Alstom begins building ten new Elizabeth line trains in Derby to boost capacity and jobs

Construction has started on ten new trains for London’s Elizabeth line at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane Works in Derby. The new Class 345 Aventra trains will help meet rising passenger demand and support the UK Government’s growth agenda, while sustaining jobs and supply chains across the East Midlands and the wider UK.

Since opening in 2022, the Elizabeth line has transformed travel in London, quickly becoming the UK’s single busiest railway service with an average of 800,000 journeys each day. The new trains, funded with over £220 million from the Government, will allow Transport for London to increase capacity on the line and connect with HS2’s new Old Oak Common station in the future.

Heidi Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport, visited Alstom’s Derby site on 27 October and said: “Thanks to over £220 million in Government funding, TfL’s order for new Elizabeth line trains is a shining example of how public investment in our railways delivers for communities across the country, supporting more than 1,000 skilled jobs and ensuring London’s transport network keeps pace with growing demand. This is a clear demonstration of our Plan for Change promise to build a modern, accessible and sustainable railway that drives economic growth, cuts journey times and brings countless opportunities to people both in the capital and beyond.”

Rob Whyte, Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom, said: “Not only will these new Aventra trains enable Transport for London to continue successfully operating the Elizabeth line as passenger demand grows, they continue to support high-value manufacturing and supply chain jobs in the East Midlands and across the UK. Our historic Derby Litchurch Lane Works are crucial to the country’s economic growth, being the only UK factory where you can design, engineer, build and test a train from scratch for both domestic and export markets. We look forward to our new Elizabeth line trains joining the existing fleet, which are maintained by us around the clock at our state-of-the-art depot at Old Oak Common.”

Alstom’s Derby site has been building trains since 1839 and is one of the world’s largest rolling stock factories. To celebrate 200 years of modern railways, the factory hosted The Greatest Gathering, the world’s largest-ever railway festival, in August, welcoming 40,000 visitors.

The new Class 345 trains will allow TfL to continue expanding service on the Elizabeth line and support wider economic growth. Almost 40 UK companies are contributing to the project, creating and sustaining more than 1,000 jobs. David Shore, Managing Director at Time 24, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be awarded the contract to provide the wiring for the ten new nine-car Aventra trains Alstom are manufacturing in Derby for Transport for London. This comes at a time when the new rolling stock market in the UK had been quiet, and it has allowed us to create jobs and invest back in the business. We are proud to be involved in what has become the single busiest railway service in the UK – the Elizabeth line.”

TfL has long acted as a national engine of growth, spending more than £12 billion with over 3,000 UK suppliers over the last two years. This activity supports more than £11 billion in total Gross Value Added and 100,000 full-time jobs annually.

A new Elizabeth line evaluation report shows the public’s strong adoption of the line since its opening and its positive effect on housing and employment. The report estimates an additional 71,000 trips are made across London’s transport network each weekday as a result of the line, with 16 per cent of trips in Abbey Wood unlikely to have occurred without it.

Andy Lord, Commissioner at Transport for London, said: “The start of production of ten new trains in Derby is testament to the popularity and success of the Elizabeth line and shows how it is driving growth well beyond London, boosting employment and powering industry across the UK. This new report also illustrates the extent to which the line is driving up public transport use in London, speeding up travel on the network and driving regeneration through homebuilding.”

Customers have also benefitted from an 11 per cent reduction in step-free journey times. All Elizabeth line stations between Paddington and Woolwich offer step-free access from street to train, and all other stations have step-free access from street to platform.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, said: “The Elizabeth line shows how quality transport infrastructure can unlock opportunities for people and places across the country, and this vital work in Derby makes clear that investing in the capital’s transport network doesn’t just benefit Londoners but drives wider economic growth across the country. With the Government committed to growth and green-lighting a record number of major infrastructure projects in its first year, the Mayor and I look forward to working hand in hand with them to unleash the full potential of our transport network as we continue building a more prosperous London for everyone.”

The Mayor’s Transport Strategy outlines that London needs 65,000 new homes each year to meet demand, alongside approximately 1.3 million additional jobs by 2041. Elizabeth line stations are prime locations for development, with 70,500 housing units planned within one kilometre of stations as of October 2024, and 125,000 new jobs registered near stations between 2022 and 2023.

Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands, said: “This is brilliant news for Alstom, Derby and the wider East Midlands, securing jobs for the future, rooted in our communities. Derby’s Litchurch Lane Works recently hosted The Greatest Gathering as part of Railway 200, proving its status as a national centre for rail innovation and pride – something which is further reinforced by this latest manufacturing contract.”

Once complete, the ten new Class 345 Aventra trains will join the existing 70 nine-car fleet maintained 24/7 by Alstom at Old Oak Common Depot in West London.