Alstom: Fund new Elizabeth Line trains so we don’t have to cut jobs
The government has been urged to fund new trains for the Elizabeth Line in order to avoid further job losses at the UK’s largest rail assembly factory in Derby.
Engineering giant Alstom, Transport for London and the Unite Union wrote to the Transport Secretary Mark Harper this morning, asking for extra cash to seal an order of trains for the popular London route.
The letter said that new trains will also be essential to reduce overcrowding on the Elizabeth Line, following the government’s decision to pause construction of the London Euston terminus earlier in the year.
TfL executives have raised repeat concerns that using Old Oak Common in outer London as a temporary HS2 terminus, instead of Euston, will put huge strain on the Elizabeth Line’s services, which have already suffered from crowding and delay throughout this year.
“The additional trains will enable TfL to operate a higher frequency of services to Old Oak Common to relieve wait times at the station, reduce crowding on trains and provide shorter journey times for more
customers using Old Oak Common station,” the letter said.
TfL has been lobbying hard for the government to pay for new trains for months, worth approximately £120m.
A DfT spokesperson said: “We have been engaging extensively with TfL and Alstom on this issue for months and are continuing to work with them. A dedicated cross-Government taskforce has also been set up to properly support workers during what will be a concerning time.
“The Transport Secretary will respond to the letter shortly.”