BUILDING of new trains is now starting again at Bombardier’s Derby works following a three-year lull in new-build work.

During the lull, Britain’s last train-building works has concentrated on refurbishment work.

But as the last of the re-worked trains – for London Underground’s District line – left at the end of March, the works was ramping up for full production of new trains from the autumn.

Already work has started on two orders for Electrostar electric multiple units, one an export order for South Africa, the other a new fleet for London Overground.

Also for London, work is starting on 1,400 cars for the sub-surface lines of London Underground. A new fleet for the Victoria Tube line will also be built at Derby.

Later this year work will start on the 92 Electrostar vehicles for the south of England and also on diesel Turbostars for London Midland, Chiltern and London Overground.

The order for four-car dual voltage Electrostars for the south of England has been almost doubled – 12 trains were ordered last May but an order for a further 11 was announced last month.

The Class 377 units have been commissioned by Southern on behalf of the Department for Transport, although the exact allocation between Southern and Thameslink services has yet to be finalised.

The 23 sets will be delivered in the first quarter of 2009 at a cost of around £115 million.

During its refurbishment phase, Derby worked on main line and local electric fleets for One Railway (now National Express East Anglia) which were completed last year. The final refurbished Mark 3 coaches for First Great Western were returned to the operator in February, while the last of 450 District line cars was completed at Easter.