UK: Alstom has signed a contract to supply and maintain a further 10 nine-car Class 345 Aventra electric multiple-units for London’s Elizabeth Line.
The £220·5m order is being funded by the Department for Transport, with Transport for London contracting for maintenance until 2046 which takes the total value of the deal announced on June 14 to £370m.
Alstom said the Elizabeth Line continued to experience passenger demand ahead of predictions, which meant that the current fleet of 70 EMUs would be insufficient to meet demand later this decade and through the 2030s.
The additional sets are to be assembled at the former Bombardier Transportation plant in Derby where the original fleet was manufactured. Last year, Alstom had warned that the future of the plant was in doubt because of a lack of future work once current projects are completed.
‘We are delighted to now have a confirmed workload for Derby Litchurch Lane and our supply chain across the UK’, said Nick Crossfield, Managing Director UK & Ireland. ‘The UK remains one of Alstom’s most important global markets.’
