Potential up to 2,000 job losses at Alstom Derby

[Dan G]

I think it's quite clear manufacturing is ending at Derby, with associated redundancies for the majority of staff.

Doesn't seem like the whole site is closing though. Possibly manufacturing could restart in the future.

 

[Nym]

More likely they'll leave the site half derelict and make the crime levels in Willmorton, Osmaston, Rose Hill and Litchurch even more eye watering than they already are...

Maybe it could house the head office of Great British Railways...(!)?

 

[Mikey C]

It's all gone quiet on this for a couple of weeks. I wonder if anything is going on behind the scenes.

 

[Nym]

The site appears to be being tidied up to be shut down. Stillages stacked neatly (moreso than normal), spare bits being scrapped etc.

 

[Trainman40083]

More likely they'll leave the site half derelict and make the crime levels in Willmorton, Osmaston, Rose Hill and Litchurch even more eye watering than they already are...

Maybe it could house the head office of Great British Railways...(!)?

Oh, the HQ for Great British Railways should be in Midland House. There were short term plans for some offices at the RTC.

 

[D365]

Oh, the HQ for Great British Railways should be in Midland House.

Great British what?

 

[david1212]

I think it's quite clear manufacturing is ending at Derby, with associated redundancies for the majority of staff.

Doesn't seem like the whole site is closing though. Possibly manufacturing could restart in the future.

Once the skilled design staff are lost and the suppliers/sub-contractors have downsized/closed/are fully committed to other contracts it would be difficult. At best in the future far more likely to be an assembly plant for a foreign design with a significant proportion of imported components.

 

[33021]

Derby has been effectively mothballed before in the early 1990s and built backup following orders for turbo and electrostars. York however did not get through this period both having the same owners at the time ..,

 

[greyman42]

Derby has been effectively mothballed before in the early 1990s and built backup following orders for turbo and electrostars. York however did not get through this period both having the same owners at the time ..,

Derby survived due to having repairs to keep them ticking over where as York was completely new build so had nothing to keep it open.

 

[dgl]

Derby survived due to having repairs to keep them ticking over where as York was completely new build so had nothing to keep it open.

I wonder if that will help them now!

 

[wickham]

I don't think they do any repairs at Derby now do they ? .....and Works Overhauls are a thing of the past - it is all done at depots now using the componant exchange system.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

What will happen to, for example, accident damaged Electrostars that would require major structural body repairs?

 

[JonathanH]

What will happen to, for example, accident damaged Electrostars that would require major structural body repairs?

They would go to Wolverton, Doncaster, Ilford or a number of other workshops capable of heavy repair.

 

[wickham]

Are structural repairs still carried out at Crewe or is it just bogie overhauls carried out there now. Does Crewe still retain the caperbillity to do structural repairs ?

 

[Nym]

Assuming you mean Alstom (Formally Bombardier) Crewe and not ATC Crewe? No, nothing structural.

 

[Invincible]

From the Government's letter (Substantial gap in new train deliveries thread) does not look good for Crewe and Widnes, (no conservative votes there this year), unless they get export contacts.
Alstom will probably pay out for redundancies and window the plants rather than offer cut price new trains for export.

 

[Snow1964]

What is Derby actually building nowadays, apart from tail end of 701 and 730 orders, and monorail cars for Egypt and Dominican Republic

 

[D365]

What is Derby actually building nowadays, apart from tail end of 701 and 730 orders, and monorail cars for Egypt and Dominican Republic

Unless one of my acquaintances knows otherwise, that might be the lot.

 

[wickham]

The Monorails for Egypt have been quite well publicised, but the Dominican Republic contract is new to me. Anyone know how many are being built ?

 

[Speed43125]

The Monorails for Egypt have been quite well publicised, but the Dominican Republic contract is new to me. Anyone know how many are being built ?

13 x 4 car trains apparently:

Unmanned monorail train Innovia 300 by Alstom

The first unmanned monorail train, Innovia 300 by Alstom, has arrived in the Dominican Republic, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway S

www.railway.supply

 

[Snow1964]

The Monorails for Egypt have been quite well publicised, but the Dominican Republic contract is new to me. Anyone know how many are being built ?

13 x 4car Innovia 300 trains

It is for 13km network with 14 stations in Santiago de los Caballeros.

 

[wickham]

Thank you for the information regarding the Dominican Republic Monorail trains. In the past Alexander-Dennis have built the bodies for these types of car at their specialist plant in Scotland and Derby have built the running gear. Is that the case with this and the Egyptian orders or are the whole vehicles buoilt at Derby ?

 

[Mollman]

Thank you for the information regarding the Dominican Republic Monorail trains. In the past Alexander-Dennis have built the bodies for these types of car at their specialist plant in Scotland and Derby have built the running gear. Is that the case with this and the Egyptian orders or are the whole vehicles buoilt at Derby ?

Wow, mono-Pacer!

