Forum Topic

Is the Siemens Chippenham investment good news for Turnham Green?

It would be interesting to hear what the take of the self professed rail industry experts on this forum (some of whom actually do know something about the rail industry) is on the announcment today about Siemans investing another £100 million in their site at Chippenham which makes rail signalling technology.Although the government is currently putting a hard funding squeeze on TfL they were prepared to stump up for the new Piccadilly line much of which will be manufactured in Goole. Siemens presumably wouldn't have made such a big committment without some guarantees on future orders so what are the chances of the Piccadilly line signalling upgrade, which we are told is a pre-condition of a full service at Turnham Green, happening?

Mark Evans ● 358d6 Comments

If we hear anything about Siemens getting a contract for the Piccadilly line signalling it will be a Tory decision and not Sadiq Khan's. He is totally dependent on the Department for Transport funding the project and I think they won't want to deliver him good news in advance of the Mayoral election.After May though, the situation changes and the government can present it as their gift before an autumn general election possibly making the announcement in June. I'd be inclined to share Mark's glass-half full approach here. The cost benefit of this project must be way ahead of any of the alternatives and there is the non-monetary benefit that it will transform the first experience of public transport for a large proportion of visitors to this country.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 356d

Thank goodness its EDF building the nuclear power station and not a British company. They've lost a fortune on the job

david ward ● 356d

While I salute your glass-half-full approach towards our government, Mark, you need only look at the scrapping of HS2's northern leg to understand that their original funding of something doesn't guarantee it'll happen. I hope on this occasion I'm wrong.All that said, while Sadiq should quieten down during the pre-election period ('purdah' as was), who knows - he might just throw a Piccadilly line-flavoured bone to us Londoners!  (Absolutely not a rail industry expert, self professed or otherwise).

Mike Smith ● 357d

It's a pity it's not a British company supplying the rolling stock. The giga battery factory in Somerset hasn't been started yet. We cannot build a nuclear power station as we once did, but have to rely on the Chinese and EDF.

Nicholas Beard ● 357d

Thanks for those insights. What you say makes a lot of sense.It may be wishful thinking but I'd say a project that the government has already half funded (by agreeing to pay for the rolling stock) may be high up the queue.There is also a political consideration here. The latest polls have the Lib Dems winning the Chippenham seat which education minister Michele Donelan has abandoned for a safer on. It won't matter locally if the work is for a project in London if it is providing jobs locally. Assuming politics is driving this - we probably won't hear anything about a Piccadilly upgrade, until after the Mayoral election because they won't want Sadiq Khan to get any credit.

Mark Evans ● 357d

While it's inevitably good news for the UK rail industry as a whole, £100m to build a new factory isn't really a massive number (the new health centre is estimated to come in at £23m).That aside, and assuming a government wants to/will help, the time spent to make signalling work is in the planning. The supposed 'full benefit realisation' from the £5.4bn LU 4LM investment (trains too) took something like eight years to deliver, so we're a long way off.While LU are undoubtedly a big customer, Siemens don't do bad from other train operating companies.I think the transfer at Hammersmith or Barons will continue until many of us have retired (or moved to Worthing!).

Mike Smith ● 358d