Engineering news
The government has awarded the £1.6 billion contract to build carriages for the Thameslink rail line to a consortium led by Siemens.
The German engineering firm will build 1,140 carriages for use on the Thameslink line, which runs from Bedford through London to Brighton.
Siemens says that that the deal will create up to 2,000 jobs across the UK supply chain in component manufacturing, assembly, construction of new depots and subsequent maintenance.
The Siemens-led consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the project in June 2011, but the confirmation of the order will come as a further blow to Bombardier, which in recent years has struggled to secure train manufacturing orders.
Minister for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin said: “This contract is a boost for UK plc. It will vastly improve train travel into the capital providing fast, frequent services carrying more passengers than ever before.”
The first new train is expected to run on the Thameslink line at the start of 2016, with the full fleet introduced by 2018.
According to the Department for Transport (DfT) the new carriages will enable a 24 trains per hour service on the line.
The new electric trains will release existing carriages for use elsewhere on the network as further routes are electrified, for example in the north west of England and the Thames Valley commuter lines, the DfT said.
Steve Scrimshaw, managing director of UK Siemens Rail Systems, said: “The introduction of the new Desiro City will offer an improved passenger travel experience and a step change in capacity and reliability. It’s a train that has been designed with UK travellers in mind, incorporating proven technology and using the expertise, skills and feedback of highly experienced UK operators, train crew, cleaners and maintenance staff at every stage of the process.”
The contract is part of a £6 billion infrastructure and rolling stock upgrade to increase capacity on the UK rail network.
The competition to supply trains and maintenance services for the Thameslink programme was originally launched in 2008.
The Siemens-led consortium also includes Cross London Trains, Innisfree and 3i Infrastructure.