ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

The introduction of a London tube train specially designed to remove dust has been delayed until 2017 or later in order to allow for the removal of asbestos-containing material from the Undergound rail network. That's according to information obtained by campaign group Clean Air in London (CAL).

The Tunnel Cleaning Train includes a carriage with large vacuum nozzles that clean the tube tunnel as the train passes through. It had previously been scheduled for introduction on the Underground network in late 2013 in order to combat metal dust levels.

Transport for London (TfL) said the main reason for the delay was because it needed to remove asbestos-containing material on the Underground network which could be disturbed by the tube cleaning train, potentially releasing harmful asbestos fibres into the atmosphere.

Historically, TfL has recorded the location of asbestos-containing materials but has removed them "only when necessary".

But TfL said unless "certain classes" of asbestos-containing material (ACM) are removed from the Undergound, the tube cleaning train (TCT) would be "inoperable across 98 per cent of the London Underground network", meaning the tube cleaning project would be "no longer viable".