Derby Carriage and Wagon Works
Encyclopedia
Derby Carriage and Wagon Works was built by the Midland Railway
in Derby
, England
. The plant has been through many changes of ownership and is currently owned by Bombardier Transportation
, a subsidiary of Bombardier Inc. of Canada. As of 2011 it is the only remaining passenger rolling stock
manufacturer in the UK. Given that it originated in the first 1840 Derby railway workshop, it could be considered one of the oldest railway manufacturies in the world still in production.
in 1840, when the North Midland Railway
, the Midland Counties Railway
and the Birmingham and Derby Railway set up engine sheds as part of their Tri Junct Station. When the three merged in 1844 to form the Midland Railway its first Locomotive and Carriage Superintendent Matthew Kirtley
set out to organise their activities and persuaded the directors to build their own rolling stock, rather than buying it in (see Derby Works
).
By the 1860s the works had expanded to such an extent, that he was considering reorganising it and, in 1873, it separated into the Midland Railway Locomotive Works, known locally as "The Loco" and a new Derby Carriage and Wagon Works, further south, off Litchurch Lane, locally known as the "Carriage and Wagon". This was completed by his successor Samuel W. Johnson
, under the control of Thomas Gethin Clayton
The carriages of the time were less than fifty feet long but, possibly because the Midland had just taken delivery of its first Pullman car, 56 feet 5 inches long, Clayton had the foresight to design the works to deal with vehicles up to seventy feet. This meant, for instance, that the traverser
s at the end of each shed were still in use a century later.
Production began in 1873 of carriages from kits supplied by the Pullman Company
of Detroit in America. These were followed by Clayton's own design of 54 feet (16.5 m) coaches, which incorporated both first- and third-class accommodation, and ran on four- or six-wheeled bogies. Initially claret or dark red, with dark green locomotives, the livery of both was changed to the well-known crimson in 1883. Five layers of undercoat were used, followed by a top coat and three coats of varnish.
A six-wheeled coach built in 1885 is in the National Railway Museum
. In 1879 the first bogie coaches were built for the Midland's line to Glasgow over its newly-opened Settle-Carlisle line
. Clayton's successor in 1903 was David Bain., the works building sleeping cars and dining coaches. In 1904 two steam motor-carriages were fitted out for the Morecambe-Heysham
service.
Ten- and twelve-ton
wagons were produced in quantity, starting with a set of components in the morning, each would be assembled for painting by the end of the day. Reid
and E.J.H.Lemon studied American mass production
methods and introduced them around 1919, raising output to 200 wagons and 10 coaches a week. The sawmill was recognised as the most modern and largest in Europe, with over 2000 miles of timber being seasoned, of nearly sixty different varieties, from pine
to lignum vitae
.
In 1914 the works turned to producing supplies for the army of World War I
, building ambulance trains and army wagons, plus parts for rifles.
, and W.R.Reid was appointed Carriage & Wagon Superintendent. Together with the LNWR
's Wolverton works
, new coaches were built to the Midland design, corridor coach
es with doors to each compartment - the so-called "all-doors". These were still in use until nearly 1960, particularly on the Liverpool and Newcastle to Bristol expresses.
Around 1929 the compartment doors, however, were replaced by two fixed lights, and later with single large windows. All-wood construction gave way to steel panels. In the next decade the Works Superintendent, Ernest Pugson, realised the potential of the new technology of metallic arc welding
, replacing many forged and cast components. He introduced the first composite welded steel/timber bodies with standardised jig-built components. The first open carriages, referred to as "vestibule coaches", also appeared. From 1933, roofs were of steel rather than wood, with a simplified livery and a smoother external appearance, and, at the end of the 1930's all-welded steel vehicles were built for the Liverpool and Southport electric service, the Class 502
.
During World War II
, Derby pioneered aeroplane wing production methods, by 1945 having produced over 4000. With the loco works, wings and fuselages were repaired and sent to a private contractor at Nottingham for assembly, initially of Hampden bombers
but later of other aircraft including Lancaster
s.
Although, towards the end of the 'thirties a complete 'Coronation Scot' train was built for an exhibition tour in America and a streamlined all-welded three coach railcar
, most of the all-steel carriages were made by outside manufacturers. After the war, the LMS began to produce its own, the so-called "porthole" stock with round windows to the lavatory compartment. After nationalisation in 1948, as the main carriage works of the London Midland Region, the first Mk I
all-steel carriages were produced.
