The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is today visiting the Siemens Mobility facility in Goole, where half of the 94 new Piccadilly line tube trains are due to be built, and is getting an exclusive first look at the final mock-up.
Fifty per cent of the new train fleet will be built in the Siemens Mobility factory, which will employ up to 700 people in engineering and manufacturing roles, 250 in construction and 1,700 in the broader supply chain. TfL’s contract has been a key catalyst for Siemens Mobility to progress their multi-million-pound investment in the facility in Goole, creating thousands of UK jobs - a prime example of just how important investment in TfL is to jobs and the UK's economy as a whole.
The state-of-the-art Tube trains will significantly improve the Piccadilly line by boosting its capacity by ten per cent, being greener and more reliable.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Visiting this Yorkshire factory and the state-of-the-art Piccadilly Line trains being built, it is clear how strong London’s relationships with our regional suppliers are – demonstrating just how vital skills and expertise around the country is to London’s success and how investment in TfL is vital to jobs and a UK wide recovery.
“Without sufficient capital investment in TfL, future contracts with Siemens and other regional suppliers are at risk. The best way to secure these highly skilled jobs into the future is for ministers to break the continuous cycle of short-term funding deals handed to TfL which only holds back London and the rest of the country from innovation, jobs and economic growth.
"When London succeeds, the country succeeds and vice versa. This week the Government has the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to levelling up and deliver the capital funding TfL and its supply chain need – without it, both London and the wider country will be held back.”
Andrew Percy, MP for Goole said: "It is great to welcome the Mayor of London to Goole where he will be able to feel the real buzz the Siemens development is generating in Goole. It also demonstrates the interconnectivity of investment decisions across the country.
"Investing in London's transport system is not only of benefit to Londoners and those who visit and do business in our capital city, it is also supporting thousands of jobs across the North and bringing hundreds of millions of pounds of investment to Goole. It is levelling-up in action.
"Londoners will be able to travel on the Piccadilly Line safe in the knowledge that their train was built by the finest folk in the finest part of the North of England!"
Sambit Banerjee, Managing Director, Rolling Stock & Customer Services, Siemens Mobility Limited said: “We’re very proud to be building London’s newest tube trains right here in Yorkshire.
“The investment in the new Piccadilly line trains is helping us establish Goole as a centre of excellence for UK rail, creating up to 700 new jobs, including local apprentices and graduate trainees, and growing our large UK supply chain.
“We also want to build the next generation of Britain’s mainline trains here in Yorkshire, alongside new Bakerloo, Central and Waterloo & City line trains, subject to funding being confirmed.”
Pictured is Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Goole MP Andrew Percy and other dignitaries at the site this morning.
Full coverage in this Thursday's Goole Times.