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Government buys British for intercity train fleet
12 Feb 2009British industry got a shot in the arm today after the Department for Transport ruled that up to 1400 new intercity express trains and carriages will be made in the UK.
The decision on the £7.5 billion contract will create or safeguard 12,500 jobs.
The DfT said a new fleet of Super Express trains, replacing the 30-year-old InterCity 125s out of King's Cross and Paddington, are to be made by a British-led consortium of John Laing alongside Japanese trainmaker Hitachi, and financed by Barclays.
As part of the deal, the consortium, called Agility Trains, said it would build a new train manufacturing plant in the UK at Sheffield, Gateshead or Ashby de la Zouch in the Midlands - a reversal of fortune for the British rail industry, which for the most part has been closed down and lost work to Europe.
The trains, which are due to enter service from 2013, will typically shave 10 minutes off journeys from London to Bristol or Leeds because they are one-sixth lighter than the current fleet, and able to accelerate more quickly.
Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon said: "This Government is prepared to invest, even in difficult times, to improve our national infrastructure."
Meanwhile, Bombardier has picked up a contract to manufacture 120 carriages at its Derby facility to overhaul the Stansted Express fleet out of Liverpool Street.
Reader views (9)
This is probably as good as we can get.
Bombardier, the only significant rolling stock manufacturer left in the UK, are months behind on their current order for additional 377 units for First Capital Connect and that is for building trains that are already tried and tested.
We lost our mass rail manufacturing base years ago and subsequently failed to enter in to partnerships with foreign companies that could have kept at least part of the manufacturing process over here.
The Government should make sure that as much as possible of these trains is British built. Our pathetic exchange rate against the Japanese Yen may help in this.
- Andrew, London W1, 12/02/2009 22:04
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British jobs for Japanese workers?
Perhaps when we've had a 10 year recession, Japan will buy trains from us...
- Marc, Hammersmith, 12/02/2009 15:34
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The Evening Standard – you have been mislead by government spin. The engineering and technology for this project will be in Japan, the UK is to act only in some of the final assembly.
Gordon Brown has kicked the engineering and technology skills in the UK in the teeth yet again.
The government spin over jobs is carefully worded to say that it will safeguard employment; these jobs would be there who ever got the contract as while in some assembly the main bit is in maintenance. If this contract had gone to a UK company we would have maintained and developed a skills base and of course employed considerably more people.
- Ian, Reading, England, 12/02/2009 14:49
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It wont happen, the EC will get involved and block the decision. Thanks to Labour signing away our political heritage wholesale.
Where is our vote on the EU Constitution unelected, incompetent Broon?
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 12/02/2009 14:44
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This really is all spin. The only major british train builder Bombadier was one of the loo
sing bidders
This 'Express' train is no faster than the current trains. So where is the 30 years of progress? This is the cheapest way they can replace the 30 year old 125
12500 jobs to be created - predominantly in a Japanese company
- Charles, Finchamsptead, 12/02/2009 14:22
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Other newspapers are today reporting on the other side of this story - unfortunately Tim is correct. Today's announcment is a victory for Japanese unemployed and calls the death knell for the UK rail manufacturing industry. In fact this decision will result in masses of job losses across the country - the job creation figures quoted are pure fantasy and governemnt spin. Once the initial few train assemblies are finished in UK (purely for govt PR reasons) and Hitachi have packed their bags back to Japan there will be no UK rail industry left. Another nail in the coffin for UK manufacturing - and a lasting Gordon Brown legacy! This report is ludicrous government spin.
- John, UK, 12/02/2009 14:19
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Most of the high-value design and development work will be done at Hitachi factories in Japan, with only the final assembly done in Britain, creating mainly blue-collar jobs. Bombardier, Britain's only train manufacturer, was part of the losing bidder, Express Rail Alliance. With thousands of manufacturing jobs being lost they are helping out Japanese unemployed with the lions share of this order! Why is any of it going to Japan when unemployment is going through the roof. Great to see investment in the Railways but why are the Trains for the Western Region not electric and why are they only capable of 125MPH the same as present Trains? Bearing in mind recent comments from Government to electrify the Western Region and to upgrade to high speed lines! This order means electrification and High Speed aren't going to happen. Smoke and mirrors again.
- Tim, Newport, 12/02/2009 13:04
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That's great news. I only hope we still have sufficient trained engineers and skilled workers left to do the job.
- Pat, East Kent UK, 12/02/2009 12:57
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Excellent news, Now, is it possible that the carriages can be designed to have adequate luggage space, and that the quiet carriages will actually be shielded from mobile phone signals? Just a thought.
- John, Bedford, 12/02/2009 12:51
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