).
In 1953, Derby was chosen to build the first diesel multiple unit
s, of all-aluminium construction, the so-called "Derby Lightweights
". This also included the introduction of glass fibre laminate
for the roof ends.
Trailer cars were also built for the London Transport Executive as replacements on the London Underground
Piccadilly Line
. In 1956, all-steel railcars, the "Derby Heavyweights" were introduced, with over a thousand being built in that decade.
From 1958 a new class of Derby Lightweight was produced in quantity, the Class 108
. A number of steel bodied Class 107
units was built in 1960 for lines in Scotland.
In 1962 the works was renamed as Derby Litchurch Lane Works. Wagon building and repairs ended, with a major re-organisation of the carriage and railcar work, and in 1979 container production finished.
In 1984, British Rail was under extreme financial pressure to close branch lines. At the same time a worldwide need was seen for a low-cost rail vehicle. The Research Division
and British Leyland together produced a lightweight four wheeled vehicle which they referred to as LEV-1. After proving trials, which included assessment on the Boston and Maine Railroad
in America it was put into service as the Class 140
which led to a series of two car "Pacer
" units, and around 150 of various classes were built.
BREL was eventually bought by Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), which then became Adtranz
, and later Bombardier Transportation
.
One of the first orders in 1993 was for Class 482
electric trains for the Waterloo and City Line. In 1995 a number of electric Class 325
parcels trains were built. However, this period was characterised by large contracts and rushes of work, interspersed with periods of relative idleness and layoffs. The works kept going by refurbishing ex-Southern Region
slam-door stock.
In 1997 a contract was received to supply a new class of vehicle, the Class 168
"Clubman", which led to the various "Turbostar" diesel and "Electrostar
" electric multiple units, now the most widely used trains in Britain. Export orders included Electrostars for Gautrain
in South Africa
, some delivered complete and some in kit form for assembly in South Africa. In 2009 Bombardier received a contract to build 30 new Class 379
trains for National Express services including Stansted Express
.
In 2011 Derby was building a new fleet of trains for the Victoria
, and sub-surface (Metropolitan
/District
/Circle/Hammersmith & City
) lines of the London Underground
. The company completed an order to build more Electrostars for London Overground
, and was building new Class 172 lightweight Turbostars for London Overground, Chiltern Railways
and London Midland
.
As of 2011, Bombardier's Derby plant was the only remaining specialist passenger rolling stock manufacturer in the UK, until such a time as Hitachi
constructs a planned assembly plant at Newton Aycliffe
. Given that it originated in the first railway workshop in Derby in 1840, it could be considered one of the oldest railway manufacturies in the world still in production. After Siemens
was named preferred bidder in June 2011 to construct the new rolling stock for Thameslink
services through London, Bombardier announced it was to cut 1,400 out of the 3,000 jobs at Derby. Colin Walton, Chairman of Bombardier Transportation in the UK, said the loss of the contract had forced the company to review its UK operations., while Francis Paonessa, President of Bombardier's UK Passengers Division said the Thameslink contract would have secured a workload at Derby, and its loss meant it was inevitable that Bombardier "must adjust capacity in line with economic reality".
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
in Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The plant has been through many changes of ownership and is currently owned by Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
, a subsidiary of Bombardier Inc. of Canada. As of 2011 it is the only remaining passenger rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
manufacturer in the UK. Given that it originated in the first 1840 Derby railway workshop, it could be considered one of the oldest railway manufacturies in the world still in production.
Midland Railway
Railway building began at Derby WorksDerby Works
The Midland Railway Locomotive Works, known locally as "the loco" comprised a number of British manufacturing facilities in Derby building locomotives and, initially, rolling stock in Derby, UK.-Early days:...
in 1840, when the North Midland Railway
North Midland Railway
The North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
, the Midland Counties Railway
Midland Counties Railway
The Midland Counties Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which existed between 1832 and 1844, connecting Nottingham, Leicester and Derby with Rugby and thence, via the London and Birmingham Railway, to London. The MCR system connected with the North Midland Railway and the...
and the Birmingham and Derby Railway set up engine sheds as part of their Tri Junct Station. When the three merged in 1844 to form the Midland Railway its first Locomotive and Carriage Superintendent Matthew Kirtley
Matthew Kirtley
Matthew Kirtley was an important early locomotive engineer. His brother Thomas Kirtley was also a locomotive engineer as was his nephew, William Kirtley, who served as locomotive superintendent on the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, 1874-1898.Kirtley was born in February 1813 at Tanfield,...
set out to organise their activities and persuaded the directors to build their own rolling stock, rather than buying it in (see Derby Works
Derby Works
The Midland Railway Locomotive Works, known locally as "the loco" comprised a number of British manufacturing facilities in Derby building locomotives and, initially, rolling stock in Derby, UK.-Early days:...
