Alstom
has
warned
Derby
City
Council
that
it
intends
to
end
the
building
of
trains
in
the
city.

The
news
follows
fears
that
more
than
1300
workers,
or
two-thirds
of
the
employees,
were
set
to
lose
their
jobs
because
of
a
lack
of
new
orders.

It
has
now
emerged
that
Alstom
is
planning
to
go
further
by
ceasing
to
build
rolling
stock
at
Litchurch
Lane,
bringing
to
an
end
a
tradition
in
Derby
which
goes
back
to
1840.

The
decision
raises
a
question
mark
over
where
Alstom
will
now
play
its
part
in
building
trains
for
HS2,
in
conjunction
with
Hitachi.

Derby
Council
leader
Baggy
Shanker
said:
‘We’ve
been
informed
by
Alstom
this
morning
that
after
months
of
talks
with
Government,
they
must
now
plan
to
end
the
production
of
rolling
stock
within
the
city
and
will
be
starting
a
redundancy
consultation
affecting
Derby
manufacturing
staff,
coinciding
with
the
end
of
current
projects.

‘The
Litchurch
Lane
factory
site
is
a
unique
asset
for
Derby
and
the
UK
and
we
understand
the
impact
these
supply
chain
job
losses
will
have
on
our
residents
and
the
wider
region.

‘We’ve
been
working
closely
with
Alstom,
Unite
and
senior
Government
officials
to
explore
potential
resolutions
to
the
current
situation
since
the
announcement
of
possible
job
cuts
back
in
September
and
we’re
saddened
to
hear
that
a
solution
has
not
yet
been
possible.
Minsters
really
need
to
commit
and
focus
on
this
vital
industrial
sector.
To
date
I’m
disappointed
that
no
Minister
has
agreed
to
speak
to
us
on
this
matter.

‘The
rail
sector
is
immensely
important
to
the
city,
and
was
recognised
earlier
this
year
with
Derby
being
named
the
home
for
the
new
Great
British
Railways
headquarters.

‘We
stand
with
Alstom
and
their
workers
during
this
disappointing
time
and
continue
to
support
wherever
we
can.’

The
Rail
Forum,
which
is
based
in
Derby,
said:
‘The
approach
to
rolling
stock
procurement
has
led
to
the
current
scenario
of
“feast
and
famine”
and
we
are
already
seeing
redundancies
at
suppliers
as
their
work
dries
up.
We
have
raised
our
concerns
with
government
and
the
Department
for
Transport
on
a
number
of
occasions
over
the
last
year
as
this
situation
was,
sadly,
predictable.’

If
Alstom’s
decision
goes
ahead,
it
will
also
mean
the
closure
of
the
last
traditional
train-building
works
in
Britain.
Hitachi’s
site
at
Newton
Aycliffe
and
CAF’s
at
Newport
in
south
Wales
have
both
been
opened
during
the
last
few
years.