DERBY’S Litchurch Lane works, now part of the Alstom empire following completion of a merger in 2021 with Bombardier, could see around 1300 workers trimmed from its workforce in spring.
With no further new train orders beyond the current Class 701 build for South
Western Railway, which should be completed by April, the company has entered consultations with its workforce over redundancies. The indications are that up to 550 permanent and 780 temporary jobs are at risk.
The number of job losses is expected to be ultimately higher because of the wider impact on Alstom’s supply chain partners. Just four years ago, Bombardier took on 400 additional staff to work on new trains for Greater Anglia, SWR and West Midlands Trains.
With the news coming just before Christmas, it is a bitter blow to the workforce, and also highlights the boom and bust cycle of rolling stock production.