It's back to the future for last train maker as Elizabeth Line order rolls in

Alstom has secured a £430 million contract to construct ten electric trains at its Derby factory for London's Elizabeth Line, a development that preserves Britain’s last plant capable of building trains from start to finish. The award comes as the United Kingdom marks 200 years since the world’s first passenger railway opened between Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington. The Elizabeth Line has grown into the country’s busiest rail service, with around 70 trains already in operation.

The ten trains will be built at Alstom’s Derby works, a site whose history stretches back to 1876. Since privatisation in 1989 the factory has changed hands several times, with French group Alstom acquiring control in 2021. The Derby plant remains Britain’s only facility able to design and manufacture trains end-to-end, contrasting with other plants such as Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe operation in County Durham, which assembles trains from components largely produced abroad.

Andy Butters, managing director of the Derby site, said the arrangement carries symbolic weight: "It’s poetic that one of the world’s earliest locomotives has left for us to welcome the manufacturing of the country’s newest electric train." The project is part of a broader effort to sustain an end-to-end rail-manufacturing capability in Britain, a capability that the industry says is vital as demand for high-capacity, modern rolling stock remains strong.

The Elizabeth Line has become a backbone of London’s transport network since its expansion began in earnest in 2022, and the service has logged more than 600 million journeys to date. The new Derby-built trains are expected to help sustain that momentum and support future growth as the line continues to integrate with national rail services. The broader supply chain for the project includes a mix of domestic and international components, with the Derby plant playing a key role in integrating systems, testing, and final assembly.

This contract underscores a broader strategic emphasis on UK rail manufacturing capacity, particularly for full-scale production rather than just assembly. It also highlights a contrast within the sector: Derby’s ability to deliver end-to-end manufacturing stands in relief to other facilities where production is more fragmented. As Britain commemorates two centuries of passenger rail, the deal suggests a cautious optimism about sustaining high-skill, domestically anchored manufacturing in a period of evolving rail demand and continuing modernization of the country’s rail network.