Paper 8: Principles and Practice of Train Performance Applied to London Transport's Victoria Line

This paper describes how London Transport endeavours to evaluate the optimum train performance characteristics necessary to meet the peak service requirements for a given line at minimum total cost to itself and hence to the passenger.The basic factors affecting train performance on a subway system are outlined, and the practical limits to the attainment of ideal performance are described in detail, with particular reference to maximum acceleration, and the high additional energy costs of increasing maximum speed to save time on short runs.A detailed examination is then made for the Victoria Line service, using a digital computer to assess the net effects on capital and running costs of progressively increasing the proportion of motored axles on the Victoria Line trains, and determining whether the consequent improvements in performance are sufficient to operate the same service with fewer trains. It is concluded that for present London Transport conditions the proportion of driving axles cannot be increa...