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It’s been just two years since the Elizabeth line opened in London, but it’s already getting new trains. Why, you might be wondering? Essentially, the Lizzie line is getting 10 new trains to future-proof the service, allowing it to continue meeting demand throughout this decade and the 2030s.
TfL has just secured funding from the government to build a new fleet of Lizzie line trains. The transport bosses have awarded a £370 million contract to Alstom manufacturers in Derby. Alstom will be tasked with building 10 new nine-car Aventra trains and manage maintenance of them until 2046.
The purple line currently has a 70-strong fleet of Aventra trains built by Alstom, but officially say they won’t be able to keep up with demand over the next 10 years.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan was over the moon with the new trains confirmed.
‘I’m delighted that ministers have confirmed the funding for these state-of-the art trains,’ he said. ‘The transformational Elizabeth line is the fastest-growing railway in the UK, with more than 350 million journeys made on the line since its opening.
‘It is significantly helping to drive recovery from the pandemic and adding an estimated £42 billion to the UK economy.’
The new models are also going to be a massive boost to the manufacturing industry in the Midlands, helping Alstom to save thousands of jobs. It sounds like good news all round.
Lizzie might be getting more trains, but the new DLR fleet has been delayed. And did you hear that Crossrail 2, the east London answer to the Elizabeth line, just got one step closer to being built.
Did you see this west London tube station is getting a colourful revamp?
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