The
first
Class
730
electric
units


built
by
Alstom
in
Derby
went
into
service
with
London
Northwestern
Railway
this
morning,
when
two
three-car
sets
coupled
in
multiple
worked
the
06.04
from
Bletchley
to
London
Euston.

But
the
launch
has
been
overshadowed
by
reports
that
600
jobs
are
set
to
be
lost
in
Derby
after
the
Prime
Minister
announced
that
HS2
will
not
be
built
to
Crewe
and
Manchester
at
the
Conservative
Party
conference
on
4
October. 

Alstom
is
preparing
a
statutory
consultation
which
will
pave
the
way
to
shedding
almost
a
third
of
the
2000-strong
workforce
at
Litchurch
Lane,
according
to
The
Times.

Talks
with
unions
are
understood
to
be
taking
place
this
week.
It
is
expected
that
most
of
the
job
losses
will
affect
agency
workers
rather
than
established
staff.

There
had
been
concern
for
several
weeks
that
jobs
at
Litchurch
Lane
were
at
risk,
after
the
Prime
Minister’s
decision
implied
that
fewer
trains
will
be
needed
for
the
High
Speed
line
between
London
and
Birmingham,
which
is
still
under
construction.
The
HS2
fleet
is
to
be
built
by
a
joint
venture
of
Alstom
and
Hitachi.

Even
before
the
announcement
about
HS2,
Derby
City
Council
had
sought
talks
with
Alstom
over
the
possibility
that
jobs
were
being
put
at
risk
because
future
train
orders
were
being
delayed.

On
12
September,
Derby
City
Council
leader
Baggy
Shanker
said:
‘The
Litchurch
Lane
factory
site
is
a
unique
asset
for
Derby
and
we
understand
the
impact
these
job
losses
will
have
on
our
residents
and
the
wider
region.

‘As
a
Council,
we’re
ready
to
play
our
part
and
urge
the
Government
and
unions
to
work
closely
with
Alstom
to
ensure
a
sustainable
future
for
the
factory,
which
would
not
only
benefit
the
thousands
of
staff
at
the
site,
but
many
more
across
the
local
supply
chain.’

Meanwhile,
the
new
three-car
Alstom
Class
730/0s
are
only
being
used
on
the
West
Coast
Main
Line
for
now.
They
will
be
moved
to
local
services
in
the
West
Midlands
when
the
five-car
Class
730/2s
are
delivered
next
year.

The
three-car
730s
will
next
be
seen
between
Walsall
and
Wolverhampton,
early
in
2024.
The
eventual
fleet
of
82
trains
will
consist
of
324
vehicles.
Some
of
the
730/2
five-car
sets
will
also
be
worked
in
multiple
as
10-car
trains.