).
By the 1860s the works had expanded to such an extent, that he was considering reorganising it and, in 1873, it separated into the Midland Railway Locomotive Works, known locally as "The Loco" and a new Derby Carriage and Wagon Works, further south, off Litchurch Lane, locally known as the "Carriage and Wagon". This was completed by his successor Samuel W. Johnson
Samuel W. Johnson
Samuel Waite Johnson was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Midland Railway from 1873 to 1903. He was born in Bramley, Yorkshire and educated at Leeds Grammar School.-Career:...
, under the control of Thomas Gethin Clayton
The carriages of the time were less than fifty feet long but, possibly because the Midland had just taken delivery of its first Pullman car, 56 feet 5 inches long, Clayton had the foresight to design the works to deal with vehicles up to seventy feet. This meant, for instance, that the traverser
Transfer table
A transfer table, also called a traverser , is a piece of railroad equipment. It is similar in function to a turntable, though it cannot be used to turn equipment around. The table consists of a single length of track which can be moved from side to side, in a direction perpendicular to the track...
s at the end of each shed were still in use a century later.
Production began in 1873 of carriages from kits supplied by the Pullman Company
Pullman Company
The Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
of Detroit in America. These were followed by Clayton's own design of 54 feet (16.5 m) coaches, which incorporated both first- and third-class accommodation, and ran on four- or six-wheeled bogies. Initially claret or dark red, with dark green locomotives, the livery of both was changed to the well-known crimson in 1883. Five layers of undercoat were used, followed by a top coat and three coats of varnish.
A six-wheeled coach built in 1885 is in the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
. In 1879 the first bogie coaches were built for the Midland's line to Glasgow over its newly-opened Settle-Carlisle line
Settle-Carlisle Railway
The Settle–Carlisle Line is a long main railway line in northern England. It is also known as the Settle and Carlisle. It is a part of the National Rail network and was constructed in the 1870s...
. Clayton's successor in 1903 was David Bain., the works building sleeping cars and dining coaches. In 1904 two steam motor-carriages were fitted out for the Morecambe-Heysham
Morecambe Branch Line
The Morecambe Branch Line is a railway line in Lancashire, England, from Lancaster to Morecambe and Heysham where services connect with the ferry service to Douglas on the Isle of Man. To reach Heysham, trains must reverse at Morecambe....
service.
Ten- and twelve-ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
wagons were produced in quantity, starting with a set of components in the morning, each would be assembled for painting by the end of the day. Reid
Reid
Reid is a surname of Scottish and Irish origin, and is the 90th most common surname in the UK.It may refer to:* Reid Caldwell, Species undefined.* Reid, Australian Capital Territory, inner suburb of Canberra, Australia...
and E.J.H.Lemon studied American mass production
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
methods and introduced them around 1919, raising output to 200 wagons and 10 coaches a week. The sawmill was recognised as the most modern and largest in Europe, with over 2000 miles of timber being seasoned, of nearly sixty different varieties, from pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
to lignum vitae
Lignum vitae
Lignum vitae is a trade wood, also called guayacan or guaiacum, and in parts of Europe known as pockenholz, from trees of the genus Guaiacum. This wood was once very important for applications requiring a material with its extraordinary combination of strength, toughness and density...
.
In 1914 the works turned to producing supplies for the army of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, building ambulance trains and army wagons, plus parts for rifles.
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
In 1923 the Midland Railway became part of the London, Midland and Scottish RailwayLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
, and W.R.Reid was appointed Carriage & Wagon Superintendent. Together with the LNWR
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
's Wolverton works
Wolverton railway works
Wolverton railway works was established in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, by the London and Birmingham Railway Company in 1838 at the midpoint of the 112 mile-long route from London to Birmingham...
