Shadow Rail Minister Stephen Morgan MP has called on the government to stop “burying its head in the sand” and find solutions to protect rail manufacturing jobs across the country.
Following shambolic government planning and the scaling back of rail projects, more than 10,000 jobs are at risk across Britain’s train manufacturing sector as orders dry up, with some suppliers already gone into liquidation.
At Transport Questions in the House of Commons, the Shadow Rail Minister said there are just days left for the government to agree the possible short-term solutions on the table.
Mr Morgan added that if Ministers fail to act in the coming days, the final legacy of this shambolic government will be thousands of skilled jobs lost and HS2 trains built abroad.
In 2021, Alstom in Derby secured a contract to build new trains for HS2 but due to uncertainty and delays – caused by the Government – that contract will not begin until 2026, while the factory’s current order book dries up at the end of this year, leaving hundreds of jobs at risk.
Commenting, Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan said:
“Three years ago, the government hailed the deal to manufacture HS2 trains in Britain as putting the country ‘firmly at the forefront of the high speed rail revolution’.
“Today, the jobs of the skilled people who will build those trains as well as their suppliers are at risk due to delays and shocking planning from the government.
“I’ve now again called for Ministers to agree the possible short-term solutions on the table. If they fail to act in the coming days, the final legacy of this shambolic government will be thousands of skilled jobs lost and HS2 trains built abroad.”
You can see Mr Morgan’s question to the Transport Secretary here: https://twitter.com/StephenMorganMP/status/1735322770437792052
