Bombardier to supply and maintain 180 AVENTRA vehicles for London Overground

The contract, valued at approximately £358 million, includes the design, manufacture, commissioning and entry into service of 180 vehicles alongside a 35-year servicing agreement. The contract also allows for a further 24 trains to be manufactured and the service agreement to be extended by an additional 5 years.

Bombardier will supply a 20-metre long version of the AVENTRA EMU platform with 31 four-car trains going into operation on West Anglia routes from London Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford, and between Romford and Upminster. The remaining manufactured trains will enter service on current London Overground routes including the proposed electrified line from Gospel Oak to Barking, due for completion in 2018, and the Euston to Watford route.

The new trains will incorporate existing features found on London Overground services including walk-through carriages, air-conditioning and heightened accessibility. Additionally, the new trains have been optimised to reduce energy consumption and maintenance costs and improve reliability. The new trains will also be lighter than their predecessor.

Per Allmer, President, Western Europe, Middle East and Africa, Bombardier Transportation, said: “These important contracts demonstrate TfL’s continued confidence in our ability to provide high quality transportation products and services. We look forward to not only delivering these new trains for TfL, but also providing ongoing maintenance and technical support.”

Mike Brown MVO, Managing Director of London Rail, added: “These 45 new trains will significantly improve the comfort, reliability and overall quality of train services for our customers. Some of the trains we have inherited along the West Anglia route are over 30 years old and have not been in use for some time.  We’re now working hard to overhaul these trains to make them more reliable until the new trains come into service from 2018.

“Ordering new trains for the Gospel Oak to Barking line and West Anglia route together, as well as including a provision to order more trains should passenger demand warrant additional capacity, ensures that we get best value for money for our customers.”

The AVENTRA EMUs will be built in Derby, UK and are proposed to enter service between December 2017 and October 2018.