Ray of hope for staffat Bombardier plant

More than 1,400 jobs at the train-maker Bombardier's plant in Derby could be saved by a Department for Transport (DfT) contract to supply a new fleet of rolling stock.

Jobs at the factory were put at risk in June when the Government awarded a £1.4bn contract to supply new trains for the Thameslink route between Brighton and Bedford to the German train manufacturer Siemens. But if Bombardier is given the £120m contract to build 57 electric trains for the Cross Country rail franchise, the threatened plant could stay open.

In a report, the DfT said: "We anticipate that, if it proceeds, this work would be delivered largely from within the industry's UK operations and will safeguard jobs at the Bombardier works, including their design team and with the company's supply chain."

Len McCluskey, leader of the Unite union, said the contract had to be finalised quickly. "New business for Bombardier is to be welcomed but we are running out of track on this," he added. "Too much is at stake for government to do anything less than to commit to a decent future for rail manufacturing in the UK."

Last week, 200 Bombardier staff travelled to London to urge ministers not to award the Thameslink contract to Siemens. But the Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, said the decision was irreversible.