Photos: RFID, tablets, handhelds - going down the Tube

Tube Lines is the consortium responsible for the maintenance and upgrade of all the infrastructure on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines under a 30-year contract with London Underground.

Tube Lines is involved in a massive improvement programme, tripling investment and committing more than £4.4bn to improve the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines in the first seven-and-a-half years - the equivalent of spending almost £1.6m per day.

The consortium looks after 255 trains, 100 stations, 2,395 bridges and structures, 71 lifts, 227 escalators and more than 200 miles of track. It's keen to streamline its processes by using leading-edge technology and took silicon.com for an exclusive midnight tour of its maintenance operations to show off some of its gadgets.

This is the Cockfosters Piccadilly line depot where 46 trains are inspected in one night. The whole depot is covered by a secure wi-fi network.

Photo credit: Steve Ranger