Action now: 10 trains to save 3,000 Derby jobs
One consequence of postponing the building of the HS2 London terminus at Euston is that Old Oak Common will be its southern terminus when HS2 services start. In February the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee said that the Department of Transport could not ‘give any date or range of dates for when it thought Euston might be delivered’.
Consequently, more passengers than previously anticipated will be using other rail services to get to and from the HS2 station at Old Oak Common. Most noticeably, this will impact the already busy and successful Elizabeth Line.
Services on this line use trains designed and built by Alstom in Derby, which has recently run out of orders and 3,000 jobs are at risk (and 12,000 to15,000 in the supply chain too). Alstom have said that a train order of just 10 trains would be enough to keep the factory open until more orders are received.
Chris Page, Chair of Railfuture said in response:
“There is an obvious answer. With London’s HS2 station being Old Oak Common in West London for the indefinite future, there is now a need for more capacity for the Elizabeth Line to move passengers between the rest of London and Old Oak Common.
“It's a one minute to midnight situation, and the Government needs to act now by ordering 10 more trains from Alstom so that services from the east can be extended to Old Oak Common. The Government will be ripping the heart out of the UK’s train design capability if it fails to act – only Alstom in Derby has this ability – the others are just screwdriver operations.
“If the capacity increase from the new trains doesn’t happen, getting to and from Old Oak Common will become a nightmare and it'll put people off using HS2.”
Neil Middleton, Railfuture’s Communications Director commented:
“There’s always talk of joined up thinking from the government – it would be great to hear that this is happening for HS2, current and future Elizabeth line users – and for up to 18,000 jobs. Just make a decision – order those trains. It’s a run on order – the operator knows exactly what they want – more of the same, so just get on with it.”
Chris went on to comment:
“And get on with more ways for passengers to get to and from HS2 Old Oak Common – commit to funding the proposed stations on Overground lines at Hythe Lane on the Stratford to Clapham Junction line and Old Oak Common Lane on the Richmond-upon-Thames to Stratford line (and the proposed West London Orbital to Hendon and West Hampstead as well). That will make it easier for a lot of London to get to and from Old Oak Common.”
Notes to editors:
Sources
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-68615500
- https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmpubacc/67/report.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Oak_Common_Lane_railway_station#/media/File:Willesden_Junction_map_with_Old_Oak_Common.png
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Railfuture is the UK's leading independent organisation campaigning for better rail services for both passengers and freight.
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For further information and comment please contact:
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media@railfuture.org.uk
Neil Middleton, Director
Mobile: 07887 628367
neil.middleton@railfuture.org.uk