PRESS RELEASE: Turning the New Piccadilly Line Trains into a Revenue Generator
London's Piccadilly line is getting a new generation of trains, and Passengera, in a cooperation with Annax (part of Wabtec Corporation), is delivering the system behind their on-board TFT displays: a platform for managing, scheduling and displaying multichannel customer information and advertising across the entire fleet.
The Project: TfL's Piccadilly Line Upgrade
As part of Transport for London's (TfL’s) Piccadilly Line Upgrade, Siemens Mobility is building 94 nine-car trains for the Piccadilly line under a £1.5 billion contract awarded in 2018. Built on Siemens' Inspiro platform, with roughly 80% of production based at Siemens' Goole factory in East Yorkshire, these are the first fully walk-through, air-conditioned trains ever to run on London's deep-level Tube network.
A Display Network Built for Targeted Promotions
Every train is fitted with 130 TFT displays which can be set to display route information or promotional content. That's a lot of display real estate, and it's the reason this project matters commercially, not just operationally. Passengera's Infotainment platform for displays turns that display network into a full digital-out-of-home promotional channel: full-screen ads, video and image campaigns, and TfL’s own content, reaching one of the world's busiest metro networks and the millions of passenger journeys made on it every week.
Centralized Content Management: the Wayside CMS
Running a campaign across a display network this size needs a proper back end, not a spreadsheet and a prayer. That's what Passengera's centralized wayside CMS (content management system) is for. It's where TfL and commercial partners plan and schedule advertising and promotional campaigns from a single place. They can organize them into campaigns, present across multiple channels, and push them out within exact time slots and/or at specific stations. All content is displayed within a specified context which allows seamless management e.g. in case of carriage switching.
Built for Precision
Advertising only works commercially if you can prove it ran. Passengera's platform is built around precise, synchronized playback across every display, paired with detailed reporting on what played, where and when. That's what lets operators sell inventory with confidence and show advertisers exactly what they paid for.
Smart Technology, Lighter Infrastructure
Pushing video and image campaigns to a fleet this size generates real data volume. Passengera's technology manages that delivery intelligently, easing the load on onboard and trackside infrastructure so the network stays fast and resilient without over-provisioning bandwidth.
Security by Design
Rail infrastructure demands rigorous cybersecurity. Passengera's solution is designed accordingly, certified by the IEC 62443 industrial cybersecurity standard.
Flexible by Design, with Annax
Passengera integrated with Annax on the on-board display hardware: TFT displays that are configurable to switch between PIS (Passenger Information System) content and Infotainment/advertising content, giving TfL and its commercial partners control over how each display earns its keep across the train. That flexibility, built on close collaboration between the two companies, is what makes a genuinely dynamic advertising network possible on board.
See the solution live at InnoTrans 2026
Siemens Mobility is presenting the new Piccadilly line train at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin, 22–25 September 2026, on the outdoor display tracks. If you want to see Passengera’s infotainment solution for displays up close, visit us at Hall 4.1, Stand 370, where our team will be on hand to discuss your projects. Annax will be exhibiting at the Wabtec stand: Hall 1.2, Stand 210 and Siemens Mobility at Hall 27, Stand 230 and the outdoor display area.