The signing by rail manufacturer Bombardier of two major Transport for London contracts worth a total of £358million has been welcomed by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.
The Derby-based trainmaker’s first contract is a Manufacturing and Supply Agreement (MSA) covering the design, manufacture, commissioning and entry into service of 180 new vehicles; which will be built at Bombardier’s main Derby site. The second contract is a 35-year Train Services Agreement (TSA) providing maintenance for the new vehicles.
Together the contracts are valued at approximately £358million. In addition to the base contracts, there are options for the manufacture of up to 24 additional trains and also the possibility of a five-year extension to the maintenance support.
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A worker at Bombardier’s Derby Factory, where the new vehicles will be made
The vehicles will be built in Derby. The new contracts will help to create hundreds of job opportunities in the Midlands area, as well as more than 20 apprenticeships.
Transport Equipment Manufacturing is one of eight key economic sectors identified by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) as having the capacity to drive economic growth and create jobs in its catchment area of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. For more information and to read the Sector Action Plan D2N2 is investing in see web link www.d2n2lep.org/Transport-Equipment-Manufacturing
D2N2 Chief Executive, David Ralph, said: “Road and rail are key industries in the D2N2 area. Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire both have a rich and successful history where transport equipment manufacturing is concerned. This, coupled with the drive, resilience and expertise available in the area will ensure that we continue to thrive as national leaders in those fields.”
Bombardier’s new trains are expected to enter into passenger service between December 2017 and October 2018. The 20-metre long version of the company’s new AVENTRA EMU platform will feature walk-through carriages, air-conditioning, improved accessibility, and reduced weight and energy consumption. It is anticipated that the new carriages will mean increased passenger capacity and reduced travel time on key London Overground Routes, the fleet for which is also manufactured by Bombardier.
To find out more about Bombardier see uk.bombardier.com/
For further information on D2N2’s activities in the Transport Equipment Manufacturing sector see http://www.d2n2lep.org/Transport-Equipment-Manufacturing or on its work generally visit http://www.d2n2lep.org/
