Siemens Mobility gears up for new £1.5bn contract

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Transport for London (TfL) confirmed today its intention to award Siemens Mobility Limited a contract of around £1.5 billion to design and build 94 new generation Tube trains that will transform the experience of millions of Piccadilly line customers.

Some 22 UK suppliers have been identified in the bid to potentially work with Siemens Mobility Limited on the build of the trains. In addition at least 50 new apprentice and graduate positions could be created.

As announced earlier this year, the award of this contract allows Siemens Mobility Limited to progress its plan to build a new factory in Goole, to manufacture and commission trains.

The Siemens Mobility factory would employ up to 700 people in skilled engineering and manufacturing roles, plus up to an additional 250 people during the construction phase of the factory.

As a result, around 1,700 indirect jobs would be created throughout the UK supply chain. After completion, TfL will work with Siemens Mobility Limited to maximise the number of Piccadilly line trains being built in this facility.

This order – the first under the Deep Tube Upgrade Programme – will mean the replacement of the entire 1970s Piccadilly line fleet. From 2023, 94 new state-of-the-art Inspiro trains will be delivered on the Piccadilly line enabling up to 27 trains-per-hour (tph) to operate at peak times by the end of 2026 (up from the current service level of 24 tph). This is a train every 135 seconds at the busiest times.

Sabrina Soussan, CEO Siemens Mobility, said: “We are thrilled by today’s announcement.

“Our metro trains travel the equivalent of 60 times around the world each week, transporting millions of passengers comfortably and efficiently.

“With this extensive knowledge and our constant focus on value provision, we can drive down lifecycle costs and significantly improve the passenger experience.”

Mike Brown MVO, Commissioner of Transport for London, added: “Today’s announcement of our intention to award the contract to design and build a new generation Tube train is a huge milestone for London Underground. We are delivering the biggest investment programme in our history to continue to improve customers’ journeys and support London’s population and employment growth.”