.

With the capital's population set to increase from 8.4 million today to around 10 million by 2030, the new trains should provide a welcome relief for overcrowded commuters.

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There will be 250 of the new trains, which will initially be rolled out across the Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines. The idea is that eventually all lines will use the a single train design.

Deep-level lines wil benefit from a new energy-efficient cooling system designed to manage tunnel temperatures.

Built to be future-proof, the trains will have a driver on board at launch, and TFL insists that it won't switch to fully automatic operation without first consulting customers, stakeholders, staff and trade unions.

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Described by TFL as "a train for 2020s-2060s and beyond", the new commuter-friendly carriages won't be making an appearance for some time.

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The unveiling comes on the same day that a planned 48-hour tube strike was called off by the RMT trade union. While London mayor Boris Johnson has promised that tube trains will continue to be manned for at least the next ten years, the introduction of driverless trains is likely to be a source of conflict with the unions in future.