Alstom starts production on ten new Elizabeth line trains at Derby Litchurch Lane Works
Alstom’s Elizabeth line rolling stock supply chain supports almost 40 UK companies and more than 1,000 jobs.
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Elizabeth line customers in London are closer to getting more brand new trains, as construction has begun by Alstom on the first of an additional ten to be introduced to the network. These new trains are being built at Alstom’s historic Litchurch Lane Works in Derby to support both increasing demand for the hugely popular line and the Government’s growth agenda.
Since opening in 2022, the Elizabeth line has had a transformational effect on travel in London and quickly become the UK’s single busiest railway service, with an average of 800,000 journeys now made on the service each day.
Capacity increase
The new trains – which were ordered with UK Government funding – will allow Transport for London (TfL) to increase capacity on the existing line, further driving the economy by boosting connections and serving HS2’s new Old Oak Common station in the future.
Heidi Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport, visited Alstom’s Derby site on Monday 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."
She added: “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.”
The additional Class 345 Aventra trains are being built by Alstom at its Derby Litchurch Lane Works, one of the world’s largest rolling stock factories, and the only UK facility that handles the end-to-end process of train manufacturing. The factory was opened by the Midland Railway in 1876 and the city of Derby has been building trains continually since 1839.
Prior to work commencing on the new trains, Alstom hosted The Greatest Gathering – the world’s largest-ever railway festival – to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway. Over three days in August, Alstom welcomed 40,000 visitors to its Litchurch Lane Works, which also marked the first time in almost 50 years that the site had opened to the public.
Rob Whyte, Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom, said: "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. Therefore, 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.”
He added: “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.”
Economic growth
The £220.5 million contract to build ten new Elizabeth line trains demonstrates how investment in London’s transport infrastructure boosts economic growth across the country. As part of the order, almost 40 British companies are being supported, totalling more than 1,000 employees.
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 a long-standing role as a national engine of growth and has spent more than £12 billion with more than 3,000 UK suppliers over the last two years. This has supported more than £11 billion in total Gross Value Added and 100,000 full time jobs each year.
Evaluation report
A new Elizabeth line evaluation report has revealed the extent to which the public have embraced the city’s new railway line since it opened, and its positive impact on housebuilding and employment. Since the line welcomed its first passengers, an additional 71,000 trips are estimated to have been made across London’s transport network each weekday.* In Abbey Wood, in London’s southeast, an estimated 16% of trips on public transport beginning in this area wouldn’t have occurred without the Elizabeth line.
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% drop in step-free journey times, based on average public transport journeys.** All Elizabeth line stations between Paddington and Woolwich have step-free access from street to train, and all other stations are step-free 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.
He added: “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.”
New jobs and homes
The Mayor’s Transport Strategy outlines that London needs an additional 65,000 new homes each year to meet demand, plus around 1.3 million more jobs by 2041. Increased connectivity has shown Elizabeth line stations to be prime locations for development. As of October 2024, 70,500 housing units are planned within one kilometre of Elizabeth line stations – with Canary Wharf, Stratford, Romford, Southall and Acton Main Line seeing the highest concentrations. Between 2022 and 2023, 125,000 new jobs were registered within one kilometre of an Elizabeth line station.
Reflecting on manufacturing commencing on the new Elizabeth line trains, 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.”
She added: “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. These trains are maintained around-the-clock by Alstom at its Old Oak Common Depot in West London, which opened in 2018.
* Extra trips is based on an estimation of weekdays only on London’s transport network, based on taps in and out on all parts of the network, including TfL transport modes and London’s National Rail network
** Customer journey time is weighted by customers’ perceptions on the waiting times, on-train time and any actual delays
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