BOMBARDIER says it cannot rule out making some employees at Chart Leacon works in Ashford compulsorily redundant, as a 90-day consultation period approaches its close.

155 jobs are to go, and just ten staff will remain on the site to maintain Class 375 units for Southeastern.

The rest of Chart Leacon’s work will be moved to Ilford and Crewe.

Bombardier said it was taking the action in order to remain competitive, and that it intended to reduce the size of the workforce through voluntary redundancies as much as possible.

A company spokesman pointed out that 27 of the staff affected were on contracts which ended this month in any case. Talks have been under way over the future of the remaining 128.

"We are looking at every possibility, including relocation or early retirement, but some compulsory redundancies cannot be ruled out. We’ll have the full picture after the 90-day consultation period ends on 26 September,” he said.

He continued: “Chart Leacon is not in the ideal place, geographically, to perform heavy overhauls, and the costs of moving rolling stock to East Kent have to be reflected in the prices we can offer. Ilford, on the other hand, is better placed on the rail network, and that’s why most overhauls are moving there. Bogie overhauls will be transferred from Chart Leacon to Crewe.”

He added that there was no intention of closing the works entirely, and that there was always the possibility of reviving Chart Leacon to cope with future peaks of work, should they occur.

The RMT union is critical of the decision, because it is likely to make many skilled rail workers jobless.

The news has come as a blow to the area, which is also the home of the Hitachi Class 395 traincare depot, because there are local plans to increase employment opportunities in the Kentish town.

Councillor Paul Bartlett, who is the leader of the Borough Council, said their thoughts were with the people affected, and that the news ‘bucked the trend’ in the town, because there has been increased interest in Ashford recently as a place for businesses.

Although the original South Eastern Railway works at Ashford finally closed in 1981, Chart Leacon dates only from 1961, when it was built by British Railways to maintain multiple units for the Kent Coast electrification scheme.