Bombardier wins train contract for West Midlands franchise

West Midlands Trains, the train operating company owned by Abellio, JR East and Mitsui has announced that Bombardier Trains and Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) have been selected to manufacture 107 new trains for the next West Midlands franchise.

These trains will be made up of 413 carriages and cost £680m; part of the near £1bn investment into the franchise that Abellio, JR East and Mitsui will be overseeing in the coming years.

The new trains will provide space for an extra 85,000 passengers on rush hour services into Birmingham and London. Journeys will be faster and more comfortable, with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi and in-seat power sockets provided as standard.

 

Derby-based Bombardier won a contract worth hundreds of millions of pounds to produce 333 electric carriages made up of 90mph 36 x 3 car trains for metro services and 110mph 45 x 5 car trains for outer suburban and long distance configurations. They will be built at Bombardier’s facility in Derby and the deal is likely to secure the long-term future of the plant.

CAF will produce 80 diesel carriages made up of 12 x 2 car trains and 14 x 4 car trains which will provide dedicated services for journeys to the towns and cities around Birmingham.

The new trains will be essential for delivery of the increased capacity and improved journey times required on the franchise. By the end of the franchise there will be 25% more train carriages available than at the start.

Richard Hunter, UK Managing Director, Bombardier Transportation said: “Being selected for this important order is another huge endorsement of our workforce and the quality of the products we design, engineer and manufacture here in the UK. Our modern Aventra trains will be built in the Midlands for the Midlands, and provide passengers with greater connectivity, reliability and shorter journey times.”

Bombardier facts & figures

• Site in Derby dates back to 1876
• Over 1,000 people employed in Derby
• AVENTRA designed & manufactured in the UK
• Latest order follows £1Billion order in 2014 to supply 65 trains for London’s CrossRail and £869m order last October to supply trains for Abellio’s East Anglia franchise.

Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport added: “We are delivering the biggest rail modernisation programme for over a century. West Midlands passengers will see longer, more frequent trains, faster journeys and a more reliable service for passengers. This is part of a huge investment happening up and down the country and will make a real difference to passengers.

“This investment reflects our commitment, and that of train operators, to put passengers at the heart of everything we do.”

Dominic Booth, Managing Director of Abellio UK said: “We are delighted to award this work to Bombardier and CAF, which means we are now overseeing £3bn of investment into 1700 new carriages across all our franchises.

“It is great news that so many of these trains will be produced in the UK. As a company, we are committed to working with the government to strengthen the British economy and deliver thousands of high-quality jobs over the coming years.”

Richard Garner, Business Development Director for UK and Ireland at CAF concluded:”This is fantastic news and builds upon recent success in securing contracts to supply new trains for the Northern and TransPennine franchises. This opportunity consolidates CAF’s position as one of the leading manufacturers of trains in the UK market and is a fabulous achievement in CAF’s centenary year.”