Derby-based train manufacturer Bombardier (www.bombardier.com) is preparing to assemble 665 carriages as part of a £900 million contract with Greater Anglia franchisee Abellio.

Bombardier was awarded the contract for a version of its Avantra train in 2016, securing around 1,000 jobs at the
factory for the foreseeable future.

Greater Anglia needs the new trains to replace the ageing rolling stock that is currently operating on its network. The new carriages will form 22 10-carriage trains and 89 five-carriage trains, and will start coming in to
service in 2019.

They will run on commuter routes into London Liverpool Street from Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

Greater Anglia managing director Jamie Burles said: “It is exciting to see the new trains beginning to take shape. These are a vital part of the transformation of the railway in East Anglia.”

The Aventra train, which was designed and developed at Bombardier’s Derby site, has also been ordered by the Elizabeth Line, South West Trains and West Midlands Trains.