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Bombardier marks LU S Stock completion

Friday 18 December saw the 1395th and final carriage of the GBP1.5bn S Stock order for the London Underground (the UK’s largest rolling stock contract executed to date) presented at Bombardier’s Litchurch Lane facility in Derby (UK). The final train will undergo testing before entering service sometime in the second half of next year.

Altogether, Bombardier is supplying 191 new trains for the Metropolitan, District, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines, which make up around 40% of the network. In total, the build consisted of 58 eight-car S8 units for the Metropolitan line and 133 seven-car S7 units for the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson MP, said: “These fantastic, air-conditioned trains are playing a vital role in ongoing modernisation of key London Underground lines. It’s no wonder they’ve proven so popular with passengers as they keep them cooler, offer more space and are far more accessible. Their production at Bombardier in Derby is helping to support crucial jobs in manufacturing and I’m looking forward to seeing the final trains roll on to the tracks next year.”

London Underground has also praised the reliability of its modern fleet. Managing Director Nick Brown, in Derby to mark the milestone, said the S Stock trains were delivering 110 000km between service failures, adding: “Our new trains have proved an instant hit and it’s easy to see why. LU’s successful relationship with Bombardier creates thousands of jobs in the UK and is providing superb new services for our customers.”