Redundancy threat at Alstom’s Derby plant as gap in orders looms
DERBY’S Litchurch Lane works, now part of the Alstom empire following completion of a merger in 2021 with Bombardier, could see around 1300 workers trimmed from its workforce in spring.
With no further new train orders beyond the current Class 701 build for South Western Railway, which should be completed by April, the company has entered consultations with its workforce over redundancies. The indications are that up to 550 permanent and 780 temporary jobs are at risk.
The number of job losses is expected to be ultimately higher because of the wider impact on Alstom’s supply chain partners. Just four years ago, Bombardier took on 400 additional staff to work on new trains for Greater Anglia, SWR and West Midlands Trains.
With the news coming just before Christmas, it is a bitter blow to the workforce, and also highlights the boom and bust cycle of rolling stock production.
Even though Alstom has won the order to build trains for HS2 with Hitachi in a joint venture, construction is not due to begin until 2026, with the first train expected to roll off the production line around 2027.
No new orders
There are no orders to fill that two-year gap and there are growing fears train manufacturing at the site – the last traditional works in Britain that still builds trains – could cease, having been used for that purpose since 1876.
The original plan for HS2 stock announced in December 2021 was for a fleet of 54 trains capable of 225mph.
The vehicle body assembly and initial fit-out would be at Hitachi Rail’s factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, with Alstom handling the second stage fit out and testing at Litchurch Lane, and the bogies in Crewe.
The recent announcement of scaling back HS2 north of Birmingham means that fewer trains will be needed, and so exacerbated Litchurch Lane’s problems, particularly as there are no indications on how many trains will now be needed.
In respect of the redundancies, Alstom said in a statement that it had been working with the Government for the past six months in a bid to secure a ‘sustainable future’ for the factory, adding: “We will fully support our dedicated colleagues during this exceptionally difficult time.
“We look forward to fulfilling our commitments on HS2 and successfully competing for rolling stock opportunities across the UK in the future.
“We remain open-minded as to the future of nonproduction functions located at Litchurch Lane and to potential future alternative uses for the Derby site.”