, new coaches were built to the Midland design, corridor coach
Corridor coach
A corridor coach is a type of railway passenger coach divided into compartments and having a corridor down one side of the coach to allow free movement along the train and between compartments....
es with doors to each compartment - the so-called "all-doors". These were still in use until nearly 1960, particularly on the Liverpool and Newcastle to Bristol expresses.
Around 1929 the compartment doors, however, were replaced by two fixed lights, and later with single large windows. All-wood construction gave way to steel panels. In the next decade the Works Superintendent, Ernest Pugson, realised the potential of the new technology of metallic arc welding
Arc welding
Arc welding is a type of welding that uses a welding power supply to create an electric arc between an electrode and the base material to melt the metals at the welding point. They can use either direct or alternating current, and consumable or non-consumable electrodes...
, replacing many forged and cast components. He introduced the first composite welded steel/timber bodies with standardised jig-built components. The first open carriages, referred to as "vestibule coaches", also appeared. From 1933, roofs were of steel rather than wood, with a simplified livery and a smoother external appearance, and, at the end of the 1930's all-welded steel vehicles were built for the Liverpool and Southport electric service, the Class 502
British Rail Class 502
The British Rail Class 502 was a type of electric multiple unit originally built by the London Midland and Scottish Railway at their Derby Works...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Derby pioneered aeroplane wing production methods, by 1945 having produced over 4000. With the loco works, wings and fuselages were repaired and sent to a private contractor at Nottingham for assembly, initially of Hampden bombers
Handley Page Hampden
The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force serving in the Second World War. With the Whitley and Wellington, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-plane...
but later of other aircraft including Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
s.
Although, towards the end of the 'thirties a complete 'Coronation Scot' train was built for an exhibition tour in America and a streamlined all-welded three coach railcar
LMS railcars
The London Midland and Scottish Railway introduced a number of railcars to service between 1933 and 1939. They were mainly single units but one was a three-car articulated set.-Single units:...
, most of the all-steel carriages were made by outside manufacturers. After the war, the LMS began to produce its own, the so-called "porthole" stock with round windows to the lavatory compartment. After nationalisation in 1948, as the main carriage works of the London Midland Region, the first Mk I
British Railways Mark 1
British Railways Mark 1 was the family designation for the first standardised designs of railway carriages built by British Railways. Following nationalisation in 1948, BR had continued to build carriages to the designs of the "Big Four" companies , and the Mark 1 was intended to be the...
all-steel carriages were produced.
British Rail diesel railcars
In the early 1950s a railway carriage could be seen gliding along, apparently by itself, on the Wirksworth Branch out of Duffield. (The present Ecclesbourne Valley lineEcclesbourne Valley Railway
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is a long heritage railway in Derbyshire, the headquarters of the railway centre around Wirksworth station and services operate between Wirksworth and Duffield and Wirksworth and Ravenstor...
).
In 1953, Derby was chosen to build the first diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s, of all-aluminium construction, the so-called "Derby Lightweights
British Rail Derby Lightweight
The British Rail Derby Lightweight diesel multiple units, were the first such trains to be built en-masse for British Railways. The units were built at BR's Derby Works from 1954 to 1955. The units were built in various formations, including 12 power-twin 2-car units, 84 power-trailer 2-car units,...
". This also included the introduction of glass fibre laminate
Glass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
for the roof ends.
Trailer cars were also built for the London Transport Executive as replacements on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
Piccadilly Line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
. In 1956, all-steel railcars, the "Derby Heavyweights" were introduced, with over a thousand being built in that decade.
From 1958 a new class of Derby Lightweight was produced in quantity, the Class 108
British Rail Class 108
The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
. A number of steel bodied Class 107
British Rail Class 107
The British Rail Class 107 diesel multiple units were built by the Derby Works of British Railways and were introduced in 1960. The class looked similar to the later Class 108 units, but were heavier - having been built out of steel.-Usage:...
units was built in 1960 for lines in Scotland.
