Siemens Mobility is in the final stages of fitting out its new train factory in Goole, Yorkshire, where up to 80% of the new Piccadilly Line tube trains will be produced, up from an original figure of 50%. The factory, which is due to open this spring, is part of the wider rail village where up to £200 million is being invested, up to 700 jobs will be created along with up to 1,700 more throughout the supply chain. This increase represents a larger pipeline of work on the first project for the factory, securing the future of the site.
Sambit Banerjee, joint CEO of Siemens Mobility, said: “For the first time Siemens Mobility will assemble trains in Britain. This is a milestone not just for us but the industry and local economy as a whole; and the fact that we will be increasing the amount is a testament of Goole’s manufacturing capabilities. We are proud to be assembling these trains here in Yorkshire, which will transform rail travel for commuters and visitors to our great capital city. These next generation of walk-through, air conditioned, energy-efficient tube trains will be put together right here by the next generation of engineers.”
Stuart Harvey, TfL’s chief capital officer, said: “Producing more Piccadilly Line tube trains in Goole will support local supply chains, clearly demonstrating how investment in transport in London benefits the whole of the UK. We have ensured that this development will not impact when the first train arrives for testing in London later this year, ahead of entering service in 2025, nor the planned timetable uplift in 2027. Subject to long-term certainty on Government funding, the factory in Goole is also expected to deliver a replacement fleet for the Bakerloo line, which at more than 50 years old is the oldest train in passenger service in the UK.”
Extensive testingThe first Piccadilly Line train has been delivered from Goole’s sister factory in Vienna, and has been undergoing extensive testing by Siemens Mobility’s engineers at the company’s test track and climate chamber in Germany ahead of the first train arriving in London in the summer. Transport for London (TfL) will then carry out further infrastructure testing and integration before the new trains start entering passenger service in London in 2025.
The new fleet of Piccadilly Line trains are based on Siemens Mobility’s Inspiro family of metro trains and offer passengers an improved customer experience with walk-through, air-conditioned carriages and improved accessibility. They will increase capacity by around 10% and are also lighter than existing designs which will mean they will be more energy efficient and provide a smoother ride for passengers. This is from the semi-articulated design enabling fewer bogies to be fitted on the longer 113m train. All trains will be fitted with digital passenger information screens with real time information as well as CCTV in the carriages.
The Goole factory is the centrepiece of a wider rail village, including assembly and commissioning halls, a train components servicing facility, a materials and logistics warehouse, and the Rail Accelerator & Innovation Solutions Hub for Enterprise (Raise), establishing Goole as a centre of excellence for rail technology in the UK.
The components facility, which services motors, gearboxes and HVAC for Siemens Mobility’s UK fleets — 25% of UK passenger trains— and the Raise hub are already open. Rolling stock for the UK train market will be assembled at the factory, starting with new Piccadilly Line trains for TfL, and all future UK orders, including the Bakerloo Line trains, subject to TfL securing further funding from the Government to renew the 50-year-old fleet.