Work resumes at Alstom Derby

[trawler]

As widely reported in the press in the last few hours the production lines have reopened at Litchurch Lane for the Elizabeth Line trains. The BBC is reporting the workforce has been trimmed down from around 1500 staff to around 650 although it is expected another 100 staff will be taken on. That seems a massive reduction in numbers given the size of the plant and similar now to Siemens at Goole. Also, what where staff at Derby doing until now other than given the main assembly of trains stopped about 12 to 18 months ago other than refurbishing the CrossCountry Voyager trains?

 

[tfw756rider]

Only just now, in late October 2025?

In the thread Progress with 345 071 - 345 080, one of 345071's roof panels (confirmed by staff) can be seen in a machine at the factory during The Greatest Gathering, in early August 2025.

And at 5:52 in the below video, Rob Whyte, Manager Director of Alstom UK and Ireland, confirms to ITV News that:

On Monday (4/8/25), once all of these things have gone out, we start the manufacture of the next 10 Elizabeth line trains.

So I wonder what has gone on for the last, almost 3 months?

Here's the BBC News article mentioned in the previous post by the way:

Work resumes at rail factory that faced closure
​

by Asha Patel (East Midlands) and Steve Beech (Derby)

27 October 2025

Alstom warned in 2024 the future of its Litchurch Lane plant was uncertain

Train firm Alstom has started work on a new fleet of Elizabeth Line trains at its factory in Derby that had been at risk of closure.

The company secured the £370m contract with Transport for London (TfL) in June 2024, about two months after it started a redundancy consultation at its Litchurch Lane plant, prompted by a gap in orders.

Work is now under way at the factory to make 10 new trains for the Elizabeth Line - which runs from the west to the east of London - about 18 months after production at the site stopped.

TfL met what Alstom previously said was the minimum order of trains needed to ensure the site in Derby could continue to produce them.

Following the consultation in 2024, the firm said it did not make any compulsory redundancies but saw a large proportion of its staff voluntarily leave.

What was previously a 1,500-strong team at the factory is now made up of 650 employees, according to a company spokesperson.

However, the spokesperson added the Elizabeth Line contract meant the staff count would be "ramped up" by about 100 people in 2026.

The factory had been "quite quiet" since production - for the main assembly of trains - stopped at the site about 12 to 18 months ago, said Andy Butters, Managing Director of Rolling Stock and Components at Alstom UK and Ireland.

"We looked at a bleak future," he said. "This project has been a real glimmer of hope for us.

"It's allowing us to demonstrate our capabilities, it's allowing us to prove our strategic importance to the UK rail industry.

"To see new-build production restarted again, to hear the sounds of trains being built again, is fantastic."

Mr Butters added the firm was bidding for new work, exploring export opportunities and looking into partnerships with other rail firms.

Chloe Turnbull, a process engineer, started her career at the factory as an apprentice.

The 28-year-old, from Derby, said: "I'm really happy and grateful to see these trains being built because it means that I can stay here.

"It wasn't looking so good a couple of years ago - we were all unsure about whether we'd be having a job here or not, it was really quite frightening."

Her colleague, Jack Rhodes, an advanced apprentice, added: "I'm coming here into the company as an apprentice and I want to see myself retiring in the same place."

Derby City Council leader Nadine Peatfield said people had "built their lives around their jobs" at the factory, making the restart of production at the factory especially "significant".

"Two years ago we were fighting for the survival of this factory and yet here we are today watching the Elizabeth Line trains rolling off the track," she said.

Commissioner of TfL Andy Lord, originally from Chesterfield in Derbyshire, added it was "brilliant" to see Alstom "invest in the facility" in Derby.

"Hopefully the order that we've placed will give them the ability to do further investment and win more orders for the wider UK rail industry," he said.

Alstom also secured a contract worth about £60m to refurbish CrossCountry Voyager trains in August 2024.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Even a glimmer of hope is good imho

 

[D365]

A lot of contractors had found new work at the likes of Rolls-Royce.

Also, what where staff at Derby doing until now other than given the main assembly of trains stopped about 12 to 18 months ago other than refurbishing the CrossCountry Voyager trains?

