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Comment... August 2011

‘When’ is now the operative word, as it looks like Britain’s last train building factory at Derby is to close.

The Bombardier (a Canadian company) factory at Litchurch Lane was pegging its hopes for survival on winning a contract to build new Thameslink trains, which the Government has awarded to Siemens in Germany. Needless to say the Government is blaming the previous Government and its acceptance of EU procurement rules, meaning that the Derby bid didn’t provide value for money (If the railways are indeed privatised then why is the Government even ordering trains instead of the actual train operators?). Singularly, against this one contract, perhaps Derby didn’t give a good bid, but Derby is the last bastion of train building expertise that we have. It’s not just the thousands of job losses looming in Derby but the supply chain of micro rail-led industries around it, right down to the sandwich shop around the corner.

So the taxpayer may get a better deal on some new trains by having them built in Europe, but it could cost the taxpayer more in benefit payments to those who have lost their jobs. Imagine Japan letting any other country build its trains, although one hope is that Hitachi is looking possibly at some train building in North East England.

Our nation invented trains and gave them to the world – and now we can’t even build them any more.

Staying with railways, Theresa Villiers MP, the Minister of State for Railways, was generous in her praise for the work of the railway heritage industry at a reception sponsored by the Heritage Railway Association (HRA) in the House of Commons in June.

She highlighted the excellent work of heritage railways, saying that “not only do they support their local communities financially, they are also superb tourist attractions in their own right”. She had special praise for the role of volunteers – “an excellent example of the ‘Big Society’ in action”.

This was the first occasion that HRA members had been given the opportunity to meet their local MPs at an event in Parliament – “a showcase for an industry which employs 2000 people directly, engages a further 18,000 volunteers, carries 6.8 million passengers on 15 million passenger journeys, has a turnover of £84 million and contributes a staggering £579 million to the national and regional economy”.

Road steam-wise, we thankfully have a raft of smaller engineering specialist workshops around the UK – producing excellent boiler work and much else besides – and steam rallies, in the main run by volunteers running events that raise millions of pounds for charitable causes – another example of ‘Big Society’ in action, as are industrial museums, pumping stations and a myriad other heritage attractions.

Road steam also has friends in high places; Fowler and Sentinel owner Robert Goodwill MP and Mike Penning MP, the latter trying to seek a derogation from weekly rest requirements for drivers of traction engines on low loaders.

The railway figures given above are impressive. So how about it NTET? What is the value of hundreds of steam rallies to their local economies? How many people are employed in support services of engineering/transport/coal etc. In short, what is the value of road steam to the economy? We should have our own impressive list of facts and figures to hand, either for when we need to or, heaven forbid, if we ever HAVE to.

Colin Tyson
Editor