Derby City Council has called on the Government to take “swift and decisive action” to support train-maker Alstom, as it looks to ensure the future sustainability of its Derby site.
With two thousand jobs at risk, due to delays with future contracts, including HS2, were the factory to close, the United Kingdom would become the only country within the G7 without the ability to design and manufacture its own trains.
At a council meeting last week, support was given to a motion calling on government to make more contracts available for tender. While this is in no means a method of forcing contracts to be given to Alstom, the idea is to ensure it has the opportunity to compete for new projects.
The government has since said Alstom are welcome to participate in ongoing procurement processes. This could bridge a potential three year production gap, with orders for HS2 trains from Alstom’s Derby site pushed to 2026 and current orders running only until 2024.
