Transport for London, union Unite and manufacturer Alstom have called on the government to commit to purchasing new trains for London’s underground Elizabeth Line.
Arguing the new trains could help prevent the closure of Alstom’s Derbyshire plant with the loss of jobs and also relieve stress on the line itself, the trio urged transport secretary Mark Harper on Monday to make the investment.
“If we miss the opportunity with Alstom, it may be impossible to achieve elsewhere,” an open letter to Harper read.
Delaying such investment in turn could see higher costs in the future, the group said, with an order for five trains from Alstom’s still-open Derby factory estimated to cost around £180 million.
"Without this commitment, TfL is not able to place an order within Alstom’s remaining production window to manufacture the trains in Derby, which will result in the demobilisation of Alstom’s production facilities,” the letter added.
Alstom warned of the redundancies at the plant just last week, placing over 500 permanent roles at risk, alongside a further 800 temporary jobs.
The letter also argued that the availability of more trains on the Elizabeth Line itself would ease crowding at Old Oak Common, which is set to be a key station along HS2’s route into London.
“We have been engaging extensively with TfL and Alstom on this issue for months and are continuing to work with them,” a government spokesperson reassured meanwhile.
“The transport secretary will respond to the letter shortly.”