Refurbishment of CrossCountry Class 22x units (if it is underway) had not started until after The Greatest Gathering.

 

[Pigalle]

On the Thursday night at The Greatest Gathering I photographed this carriage in the works; what class of unit does it belong to?

 

[mullinsj08]

On the Thursday night at The Greatest Gathering I photographed this carriage in the works; what class of unit does it belong to?

Looks like a trailer from a class 701 for SWR

 

[Pigalle]

Looks like a trailer from a class 701 for SWR

Excellent. Thank you very much.

 

[Yorkshire09876]

Even a glimmer of hope is good imho

Realistically there isn't going to be enough work in the medium term for all the train assembly plants which have sprung up over the past few years as the glut of new train orders isn't going to be repeated. They are also of limited use for building trains for elsewhere due to the limited UK loading gauge making export a lot of hassle.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Realistically there isn't going to be enough work in the medium term for all the train assembly plants which have sprung up over the past few years as the glut of new train orders isn't going to be repeated. They are also of limited use for building trains for elsewhere due to the limited UK loading gauge making export a lot of hassle.

Goole and Newport are both ports, so can export by sea. Ironically, given the original purpose (200 years ago) of the line next to which it was built was to transport the local products to the docks, the same can't be said for Newton Aycliffe, and Derby is about as far from the sea as you can be in the UK

 

[Yorkshire09876]

Goole and Newport are both ports, so can export by sea. Ironically, given the original purpose (200 years ago) of the line next to which it was built was to transport the local products to the docks, the same can't be said for Newton Aycliffe, and Derby is about as far from the sea as you can be in the UK

Far easier to export by rail, especially with multiple units - something possible with any rail-connected factory on mainland Europe provided the country uses standard gauge (which most do).

 

[pdeaves]

Far easier to export by rail, especially with multiple units - something possible with any rail-connected factory on mainland Europe provided the country uses standard gauge (which most do).

Yes, provided the rolling stock can fit under the lowest bridge, past the closest platform, etc., en route. UK has notably low structures close to the track [1] compared to mainland Europe.
[1] description somewhat simplified

 

[Invincible]

Realistically there isn't going to be enough work in the medium term for all the train assembly plants which have sprung up over the past few years as the glut of new train orders isn't going to be repeated. They are also of limited use for building trains for elsewhere due to the limited UK loading gauge making export a lot of hassle.

Hitachi North East and Alstom midland have some HS2 train orders from about 2027.
But Derby has spare capacity and hopes one of it's UK bids to build new battery Alstrom X’trapolis trains will be successful,
DfT and interim GBR have yet to announce any successful bids.
Derby are also after the export market and could deliver to Europe via the channel tunnel. But Alstrom also have a lot of factories in Europe.

 

[Yorkshire09876]

Derby are also after the export market and could deliver to Europe via the channel tunnel. But Alstrom also have a lot of factories in Europe.

Not if it's larger than UK loading gauge they couldn't. Given that trains for elsewhere are likely to be larger than UK loading gauge, it would in most cases make more sense to use their factories in mainland Europe.

 

[cm023]

A lot of contractors had found new work at the likes of Rolls-Royce.

Refurbishment of CrossCountry Class 22x units (if it is underway) had not started until after The Greatest Gathering.

There was an XC 220 completely empty inside at the greatest gathering

 

[43096]

Derby are also after the export market and could deliver to Europe via the channel tunnel.

Not from Derby they couldn’t deliver them - they’d be out of gauge as soon as they left the factory gates if they were not “British size” (which is very niche loading gauge globally).

But Alstrom also have a lot of factories in Europe.

It’s “Alstom”. No idea why an ‘r’ gets inserted by many!

 

[Invincible]

Short for Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques (Als) and Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston (thom).
Guess easier to pronounce with an r?
Almost 100 years old.
Always surprised one of the founders Elihu Thomson was English.

 

[Taunton]

Not from Derby they couldn’t deliver them - they’d be out of gauge as soon as they left the factory gates if they were not “British size” (which is very niche loading gauge globally).

