A £180 million contract to procure another 116 electric multiple unit vehicles for Southern was signed with Bombardier on 30 July, after the mandatory 'stand still' period.
The additional trains will be built in Derby. and are being procured by Southern on behalf of the Department for Transport to be used from 2015 on the Thameslink route, so that some of the present fleet can be cascaded to newly-electrified lines elsewhere in the country.
The additional order is necessary mainly because the main Thameslink rolling stock procurement, which has now been signed with Siemens, was delayed by several years. Unless new trains are provided more quickly, the existing Thameslink trains would not be available for cascades until around 2017.
Confirmation of the deal came as the transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin visited Stewarts Lane Depot in Battersea where Southern is currently preparing a new fleet of 130 Bombardier Electrostar vehicles for use on its services from December. A further 40 vehicles are to be delivered early next year.
The transport secretary said: “London’s commuters deserve a first class rail network and comfortable modern trains. Southern is delivering that. This second order will also provide a further boost to the thousands of passengers who travel into London every day.
“A successful rail network is vital for the economic prosperity of the country and its standing in the global race. The fact that these trains are made in Britain also protects jobs outside the capital.”
Southern managing director Chris Burchell added: “We are delighted that the order we have signed today will help our industry grow. Southern has a great record in new train introduction and we are pleased to be able to offer our expertise in helping the Department for Transport deliver the benefits of the Thameslink programme.”