The Metropolitan line is officially the fastest tube line on the London Underground, and it is about to get even faster. A revamp to the signalling system between Finchley Road and Preston Road has already cut journey times by one minute as of this month.
New timetable and increased frequency
Thanks to the added swiftness, Transport for London (TfL) has announced it will introduce a new timetable for the line in January 2027. From 2028, passengers can expect to see 30 Metropolitan line trains travelling through central London every hour, a welcome boost for commuters.
Part of a wider modernisation scheme
These tweaks are part of a wider £5.5bn project to modernise four London Underground lines – the Metropolitan, District, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines – which together make up 40 percent of the tube system. The 'Four Lines Modernisation' scheme, launched in 2015, has already upgraded the trains themselves to a 192-strong fleet of air-conditioned, walk-through vehicles.
Signalling upgrades ongoing
The current stage focuses on replacing outdated signalling systems, some of which have not been upgraded since the 1940s. More than half of the signalling projects have been completed across different parts of the four lines so far. Next on the agenda is the section of the Metropolitan line between Preston Road and Moor Park, passing Northwick Park, Harrow-on-the-Hill, North Harrow, and Pinner. Two sections of the District line – between Fulham Broadway and East Putney and between Barons Court and Stamford Brook – are also scheduled for upgrades, promising faster journey times and less disruption.
Completion date pushed back
The date for completing all the signalling improvements has been pushed back from 2027 to 2028 due to delays in Metropolitan line improvements. Once finished, TfL will start introducing software optimisations before the whole project concludes in 2029.