UK loading gauge irrelevant. Metro-Cammell in Birmingham built large numbers of vehicles for Hong Kong, and elsewhere, I used to pass them on the motorway being taken to Felixstowe. Even if they fitted, the UK rail bureaucracy likely would be too difficult to deal with to take them.

 

[wickham]

On the Thursday night at The Greatest Gathering I photographed this carriage in the works; what class of unit does it belong to?

The notice in the window says 481102 so this is a coach from 701502 - it looks far from complete !

 

[Pigalle]

The notice in the window says 481102 so this is a coach from 701502 - it looks far from complete !

Thank you

 

[Yorkshire09876]

UK loading gauge irrelevant. Metro-Cammell in Birmingham built large numbers of vehicles for Hong Kong, and elsewhere, I used to pass them on the motorway being taken to Felixstowe. Even if they fitted, the UK rail bureaucracy likely would be too difficult to deal with to take them.

In those days multiple units just mostly coupled together plus a cable or two. Modern units have bar couplers, multiple cables, in many cases doorless gangways which are most of the width of the train and would need boarding over if not coupled.

Why would they bother to take them by road, then have all the hassle of bolting the bar couplers and gangways together, connecting and testing all the electrics, at the other end, rather than build them at a factory where they can be collected by a loco and dragged to wherever they need to go (or possibly even go under their own power)?

 

[43096]

UK loading gauge irrelevant. Metro-Cammell in Birmingham built large numbers of vehicles for Hong Kong, and elsewhere, I used to pass them on the motorway being taken to Felixstowe. Even if they fitted, the UK rail bureaucracy likely would be too difficult to deal with to take them.

It is relevant when you take in the context of what I replied to - delivery via the Channel Tunnel.

Besides, it is a moot point. Alstom has plenty of facilities in mainland Europe that don't have such restrictions and are closer to their main markets than an isolated island off the coast of Europe that has significant (self-inflicted) challenges with exports.

 

[Russel]

Hope I'm wrong, but a small order of 345s does feel like postponing the inevitable for Derby...

HS2 Keeps getting pushed back, so realistically, how many years will it be before the stock needs building?

 

[trawler]

The hope for Derby will be the new train orders such as Northern, Transpennine and others. Goole will probably get more TfL, Newport has the LNER order and is much smaller factory. Hitachi has the First and GC orders for now.

 

[Razorblades]

Short for Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques (Als) and Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston (thom).
Guess easier to pronounce with an r?
Almost 100 years old.
Always surprised one of the founders Elihu Thomson was English.

There was no 'R' in 'thom' either though!

Anyway, I'm not looking at this tropic again untril tromorrow.

 

[Invincible]

Derby works has a fascinating history, long before Alstom took over, another Thompson, Francis (no relation?) designed the roundhouse, now part of the college.
The current factory was featured in the Factory TV series, and "Ianvisits" has a webpage update

First look inside the Derby factory building the Elizabeth line’s new trains

On 11th September, the Elizabeth line carried over 1 million passenger journeys in a single day, and on that same day, up in Derby, workers were busy building more Elizabeth line trains to carry even more passengers.

www.ianvisits.co.uk

 

[43096]

Derby works has a fascinating history, long before Alstom took over, another Thompson, Francis (no relation?) designed the roundhouse, now part of the college.

That was Derby Locomotive Works, though; a completely separate site from the Alstom plant which is the former carriage works.

 

[AndrewP]

Delivery is such a low portion of a train's costs that it is almost irrelevant to use road instead of rail and it has been done before - the key will be construction costs and politics i.e. build it here or you don't get the order

Best wishes to the people who work there and I hope there is a long future for the factory sustained by sensible orders for the factory.

 

[Yorkshire09876]

Delivery is such a low portion of a train's costs that it is almost irrelevant to use road instead of rail and it has been done before - the key will be construction costs and politics i.e. build it here or you don't get the order.

The point about delivery was relative to UK factories supplying overseas markets. The extra hassle of having to split up units and take them by road, plus the UK no longer being part of the EU, is a good reason why manufacturers will prefer factories on the European mainland if they have them (which I believe they all do).

The problem doesn't occur in the opposite direction anyway as it's the UK which has the smaller loading gauge. Lots of units for UK use have been delivered by rail from factories in mainland Europe.