More London Underground trains are to be made at the Siemens Mobility factory in Goole, the company has announced.
The factory, which is due to open soon as part of a £200m investment, was previously due to produce half of new lines for the Piccadilly Tube line. Now that figure has increased to 80%, providing more security for the factory.
Initial orders for the Piccadilly line have come from Siemens’ factory in Vienna, Austria, with testing taking place in Germany ahead of the first train arriving in London this summer. Transport for London (TfL) will then carry out further testing, with the new trains due to enter service next year.
Read more:Yorkshire and Humber economy shows signs of recovery
Go here for more Humber business news
Sambit Banerjee, joint CEO of Siemens Mobility, said: “For the first time Siemens Mobility will assemble trains here, in Britain. This is a truly exciting milestone not just for us but the industry and local economies as a whole.
“And the fact that we will be increasing the amount up to 80% of Piccadilly line Tube trains being assembled in Goole is a testament of our manufacturing capabilities. We are proud to be assembling these trains here in Yorkshire, which will transform rail travel for commuters and visitors to our great capital city. These next generation of walk-through, air conditioned, energy efficient Tube trains for Britain will be put together right here by the next generation of engineers.”
Stuart Harvey, TfL’s chief capital officer, said: “Producing more Piccadilly line trains in Goole will support local supply chains, clearly demonstrating how investment in transport in London benefits the whole of the UK. We have ensured that this development will not impact when the first train arrives for testing in London later this year, ahead of entering service in 2025, nor the planned timetable uplift in 2027. Subject to long-term certainty on Government funding, the factory in Goole is also expected to deliver a replacement fleet for the Bakerloo line, which at more than 50 years old is the oldest train in passenger service in the UK.”
The Piccadilly line trains are based on Siemens Mobility’s Inspiro family of metro trains and will increase capacity by around 10%, as well as being more energy efficient and a smoother ride.
The Goole factory is the centrepiece of a wider rail village, including assembly and commissioning halls, a train components servicing facility, a materials and logistics warehouse. As well as 700 direct jobs, it is hoped the rail village will support another 1,700 in supply chains.
Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber
