The Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh and the Mayor of London attended the grand opening of the Goole Train Manufacturing Facility, a significant milestone for Siemens Mobility and the future of rail transportation in the region. Alongside the opening, Siemens Mobility announced a substantial investment of up to £40 million in a state-of-the-art Bogie Assembly and Service Centre, further solidifying its commitment to the region.
The new Bogie Assembly and Service Centre will incorporate and expand Siemens Mobility’s current capabilities to overhaul bogies from UK trains, including the 3,224 strong fleet of vehicles (572 trains) it maintains in the UK, and will also include new production lines for assembling bogies for new trains, a first for Siemens in the UK.
This new investment will secure around 100 existing jobs and create up to a further 200. It is due to be operational towards the end of 2026.
The investment in the new service centre in Goole, Yorkshire, comes in addition to the previously announced £200 million investment in the Goole Rail Village including the Train Manufacturing Facility. This state-of-the-art facility will play a pivotal role in producing the next generation of trains for the UK, including the highly anticipated new Piccadilly line trains for Transport for London (TfL) that will transform rail travel across the capital. In addition to this, all of Siemens’ future UK train orders including Siemens Mobility’s new battery trains will be built at Goole, which is also gearing up to serving other global markets by 2030.
Commenting on the investment, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said:
“This impressive, world-class facility will be transformational to Goole and its people, providing a boost to the region’s economy and supporting hundreds of skilled jobs.
“Its opening demonstrates the importance of high quality, long-term investment to pave the way for employment and growth.
“I know how vital rail manufacturing is to our economy, which is why we will not sit on our hands when it comes to supporting it. For too long, the cycle of boom-and-bust has held back this sector.
“That’s why I am determined to put an end to the stop-start approach to investment and provide the industry with the certainty it needs to deliver a railway that is fit for the future.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, said:
“This train manufacturing facility in Goole is a fantastic example of the expertise we don’t have and how investment in London benefits the whole country. This factory, where the new state-of-the-art Piccadilly line trains will be built, will create up to 900 direct jobs and support another 1,700 in the supply chain, delivering great benefits to the wider UK economy, showing that where London succeeds, the whole country succeeds and vice versa.”
I’m excited to continue working together with the new Government to build a better, fairer and more prosperous London, and country, for everyone.”
Sambit Banerjee, Joint CEO at Siemens Mobility, expressed his excitement about the opening and the investment’s potential to nurture the next generation of trains in Britain. He said:
“After more than a decade of tremendous dedication and hard work, we have officially opened our state-of-the-art Rail Village in Goole which is testament to our commitment to the North of England. None of this would have been possible without the brilliance, perseverance, and passion of our
people and I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved together. We’ll assemble 80% of London’s new Piccadilly line trains and all future Siemens trains for the UK including our Verve battery train here in Goole and I’m pleased that we are supporting the local supply chain in the process. Our further investment in the Bogie Assembly and Service Centre will only add to our ability to transform rail and transport for everyone, right here in Goole.”
Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner attending the event, said: “The opening of the Siemens Mobility factory in Goole marks a new stage in this transformational project. The new Piccadilly line trains that are being assembled in Goole will change the experience of millions of Tube customers every year, helping to drive growth and revitalise communities not only in the capital but across the country thanks to the supply chain. We are working with Siemens Mobility, the Mayor of London and the Government to ensure that the benefits felt from this project will continue through funding for new Bakerloo line trains to replace the existing fleet, which at more than 50 years old is the oldest operating in daily passenger service anywhere in the UK. We look forward to welcoming the first new Piccadilly line test train to London later this year and for customers to start using them when they come into service from next year.”
The establishment of the service centre marks another significant milestone in Siemens Mobility’s dedication to building in Britain and reinforces its belief in Yorkshire’s potential as a central hub for train manufacturing.
The Goole Train Manufacturing Facility, with its cutting-edge technology, highly skilled workforce, and strategic location, is already a cornerstone of the local community and the wider rail industry. It will contribute to the economic growth of the North of England and bolster the UK’s rail manufacturing capabilities.
The Goole Rail Village consists of the Train Manufacturing Facility which assembles and commissions trains, the Components Facility where Siemens maintain gearboxes, traction motors and other parts for train and tram fleets, the Logistics Centre warehousing facility and the Rail Accelerator and Innovation Solutions hub for Enterprise (RaisE) business centre, all of which will now be joined by the Bogie Assembly and Service Centre.
Siemens Mobility’s continued investment in the North reflects its commitment to supporting local communities, fostering innovation, and driving the transformation of the transportation sector.
For more information on the Goole Rail Village, please see www.siemens.co.uk/goole
Manufacturing & Engineering Magazine | The Home of Manufacturing Industry News
