Bombardier given Cross Country hope
Troubled trainmaker Bombardier could be thrown a potential lifeline if it lands a government contract to upgrade 57 Cross Country trains.
It was thought that up to 1,400 jobs at the manufacturer's Derby site could be axed after it failed to secure the government's lucrative £1.4bn Thameslink contract, which was instead handed to German company Siemens.
Reports over the weekend now suggest the company could be rescued by a contract to upgrade 57 trains on a line which runs from Penzance from Aberdeen. The contract is rumoured to be worth up to £120m.
Through the contract, the existing fleet of diesel Cross Country Voyagers would be upgraded to feature electric carriages.
Len McCluskey, leader of the Unite union which represents the workforce, told reporters: "New business for Bombardier is to be welcomed but we are running out of track on this. The people of Derby and the 10,000 workers supported by Bombardier need certainties, not ifs and buts and possible projects."
Bombardier has yet to comment on the speculation.
