Alstom Begins Construction on New Elizabeth Line Trains

Construction has officially begun on the first of an additional 10 new Elizabeth line trains at Alstom’s manufacturing site in Derby.

The new Aventra Class 345 trains were ordered with UK Government funding, and will allow Transport for London (TfL) to increase overall capacity on the line, which now sees an average of 800,000 passengers each day.

Rob Whyte, Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom, said:

Our historic Derby Litchurch Lane Works are crucial to the country's economic growth, being the only UK factory where you can design, engineer, build and test a train from scratch for both domestic and export markets.

Therefore, not only will these new Aventra trains enable Transport for London to continue successfully operating the Elizabeth line as passenger demand grows, they continue to support high-value manufacturing and supply chain jobs in the East Midlands and across the UK.

We look forward to our new Elizabeth line trains joining the existing fleet, which are maintained by us around-the-clock at our state-of-the-art depot at Old Oak Common.

A recent evaluation report revealed that the Elizabeth line has driven up public transport use in the capital, and has begun steadily supporting the Mayor’s aim for 80% of all trips within London to be made on foot, by cycle or using public transport by 2041.

Since its opening, the line has seen an additional 71,000 trips made across the city’s transport network each day, with 16% of trips in Abbey Wood now accounted for by the introduction of the Elizabeth line. Journeys from the area into the city have been reduced by between 20 and 40 minutes, with journey times between Canary Wharf and Abbey Wood cut by nearly half.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, said: , said:

The Elizabeth line shows how quality transport infrastructure can unlock opportunities for people and places across the country, and this vital work in Derby makes clear that investing in the capital's transport network doesn't just benefit Londoners but drives wider economic growth across the country.

With the Government committed to growth and green-lighting a record number of major infrastructure projects in its first year, the Mayor and I look forward to working hand in hand with them to unleash the full potential of our transport network as we continue building a more prosperous London for everyone.