Hundreds of jobs, faster tube journeys and regional growth will be delivered as a new rail manufacturing plant officially opened today.
The Transport Secretary attended Siemens’ Rail Village in Goole, East Yorkshire, to celebrate the formal opening of its new £200 million site.
The plant will be home to hundreds of high-skilled jobs where almost 100 new Piccadilly Line trains will be manufactured and assembled.
In a further boost to the region, Siemens Mobility is also announcing up to a further £40 million towards a new Bogie Assembly and Service Centre at the site which will create up to 200 extra jobs.
The hub has been made possible by the government’s funding settlements with Transport for London (TfL).
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."
The new Piccadilly Line trains are expected to start serving the London Underground network next year, including extra services for passengers and increased capacity. They will also be fully air-conditioned and more accessible.
Sambit Banerjee, Joint CEO at Siemens Mobility 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.
"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."