Bombardier wins £73m deal for more London trains

Derby-based train-maker Bombardier has received a £73m order from Transport for London (TfL) for five more Bombardier Aventra trains to be used on the capital’s new Elizabeth line.

The new deal increases the total order to 70 trains. The agreement also includes an expansion to the existing Train Services Agreement to cover the new trains.

Mark Wild, TfL’s managing director for London Underground and the Elizabeth line, said: “The opening of the Elizabeth line in December will redefine transport in London with journeys made easier and trains passing through brand new tunnels beneath central London to new, accessible stations. The additional trains will allow us to serve all the terminals at Heathrow and provide an increased frequency when the line is fully open in December 2019.”

Richard Hunter, managing director, Bombardier Transportation UK said: “The Elizabeth line is set to transform transport in London with quicker, easier and more accessible journeys, and we are proud to be playing our part. This important additional order is an endorsement of our workforce and the quality of the products we design, engineer, manufacture and service in the UK.”

Jointly sponsored by the Department for Transport (DfT) and TfL, the Elizabeth line is the largest infrastructure project of its kind in Europe and is now in its final stages. When complete, London’s new railway will carry over 200 million passengers per year and add 10 percent to central London’s rail capacity.