AECOM has been appointed by Transport for London (TfL) to undertake a feasibility study into the depot and siding infrastructure needed to support the Bakerloo Line Upgrade (BLU), as planning progresses towards replacing the oldest passenger train fleet still operating in the UK.
The consultancy will lead early-stage feasibility, planning and optioneering work examining how existing facilities will need to change to accommodate new rolling stock on the line.
The Bakerloo line’s current 1972 Stock has been in passenger service for more than five decades and is the oldest fleet in daily passenger operation in the country. Replacing the trains is seen as central to improving the long-term reliability, capacity and passenger experience of the route.
AECOM will act as lead consultant, supported by Arcadis, bringing together planning, systems engineering, rail engineering, environmental services, digital delivery and BIM expertise.
The work will culminate in a coordinated baseline design covering Stonebridge Park Depot, the Queen’s Park area and the London Road sidings at Elephant & Castle.
Shadi Shekarrizi, Rail Director for London and the South East at AECOM, said: “This is a significant milestone in the Bakerloo Line Upgrade programme and the next step towards improving efficiency, capacity and connectivity across the line.
“AECOM’s appointment is testament to our history of successful delivery of complex, multi-disciplinary programmes across the rail sector. It allows us to bring together planning, engineering and digital capability from the outset to help shape practical, future-ready solutions for depots and sidings that are essential to enabling new rolling stock and improving long-term performance on the line.”
The appointment represents another important piece of preparatory work for the wider Bakerloo Line Upgrade. Introducing a new fleet will require more than replacing trains, with supporting depot, maintenance, stabling and operational infrastructure needing to be capable of accommodating the future rolling stock and its associated systems.
AECOM and Arcadis already have experience working together on major TfL fleet and infrastructure programmes. The companies are construction advisers and engineering partners on the DLR Beckton Depot Upgrade, which forms part of the Docklands Light Railway’s Rolling Stock Replacement programme.
AECOM also has an established role on other major schemes involving the Bakerloo line.
Alongside WW+P Architects, it was previously selected to provide design services for four proposed London Underground stations forming part of the Bakerloo Line Extension into south-east London.
The company was also appointed lead designer for the first stage of TfL’s Elephant & Castle Station Capacity Upgrade in 2025.
While the latest commission remains at the feasibility stage, it provides further evidence of the preparatory engineering work required to eventually retire the Bakerloo line’s 1972 Stock and establish the infrastructure needed for a new generation of trains.