 

[wickham]

Exactly so Mollman: It would seem that Walter Alexander and subsequently Alexander Dennis have been building People Mover/Monorail car bodies at a specialist plant at Larbert. It was announced a couple of years ago that around 500 had been built over the last 30 years, all rather "under the radar" of the Rail Enthusiast (because thay are not trains) and unknown to the Bus Enthusiasts (because they are not buses) ! Those at Stansted Airport and Gatwick amongst many others worldwide have bodies by Alexander but the running gear has always been made by the "main contractor", Westinghouse, Adtranz, Bombardier or Alstom depending on what the company was known as at the time. Interestingly the current (Feb 2024) Alexander Dennis website makes no mention at all about this aspect and indeed states that the site at Larbert is in the process of being re-purposed to build electric bus bodies. I deduce from this that in all probability the current Derby work on monorail cars for Egypt and Dominican Republic is completely in house, but it would be nice to have this confirmed.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Exactly so Mollman: It would seem that Walter Alexander and subsequently Alexander Dennis have been building People Mover/Monorail car bodies at a specialist plant at Larbert. It was announced a couple of years ago that around 500 had been built over the last 30 years, all rather "under the radar" of the Rail Enthusiast (because thay are not trains) and unknown to the Bus Enthusiasts (because they are not buses) ! Those at Stansted Airport and Gatwick amongst many others worldwide have bodies by Alexander but the running gear has always been made by the "main contractor", Westinghouse, Adtranz, Bombardier or Alstom depending on what the company was known as at the time. Interestingly the current (Feb 2024) Alexander Dennis website makes no mention at all about this aspect and indeed states that the site at Larbert is in the process of being re-purposed to build electric bus bodies. I deduce from this that in all probability the current Derby work on monorail cars for Egypt and Dominican Republic is completely in house, but it would be nice to have this confirmed.

Indeed but is it either that or the work for Derby has been completed very recently and Alexander Dennis are busy adapting to more promising work - electric busses. Good for them but that does mean a bit of the supply chain for UK train (et al) production has moved on and I wonder how many other parts of the supply chain will not be available should Derby be reprieved or resurrected ?.

Has there actually been any more news about the future of Derby Litchurch Lane ?.

I know it was asked how much production was left to complete the current orders at Derby and the only message seems to be maybe some 701s and 730s left to build. But an awful lot of "finishing" work seems to be done else where and Ilford (710s definitely), Eastleigh (701s ?) and Worksop (720s ?) have been noted or suggested.

 

[wickham]

I would suspect that everything on order is now actually built, but there is a lot of fitting out and "sorting out" to be done. I also suspect that the use of other locations to finish off work on certain units is to speed up the delivery. I did read somewhere that Alstom want to balance their books with payments completed by the end of the financial year - 1st April, but that is looking highly unlikely. As long as there are still staff at Derby with the required skills and knowledge I would imagine that they will keep on working until everything is completed. After all, Alstom have NOT stated that the place is closing.

 

[Nym]

Alstom have not stated that Derby will not be closing…

 

[Peter Sarf]

From the class 730 thread, posted Wednesday 06/03/2024.

From what I can gather :
201(101) is at Old Dalby
202 is at Old dalby
203 (103) is at Loughborough
204 in production
205 testing at Oxley
206 is at Loughborough
207 in production
208 in production
209 in production
210 testing at Oxley
211 testing at Oxley
212 testing at Oxley
213 in production
214 in production
215 in production
216 in production
217 testing at Oxley
218 in production
219 in production
220 in production
221 in production driving cars visible from London Road
222 in production
223 in production
224 in production
225 in production
226 in production
227 in production driving cars visible from Litchurch Lane
228 in production driving cars visible from London Road, 1 centre car visible from Osmaston Road
229 in production driving cars visible from Litchurch Lane
230 in production
231 in production 2 cars visible from Osmaston Road
232 in production
233 in production
234 in production
235 in production
236 in production

There are a lot of un-numbered vehicles at Litchurch and a number of gangway ends and bodysides in green waiting to enter the assembly plant.

Derby Litchurch Lane looks to be pretty busy still. Maybe not as busy as during a peak in orders.

 

[Trainman40083]

From the class 730 thread, posted Wednesday 06/03/2024.

Derby Litchurch Lane looks to be pretty busy still. Maybe not as busy as during a peak in orders.

Maybe they are hanging their hopes on the South Eastern order. And tick over in the meantime . Big site though.

 

[Snow1964]

I have heard rumour (so trying to see if it is likely, or just pointless talk) that Derby has been awarded a mid life refurb contract for 377 (and/or 375). Seems it is all related to bringing back the 379s and moving trains to South Eastern.

I could see some logic if they don't want it to close down before HS2 contract and potential Northern, GWR, South Eastern contracts later in 2020s. Possibly a giant political fudge, especially with marginal constituencies in Kent