THE bulk of new trains for the London Tube network will be constructed in a factory in East Yorkshire.

Siemens say that about 80 per cent of the new Piccadilly line trains will be assembled in Goole, by Siemens Mobility confirms.

The firm is in the final stages of fitting out a new train factory in the East Yorkshire town which is due to open sometime this spring.

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It is part of the wider rail village where up to £200 million is being invested and up to 700 jobs will be created along with to 1,700 opportunities in the supply chain. 

Sambit Banerjee, Joint CEO of Siemens Mobility, said: For the first time Siemens Mobility will assemble trains here, in Britain. This is a truly exciting milestone not just for us but the industry and local economies as a whole. And the fact that we will be increasing the amount up to 80% of Piccadilly line Tube trains being assembled in Goole is a testament of our 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 for Britain will be put together right here by the next generation of engineers.” 

Stuart Harvey, TfL’s Chief Capital Officer, said: “Producing more Piccadilly line 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.” 

The 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 their test track and climate chamber in Germany ahead of the first train arriving in London this 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 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.