06.02.14
Crossrail rolling stock contract goes to Bombardier
Bombardier has been announced as the chosen supplier to build Crossrail trains. The fleet contract, worth £1bn, is for 65 new trains and a new depot at Old Oak Common.
Bombardier will manufacture the trains at its Derby factory and deliver them for use on the existing network, between Shenfield and Liverpool Street, from May 2017, ahead of use on the new Crossrail infrastructure from December 2018. The order includes options for 18 additional trains.
The contract will support 760 UK manufacturing jobs and 80 apprenticeships, whilst the depot construction will create 244 jobs and 16 apprenticeships, with a further 80 jobs once operational to maintain the new fleet.
An estimated 74% of the contract spend will remain within the UK economy, the DfT says, and Bombardier has pledged to target 25% of the value of the contract on SMEs. The company beat rival bidders Hitachi and CAF to win the order. Siemens dropped out of the bidding last summer.
The trains themselves will be 200m long with nine carriages, and be able to carry up to 1,500 passengers. Features include air conditioning and inter-connecting walk-through carriages, as well as on-train passenger information systems. Bombardier will also emphasise energy efficiency with on-train energy management systems.
The Aventra train
The new rolling stock will be designated Class 345.
Dr Francis Paonessa, managing director of Bombardier Transportation UK, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been recommended as the winning bidder for the Crossrail rolling stock and depot contract and look forward to closing the contract with the customer.
“This is a resounding endorsement of our proposed Bombardier Aventra train for Crossrail, which has proudly been designed and developed in the UK as an iconic and world-technology leading train for London.
“Today’s decision is a credit to the efforts of our entire workforce in the UK, including our 1,600 strong Derby-based design, engineering and manufacturing team, who form a global centre of excellence for the rail industry, as well as our outstanding maintenance teams who support train operators right across the country and particularly in London as demonstrated during the London 2012 Olympics.”
Phil Garner, engineering project manager for the Aventra trains, said: “The key attributes of the platform are high reliability – 60% better than comparable 12-car EMUs – [and] maintainability. We have got the lightest train in its class.”
Procurement was 'fair, objective and transparent'
Andrew Wolstenholme, chief executive of Crossrail said: “Crossrail will transform rail services in London and the South East. Procurement of the rolling stock and depot is just one more step in delivering this new railway and making it a reality for millions of passengers.”
Heading off any accusations of a political stitch-up, after the government suffered such a backlash over the awarding of the Thameslink rolling stock contract to Siemens to be built in Germany, Wolstenholme added: “Crossrail Limited has conducted this procurement in a fair, objective and transparent manner and in full compliance with the regulatory framework.”
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “The Crossrail project is now rolling on full-steam ahead. The manufacture of these new trains will not only revolutionise rail travel in London, they will deliver jobs and economic growth in their birthplace in Derby and across the UK. With a firm on board to deliver a fleet of 21st century trains and the tunnelling more than halfway complete, we’re on track to deliver a truly world-class railway for the capital.”
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “This announcement will mean state of the art trains providing quick, comfortable journeys for the millions of people Crossrail will serve. It is also great news for British manufacturing and for Derbyshire, where Bombardier will support 760 new jobs and 80 apprenticeships.”
Generating jobs and boosting the supply chain
Sir Peter Hendy CBE, London’s Transport Commissioner said: “Crossrail is already generating jobs in London and the UK. When it opens it will continue to provide jobs and the growth it will bring will boost the whole economy. Crossrail is a fantastic example of the widespread benefits that sustained investment in transport infrastructure brings.”
The Derby and Derbyshire Rail Forum (DDRF) also welcomed the news: “Litchurch Lane is an important manufacturing facility in Derby and it employs large numbers of local people who contribute to the regional economy and support a wide range of businesses and communities across the East Midlands.
“The DDRF look forward to working with Bombardier, as preferred manufacturer, to ensure that our supply chain members can benefit from this decision, many of whom supply world-leading technology to rolling stock manufacturers across the globe.”
The video below, released in October, is Bombardier's introduction to its new Aventra family of EMUs, designed to replace the Electrostars. It uses the FlexxEco bogie.
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