Litchurch Lane
In 1984, British Rail was under extreme financial pressure to close branch lines. At the same time a worldwide need was seen for a low-cost rail vehicle. The Research Division
British Rail Research Division
The British Rail Research Division came into being in 1964 directly under the control of the British Railways Board, moving into purpose-built premises at the Railway Technical Centre in Derby. The intention was to improve railway reliability and efficiency, while reducing costs and improving revenue...
and British Leyland together produced a lightweight four wheeled vehicle which they referred to as LEV-1. After proving trials, which included assessment on the Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
in America it was put into service as the Class 140
British Rail Class 140
The British Rail Class 140 was the prototype of the Pacer diesel multiple unit. Much of the bodywork was constructed using Leyland National bus components, with the exception of the cabs, in 1980....
which led to a series of two car "Pacer
Pacer (train)
Pacer is the operational name of the British Rail Classes 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 diesel multiple unit railbuses, built between 1984 and 1987...
" units, and around 150 of various classes were built.
Post-privatisation
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
, and later Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
.
One of the first orders in 1993 was for Class 482
British Rail Class 482
This article concerns the trains used on the Waterloo & City Line immediately prior to its takeover by London Underground in 1994. For their service after 1994, see London Underground 1992 Stock...
electric trains for the Waterloo and City Line. In 1995 a number of electric Class 325
British Rail Class 325
The British Rail Class 325 is a 4 car dual-voltage 25 kV alternating current or 750 V direct current electric multiple unit train used for postal train services. They are based on the Class 319. The Class 325 was British Rail's newest unit to take over parcels working on electrified...
parcels trains were built. However, this period was characterised by large contracts and rushes of work, interspersed with periods of relative idleness and layoffs. The works kept going by refurbishing ex-Southern Region
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
slam-door stock.
In 1997 a contract was received to supply a new class of vehicle, the Class 168
British Rail Class 168
The Class 168 Clubman is a diesel multiple-unit train used on services between London and the Midlands.-Description:The units were built in several batches from 1997 onwards. The first batch of units was classified 168/0 under TOPS and resembled the Class 165 units previously built by BREL at York...
"Clubman", which led to the various "Turbostar" diesel and "Electrostar
Electrostar
Electrostar is the name given to a series of related electric multiple-unit passenger trains manufactured by Bombardier Transportation at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England...
" electric multiple units, now the most widely used trains in Britain. Export orders included Electrostars for Gautrain
Gautrain
Gautrain is an mass rapid transit railway system in Gauteng Province, South Africa, which links Johannesburg, Pretoria, and OR Tambo International Airport...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, some delivered complete and some in kit form for assembly in South Africa. In 2009 Bombardier received a contract to build 30 new Class 379
British Rail Class 379
The Class 379 Electrostar is a British electric multiple-unit train type ordered in April 2009 for Stansted Express services operated by National Express East Anglia . The trains will also be used on services between , and...
trains for National Express services including Stansted Express
Stansted Express
Stansted Express is a sub-brand of National Express East Anglia. It is the direct train service linking central London to Stansted Airport, one of London's major air hubs...
.
In 2011 Derby was building a new fleet of trains for the Victoria
Victoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
, and sub-surface (Metropolitan
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
/District
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
/Circle/Hammersmith & City
Hammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
) lines of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. The company completed an order to build more Electrostars for London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
, and was building new Class 172 lightweight Turbostars for London Overground, Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
and London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
.
As of 2011, Bombardier's Derby plant was the only remaining specialist passenger rolling stock manufacturer in the UK, until such a time as Hitachi
Hitachi
Hitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...
constructs a planned assembly plant at Newton Aycliffe
Newton Aycliffe
Newton Aycliffe is a town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1947 under the New Towns Act of 1946, it is the oldest new town in the north of England.-Geography:...
. Given that it originated in the first railway workshop in Derby in 1840, it could be considered one of the oldest railway manufacturies in the world still in production. After Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
was named preferred bidder in June 2011 to construct the new rolling stock for Thameslink
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
services through London, Bombardier announced it was to cut 1,400 out of the 3,000 jobs at Derby. Colin Walton, Chairman of Bombardier Transportation in the UK, said the loss of the contract had forced the company to review its UK operations., while Francis Paonessa, President of Bombardier's UK Passengers Division said the Thameslink contract would have secured a workload at Derby, and its loss meant it was inevitable that Bombardier "must adjust capacity in line with economic reality".
Further reading
- Robertson, K., (2004) First Generation DMUs, Ian Allan Publishing
- Marsden, C.J., (1989) Twenty Five Years of Railway Research, Haynes Publishing Co.