Alstom has signed a new £370m contract for the supply of 10 new nine-car Aventra trains for London‘s Elizabeth Line.
Also in the contract is the associated maintenance of the trains until 2046.
Opened in 2022, the Elizabeth Line currently has 70 Class 345 trains built by Alstom.
However, passenger demand for the service would mean that the capacity on the trains would be insufficient through to the 2030s.
The new trains, which have been funded by through the Department for Transport totalling £220.5m, like the existing fleet, will be built at Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane Works.
“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.”
Nick Crossfield, Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom
Responses
The 10 Class 345 9-Car trains will be numbered as
345071
345072
345073
345074
345075
345076
345077
345078
345079
345080
A extra 10 Class 345 trains to add to the 70 existing Class 345 trains does seem like a good idea. Why not let some trains from Shenfield to run to Reading and to increase it from 2tph to 4tph.
With more new trains supplied to London the high mileage Electrostars from the South need to be cascaded to the North. This requires the rapid rollout of electrification to the Yorkshire Region.
Northern could use Class 379 Electrostars and to use them on Manchester Victoria-Leeds-York once electrification from Stalybridge to Huddersfield and Leeds and from Leeds-York is completed. Or inherit Class 350/2s from London Northwestern Railway as they are to be replaced by the Class 730/2.
After all the havering the Westminster Government has finally let the contract. Don’t be deceived the TOCs lease the trains from the leasing Companies who can only lease out the trains the Westminster Government orders. The Welsh Government orders its own trains (whether that is the right choice of train is another question).