The future of Alstom’s production and maintenance facility in Derby, UK appears even stronger after the signing of a £60m ($78m) refurbishment contract with CrossCountry and leasing company Beacon Rail.
The agreement will see Alsom’s Litchurch Lane facility complete a full refresh of the rail operator’s Voyager trains, encompassing 312 rail cars in total across CrossCountry’s Class 220 Voyager fleet and Class 221 Super Voyager fleet.
Peter Broadley, Alstom’s managing director of Services UK and Ireland, said the “iconic Alstom-built trains” would be given a comprehensive overhaul as part of some “well-deserved TLC.”
He said: “Not only will the refurbishment delight fare-paying customers with increased levels of comfort and accessibility, the overhaul programme will support UK suppliers and skilled jobs across the country.”
The deal comes shortly after the factory was saved from closure after emergency talks between Alstom and the UK government led to a £370m contract being signed with Transport for London (TfL) for the construction of 10 Aventra trains for London’s Elizabeth Line.
Alstom’s struggle to keep the factory open had been seen by many as a damning sign for the UK’s rail manufacturing industry, with the company at one point telling staff it had “run out of time” to secure a sustainable future for the site.
Now, the CrossCountry contract will add to the facility’s work until 2027 and around 100 Alstom staff are expected to work on the project, boosting the workload at the site and easing its reliance on the TfL contract.
The deal also strengthens the manufacturer’s relationship with CrossCountry and adds to the eight-year extension it signed with the operator last year for their Train Services Agreement covering maintenance for the Voyager fleet at Alstom’s Central Rivers depot in Staffordshire.
The operator currently has 252 Voyager and Super Voyager rail cars and will add another 60 carriages, across 12 trains, to its fleet when they are released from Avanti West Coast’s services and passed over by Beacon Rail later this year.
CrossCountry’s new trains will join its existing fleet in receiving new tables, seats, and flooring, as well as on-board technology enhancements and a new livery.
