CarlisleCityRMT

Sustainable Employment: The Future of UK Train Manufacturing

Between 1996 and 2009, 4,912 new vehicles have been or will be introduced into revenue earning service. This has led to a reduction in the average age of rolling stock on the UK network falling from 20.6 years old in 2000/01 to 13.5 years old in 2006/07.

Around 30% of the new vehicles were or are due to be built abroad. In comparison France and Germany manufacture virtually all their rolling stock domestically. Both Governments implicitly favour domestic manufacturers without "falling foul" of EU rules.

Between 1996 and 2006 the value of orders placed for new rolling stock with Bombardier, Siemens, Alstom and Hitachi was £4.9billion.

Since privatisation the three Rolling Stock Companies (ROSCOs) have made combined pre-tax profits of almost £2.5billion.

The billions of pounds woth of orders and the huge profits made since privatisation have not resulted in an expansion of the railway workshop sector. In fact, the reverse is true with high-skilled, high-value jobs being lost across the industry at plant including Washwood Heath, Eastleigh, Derby, Chart Leacon and Crewe. Today, the only new build plant left in the UK is at Litchurch Lane, Derby.

Demand for rail services is soaring. More passengers were carried last year on the national rail network than for 50 years. In the next 10 years passenger numbers are set to increase by 30%. this projected increase does not take into account the impact of road user charging, aviation taxes, concerns over climate change and government targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Self-evidently extra capacity will be required to meet the demand and this will include additional rolling stock.

In the past few months the Department for Transport has announced two large scale rolling stock procurement exercises: The Intercity Express Programme (IEP) and Thameslink.

The IEP will see the delivery of more than a thousand new vehicles for the East Coast and Greater Western Mainlines and the Thameslink project will also require 1100 new units. In the not too distant future the new stock for the Crossrail Project will have to be ordered and built.

Government has a responsibility to support UK manufacturing and to encourage the development of high-skilled workforces. The IEP, Thameslink and Crossrail Projects provide an ideal opportunity to revitalise the railway workshops. The new units should be manufactured and maintained in the UK.

Maintaining and developing the UK will benefit local economies and the related supply side chain and be consistent with government policy of revitalising the UK manufacturing base.