Alstom's Derby-built Class 345 Aventra Elizabeth line train enters passenger service in London; first of ten trains boosts Elizabeth line capacity

Alstom’s Derby-built Class 345 Aventra Elizabeth line train enters passenger service in London; first of ten trains boosts Elizabeth line capacity

First of ten new Alstom Aventra trains for the Elizabeth line enters passenger service in the UK | Alstom

First of ten new Alstom Aventra trains for the Elizabeth line enters passenger service in the UK

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Derby-built Class 345 Aventra No. 345071 began serving passengers on Friday 28 August (Copyright – Transport for London)

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Derby-built trains will support increasing passenger demand on the UK’s single busiest railway service

Class 345 No. 345071 began serving passengers on London’s Elizabeth line on Friday 28 August

1 September 2026 – The first of ten new Derby-built Class 345 Aventra Elizabeth line trains has begun passenger service in London, following an extensive period of testing on the mainline railway by Alstom, Transport for London and the operator GTS.

The new trains , delivered with Government funding, will support increased passenger demand, including at High Speed Two’s (HS2’s) Old Oak Common railway station when it opens.

“Seeing the first of the additional ten Elizabeth line units enter passenger service is a special moment for everyone involved at our Derby site – as well as all those across the country involved in their creation.”

The electric multiple units (EMUs) are being built at Alstom’s historic Derby Litchurch Lane Works, with the train manufacturer’s supply chain supporting almost 40 companies across the UK – totalling more than 1,000 employees.

Each nine-carriage Elizabeth line train contains five miles of welding, 50 miles of cabling, and more than 47,700 screws and 31,700 bolts.

“Seeing the first of the additional ten Elizabeth line units enter passenger service is a special moment for everyone involved at our Derby site – as well as all those across the country involved in their creation,” said Nimesh Tailor, Project Director Elizabeth line + at Alstom.

He added: “I am incredibly proud of what the team in Derby has achieved, and know their commitment to deliver the remaining nine trains will continue with the same rigour, passion and dedication. This milestone once again demonstrates Derby’s capability to deliver complex and high-quality rolling stock projects that benefit passengers and local economies across the UK and around the world.”

Class 345 Aventra No. 345071 was accepted by the customer on Tuesday 25 August and began passenger service on Friday 28 August.

Celebrating its 150th birthday this year, Derby Litchurch Lane Works is Alstom’s largest global facility, and the UK’s only train factory able to design, engineer, build and test trains for domestic and export markets.

The site delivered more than 2,660 Aventra carriages for UK train operators between 2017 and 2024. Following Aventra’s success, Litchurch Lane is now a Centre of Excellence and Alstom’s global hub for the new-generation Adessia train platform.

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Derby-built Class 345 Aventra Elizabeth line trains

Project Director Elizabeth line + at Alstom