As Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Thameslink, Matthew has welcomed a Written Ministerial Statement announcing that a consortium led by Siemens Plc will be the preferred bidder for the new fleet of electric trains required for the Thameslink programme.
The announcement is a milestone in the £6 billion investment - which includes major improvements to central London stations such as Blackfriars, Faringdon and London Bridge - will deliver a major boost to the economy, with a new generation of electric commuter trains operating at up to 24 trains per hour during the morning and evening peaks. The new fleet of trains, comprising some 1200 carriages, will double the capacity of the Thameslink core central London route and this will provide a direct benefit for commuters who use the stations of Mill Hill Broadway and Hendon.
Matthew said, “This announcement marks an important step forward in the completion of the Thameslink programme, which the Government has committed to completing to its original scope in spite of the fiscal mess inherited from Labour. It is, of course, regrettable that the Thameslink trains themselves will not be built in Britain. This procurement was designed by, and initiated under, the previous Labour Government. So much for the former Prime Minister’s assertion of British jobs for British people.”