Rail passengers
are set to benefit from less crowded and more frequent trains
after Rail Minister Theresa Villiers today announced the next
stage in a plan to build around 1,200 new rail carriages. The
carriages will be used on the busy Thameslink route, allowing
existing Thameslink carriages to be redeployed to relieve
over-crowded rail routes across the country.
The £6bn Thameslink upgrade - of which the new carriages are a
crucial part - will almost double the peak-time capacity on
Thameslink's core central London section, allow longer
trains to run and provide new fast and frequent London connections
to towns and cities both north and south of the capital. The
trains will also be lighter, more reliable and more energy
efficient. The first new carriages will arrive in 2015.
Siemens Plc and XL Trains – a consortium comprising of Siemens
Project Ventures GmbH, Innisfree Ltd and 3i Infrastructure Plc -
have been appointed preferred bidder to build, own, finance and
maintain the new trains. Siemens is already one of the leading
suppliers of trains on British railways and employs around 16,000
people in the UK. The contract will create up to 2,000 new UK
jobs. This includes work being created at Siemens'
factory in Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, as well as in the rail industry
supply chain. It also includes jobs at two maintenance depots for
the new trains which, subject to planning permission, will be
built at Three Bridges near Crawley and at Hornsey in the London
Borough of Haringey. The Thameslink infrastructure works will
employ an additional 3,000 people at the height of construction.
Theresa Villiers said:
"This is a major step forward for the long-awaited
Thameslink Programme which will make life better for thousands of
commuters. Today’s announcement is further proof of the
Government’s commitment to investing in Britain’s future. Despite
the pressure on budgets resulting from the need to tackle the
deficit, we remain fully committed to the Thameslink upgrade which
will dramatically improve journeys for commuters and boost the economy.
"The announcement of Siemens Plc and XL Trains as
preferred bidder for this contract represents the best value for
money for taxpayers. It will create around 2,000 new jobs and will
provide Thameslink passengers with modern, greener and more
reliable trains.
"The new trains are a major part of the Government’s
commitment to introduce an additional 2,100 carriages on to the
rail network by 2019. Once the new trains are delivered, current
Thameslink rolling stock becomes available to improve rail
services in the North West of England, the Thames Valley and other
areas yet to be confirmed.
"The Thameslink Programme includes major improvements to
central London stations such as Blackfriars, Farringdon and London
Bridge. It will reduce crowding by almost doubling capacity on the
central section of one Britain's busiest railways.
Passengers will also get the benefit of a new generation of
electric commuter trains operating at metro-style frequency levels
during the morning and evening peaks through the central section."
Notes to Editors
1. The DfT
has selected Siemens Plc and XL Trains - a consortium comprising
of Siemens Project Ventures GmbH, Innisfree Ltd and 3i
Infrastructure Plc - as the preferred bidder in the competition to
provide the new trains and depots for the Thameslink Programme.
Siemens’ UK Rolling Stock business already has more than 1,500
carriages with six mainline rail operators.
2. The Department intends to retain the other bidder – VeloCity –
a consortium comprising of Bombardier Transportation (Holdings) UK
Ltd, RREEF Ltd, Serco Holdings Ltd, Amber Infrastructure Group Ltd
and SMBC Leasing (UK) Ltd - as the reserve bidder in the event
that contracts cannot be successfully finalised with Siemens Plc
and XL Trains.
3. Subject to finalising the contract with Siemens Plc and XL
Trains, up to 2,000 new jobs will be created in the UK. This
includes up to 600 associated with the manufacturer of train
components and up to 650 associated with the building of the two
new Thameslink depots. It also includes up to 750 workers to
maintain the trains and operate the depots, including jobs in the
wider associated supply chain. The new depots are proposed to be
located at Hornsey in the London Borough of Haringey and Three
Bridges near Crawley and are currently subject to planning
application processes.
4. The new Thameslink trains will start to operate early in 2015
alongside the existing rolling stock, with the full fleet in use
from the end of 2018. The new trains will offer a step change in
passenger experience, with greater passenger carrying capacity,
improved passenger communication and easy access for passengers
with specific mobility needs. The new trains will also be good for
the environment as they will be more energy efficient and they
will be better for the tracks because they will be lighter,
meaning less wear and tear and less disruption caused by
maintenance.
5. The Thameslink Programme will make travelling across London
and the south east easier and quicker. It will reduce crowding on
some of the busiest sections of London's transport
network and introduce a new generation of carriage electric
commuter trains, carrying up to 1750 passengers. On completion in
2018, up to 24 trains per hour will operate through central
London, reducing the need for interchange onto London Underground
services. The capital cost for the new infrastructure and the new
rolling stock is estimated at around £6 billion.
6. The first stage of the Thameslink Programme is already under
construction. Building work is already well underway at Farringdon
and Blackfriars stations, and platform extension work has been
completed at many locations including Luton Airport Parkway and St
Albans. This first stage will enable some longer 12 carriage
trains to operate on the Bedford to Brighton route from December
2011. The platforms at Blackfriars station are being extended
across the river to make it the first station to span the width of
the Thames. Farringdon station is being significantly improved and
will also provide a new interchange onto Crossrail once that
scheme is completed.
7. The second stage involves the reconstruction of London Bridge
station and its approaches and a new connection to the East Coast
Main Line just to the north of St Pancras. This stage will
facilitate operation of up to 24 trains per hour in both
directions through the central London core section, as well as
longer 12 carriage operation to a range of destinations to the
north and south of London from December 2018.
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