The Cooling the Tube programme has been established to minimise the problem of increasing temperatures across the London Underground network, which can surpass 30°C at some locations through the summer months. As part of this programme, ventilation shafts are being upgraded on the Victoria Line.

Mansell, who is the principal contractor delivering Tranche 3 of these vent shafts, have awarded Firstco the contract to provide the associated control systems along the Victoria Line. Firstco will use the proven approach from their Tranche 2 design to ensure it meets all of the requirements.

The second project, known as Tranche 1 retrofit, consists of retrofitting the control systems on five other ventilation shafts, which were originally delivered by two separate consortia in 2008 under the Tranche 1 build. This will provide commonality with the system Firstco designed and delivered under the Tranche 2 contract. Firstco shall be acting as the principal contractor directly appointed to London Underground. This will bring all ventilation sites on the line into a single configuration standard control system delivered by Firstco.

Both projects involve design and delivery of the control system including hardware, testing and commissioning through to final handover and delivery into service.

The quality of Firstco’s value-led engineering and consultative approach during the Tranche 2 project has enabled LU to specify Firstco outright for these two projects. Completion of these projects will fulfil the vision of the Cooling the Tube programme by providing a common system architecture and unified head-end, thereby providing real time monitoring and data logging.

Firstco are delighted to be developing their relationship further with London Underground and other key stakeholders. This allows Firstco to develop the central cooling SCADA and reporting system to a superior level, providing London Underground and the wider TfL organisation with a first class solution.