Bombardier celebrates major milestone in delivery to London Underground

• The 1000th Sub-Surface line rail car comes off the production line
• Passengers praise award-winning design of new air-conditioned trains
• At least four trains leave the factory each month

Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation today celebrated the production of the 1,000th Sub-Surface line (SSL) car for London Underground at its factory in Derby. Bombardier is the UK’s leading train manufacturer and its Derby site has delivered, or has on order, 60% of the UK’s fleet of trains. Bombardier is unique in the UK in that it designs, engineers, manufactures and maintains trains locally.

Recent and current orders include iconic tube trains for the Victoria Line, new trains for London Overground and Southern Railway, as well as the trains currently being produced for the Sub-Surface lines of London Underground. The Sub-Surface network, which includes the Metropolitan, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines, covers 40% of London Underground’s network.

The new SSL trains are the first air-conditioned trains to operate on London Underground and were described by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, as “the coolest ride in town”. Their award-winning design, featuring open gangways enabling visibility throughout, has been hailed by passengers as transformational.

The 1,000 SSL cars are gradually replacing fleets on Sub-Surface lines. Laid end to end, the cars would create a tube train stretching over 10 miles, just under the distance between Wembley Stadium and the Tower of London. The new trains are being built over a period of five years with at least four trains leaving the factory each month.

In 2014, the factory in Derby will celebrate its 175th anniversary producing trains for the UK. Bombardier has invested heavily in the creation of cutting edge manufacturing and R&D facilities, housed in the original Victorian brick sheds built during the age of steam. In addition, the company continues to recruit new engineering talent to complement the team of 350 engineers in its Derby-based centre of excellence, dedicated to designing and developing new trains for the UK.