Ten
trains


have
been
ordered
for
the
Elizabeth
Line
from
Alstom
in
Derby.

The
order,
which
is
reported
to
be
worth
at
least
£400
million,
has
come
at
a
time
when
the
site
was
running
out
of
rolling
stock
orders
and
faced
closure.

The
Derby
works
became
part
of
Alstom
when
that
company
acquired
Bombardier
Transportation
in
2022,
but
trains
have
been
built
in
the
city
since
the
nineteenth
century.
Manufacturing
supports
dozens
of
supply
chain
companies
in
the
East
Midlands,
some
of
which
had
also
been
set
to
close
along
with
the
Alstom
works.

Alstom’s
UK
managing
director
Nick
Crossfield
said:
‘We
are
delighted
to
now
have
a
confirmed
workload
for
Derby
Litchurch
Lane
and
our
supply
chain
across
the
UK.
The
UK
remains
one
of
Alstom’s
most
important
global
markets.’

The
trains
are
being
funded
by
£220.5
million
from
the
Department
for
Transport,
while
Transport
for
London
is
purchasing
maintenance
of
the
Aventra
units
until
2046.

London
Mayor
Sadiq
Khan
said:
‘Alongside
TfL,
I’ve
been
making
the
case
to
the
Government
that
investment
in
new
Elizabeth
[Line]
trains
would
give
a
vital
boost
to
UK
manufacturing,
and
support
supply
chains
and
jobs
around
the
country.
I’m
delighted
that
Ministers
have
confirmed
the
funding
for
these
state-of-the
art
trains.

‘The
transformational
Elizabeth
Line
is
the
fastest
growing
railway
in
the
UK,
with
more
than
350
million
journeys
made
on
the
line
since
its
opening,
significantly
helping
to
drive
recovery
from
the
pandemic
and
adding
an
estimated
£42
billion
to
the
UK
economy.’

Labour’s
shadow
transport
secretary
Louise
Haigh
said:
‘Labour
has
been
calling
for
this
deal
to
be
done
for
months
to
save
jobs
and
the
future
of
Alstom.

‘It’s
extremely
welcome
that
Transport
for
London
have
placed
further
orders
with
Alstom
after
concerted
campaigning
from
Unite
the
Union
and
local
Labour
leaders.

‘We
cannot
go
on
like
this.
Labour
will
put
an
end
to
the
cycle
of
end
to
boom
and
bust
in
our
rail
manufacturing
sector,
support
the
skilled
jobs
of
the
future
and
provide
the
stability
communities
like
Derby
deserve.’

Unite
has
also
welcomed
the
news,
but
criticised
government
delays.
General
secretary
Sharon
Graham
added:
‘Our
members
at
Alstom
will
be
breathing
a
huge
sigh
of
relief
but
they
should
never
have
been
in
this
position
in
the
first
place.
The
government
were
guilty
of
being
asleep
at
the
wheel.
There
is
a
huge
need
for
new
trains
in
this
country,
but
Alstom
was
being
starved
of
work.’