New train factory and 12,500 manufacturing jobs

Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon announced today that a consortium – Agility Trains – had been selected as the preferred bidder for a £7.5bn contract to build and maintain a fleet of new Super Express trains (artist's impression pictured) to replace the existing 125 inter-city trains which are 20-30 years old. Agility – a British-led consortium comprising of John Laing, Hitachi and Barclays – will make a significant inward investment as part of this contract. They will build a new train manufacturing plant in the UK, as well as depots in Bristol, Reading, Doncaster, Leeds and west London with upgrades to existing depots throughout Great Britain. This will create or safeguard some 12,500 manufacturing jobs in these regions. Geoff Hoon also announced that the Department is in advanced negotiations with National Express East Anglia to provide 120 new carriages for the Stansted Express service from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport. The preferred bidder for this order is Bombardier Transportation, which plans to build them in Derby and therefore safeguard jobs there. Geoff Hoon said: "This announcement demonstrates that this Government is prepared to invest, even in difficult economic times, by improving our national infrastructure. It is good news for the British Economy that over 12,500 jobs will be created and safeguarded; good news for the regions that the Government is supporting significant inward investment; and good news for passengers that we are taking the steps necessary to improve their rail journeys." The first of the new trains will enter service on the East Coast mainline in 2013 and enter full service from 2015.