First of 10 new Elizabeth line trains rolls off Alstom’s Derby production line

The first of 10 new Elizabeth line trains being built by Alstom in Derby has left the production line.

The milestone, which has been achieved at the firm’s Litchurch Lane Works, comes as the Elizabeth line celebrates its four-year anniversary.

It has become the UK’s single busiest railway service, with more than 850 million passenger journeys made since it opened in May 2022.

When all the new trains are complete, the total Elizabeth line fleet will be almost ten miles long, with a total capacity of around 120,000 people; more than can fit in London’s Wembley stadium.

Andy Butters, managing director of Alstom’s Litchurch Lane Works, said: “Seeing the first of our new Elizabeth line Aventra trains roll off the production line in Derby is a proud moment for everyone at Litchurch Lane.

“This milestone reflects the skill, dedication and craftsmanship of our teams, who are proudly building additional trains for one of the UK’s most successful railway services.”

Derby has been at the heart of British railway manufacturing since 1839.

Litchurch Lane Works opened in 1876 and is today the UK’s only remaining facility capable of designing, engineering, manufacturing and testing trains from scratch for both domestic and export markets.

According to Alstom, the latest Elizabeth line contract demonstrates how investment in London’s transport infrastructure delivers benefits far beyond the capital, with its supply chain supporting almost 40 companies totalling more than 1,000 employees.

Andy added: “These new trains will help meet growing demand on the Elizabeth line while supporting highly skilled jobs in Derby and our nationwide supply chain.

“It’s a powerful example of how investment in London’s transport network delivers real economic benefits across the UK, with Derby continuing to play a central role in Britain’s rail industry – as it has done since 1839.”

Each nine-carriage Elizabeth line train leaving Alstom’s 150-year-old factory contains five miles of welding, 50 miles of cabling, and more than 47,700 screws and 31,700 bolts.

The new trains will be manufactured, tested and introduced into service over this year and next.

Trish Ashton, director of rail at Transport for London (TfL), said: “More than 850 million customer journeys have now been made on the Elizabeth line, and it’s fantastic to see the first of the 10 new trains leaving the factory.

“This is an important milestone in our journey towards increasing capacity on the line, meeting the growing demand for increased connectivity that we deliver for hundreds of thousands of customers every day.”

The 10 new Aventra Class 345 trains are being delivered with government funding to help meet growing demand on the Elizabeth line, increasing capacity and serving the new Old Oak Common station for High Speed Two (HS2) in the future.