Derby Litchurch Lane Works
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railway rolling stock manufacturing |
| Founded | 1840 |
| Founder | Matthew Kirtley |
| Headquarters | Derby , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
| Products | Railway rolling stock |
| Owner | Alstom |
Number of employees | 1,900 (approximate, inferred from job losses and hires) |
| Parent | Alstom |
Derby Litchurch Lane Works, previously known as Derby Carriage and Wagon Works, is a factory specializing in railway rolling stock located in Derby, Derbyshire, England, and is currently owned by the global transport manufacturer Alstom.
The facility commenced rolling stock production in the mid-1840s for the Midland Railway under the guidance of Matthew Kirtley, the inaugural superintendent of locomotives and carriages. Growth of the site led to its division in 1873 into the Midland Railway Locomotive Works and the separate Carriage and Wagon Works. During the 1910s, manufacturing processes were modernized to minimize labor hours, and the works contributed to British military production during First World War. In 1923, the Midland Railway, along with its Derby works, was incorporated into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.
Throughout Second World War, the Derby facility shifted to producing aircraft components. Following nationalisation in 1948 under British Railways, it became the main rolling stock manufacturing site for the London Midland Region. On 1 January 1970, control passed to British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL), which renamed it Derby Litchurch Lane Works. BREL was privatised in 1989 and subsequently acquired by Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) in 1992. The 1990s saw the production of Turbostar diesel multiple units (DMUs) and Electrostar electric multiple units (EMUs). In 2001, the works became part of Bombardier Transportation.
After Alstom's Washwood Heath plant closed in 2005, Derby became the only passenger rolling stock manufacturer remaining in the UK. In mid-2011, Bombardier reduced its workforce at Derby from 3,000 by 1,400 jobs but reversed this trend in November 2019 by adding 400 positions following significant contract wins. In January 2021, Alstom acquired Bombardier Transportation, including the Derby facility. Early in 2024, Alstom appealed to the UK government to place orders for a minimum of ten trains to prevent approximately 1,300 job losses and maintain manufacturing capabilities; these orders were confirmed in June. In August 2025, Litchurch Lane hosted The Greatest Gathering exhibition showcasing rolling stock.
Midland Railway (1876–1923)
Railway manufacturing at Derby began in 1840 when engine sheds were established by the North Midland Railway, Midland Counties Railway, and Birmingham and Derby Railway at Tri Junct Station. Following their merger into the Midland Railway in 1844, locomotive and carriage superintendent Matthew Kirtley championed producing rolling stock internally rather than purchasing from external suppliers.
By the 1860s, expansion prompted a reorganisation completed in 1873 that divided the site into two parts: Midland Railway Locomotive Works ("The Loco") and a newly constructed Carriage and Wagon Works located off Litchurch Lane ("Carriage and Wagon"), finished in 1876 under Samuel Waite Johnson and Thomas Gethin Clayton. Clayton designed this facility with capacity for vehicles up to long, anticipating longer carriages such as recently acquired Pullman cars.
Production kicked off in 1873 with carriages assembled from Pullman kits imported from Detroit. Clayton then developed coaches offering first- and third-class compartments mounted on four- or six-wheeled bogies. Initially painted claret or dark red with green locomotives, both were standardized to a crimson livery by 1883, applied through multiple layers of undercoat, topcoat, and varnish.
In 1879, the first bogie coaches were constructed for services on the Midland's Glasgow route via the Settle-Carlisle line. By 1903, under David Bain’s management, production expanded to include sleeping cars and dining coaches. In 1904, steam motor-carriages were fitted specifically for Morecambe-Heysham operations.
Around 1919, mass production methods inspired by American practices were introduced by W. R. Reid and E. J. H. Lemon, increasing output to approximately 200 wagons and ten coaches per week. The sawmill on site was Europe's largest and most advanced, seasoning over of timber drawn from nearly sixty different species.
With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, manufacturing rapidly pivoted to military requirements such as ambulance trains, army wagons, and rifle parts.
London, Midland and Scottish Railway (1923-1948)
The Midland Railway was incorporated into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923, with W. R. Reid appointed as superintendent of carriage and wagon construction. At Wolverton works, operated by the LNWR, new coaches were manufactured following Midland design principles. These featured corridor coaches equipped with individual compartment doors—referred to as "all-doors"—which remained in operation until nearly 1960, particularly on express routes between Liverpool, Newcastle, and Bristol.
By 1929, the compartment doors were replaced with fixed windows, marking a shift from all-wooden to steel panel construction. During the 1930s, under superintendent Ernest Pugson, the Works incorporated metallic arc welding techniques and introduced composite bodies combining welded steel frames with timber components assembled using standardized jigs. This period also saw the debut of open "vestibule coaches," while from 1933 onwards roofs were fabricated from steel and finished with a simplified paint scheme that enhanced exterior smoothness. By the late 1930s, fully welded steel vehicles were produced specifically for the Liverpool to Southport electric service (Class 502).
Throughout World War II, Derby works applied advanced manufacturing methods to aircraft wing production, delivering over 4,000 wings by 1945. The facility also undertook repairs on wings and fuselages for aircraft such as Hampden bombers and Lancasters, coordinating final assembly via a Nottingham-based contractor.
In the late 1930s, LMS constructed an entire Coronation Scot train for an American exhibition tour alongside a streamlined three-coach all-welded railcar. Prior to the post-war era, most all-steel carriages were sourced externally; however, after the war, Derby began producing its distinctive "porthole" stock featuring circular lavatory windows. Following nationalisation in 1948, Derby became the primary carriage works for the London Midland Region, manufacturing the inaugural Mark I all-steel carriages.
British Railways and BREL (1948–1989)
Upon nationalisation in 1948, Derby works was designated as the main rolling stock manufacturing center for British Railways' London Midland Region. The development of the steel British Railways Mark 1 carriage took place during the 1950s when the workforce exceeded 5,000 employees.
In 1953, production commenced on aluminium Derby Lightweight diesel multiple units (DMUs), which incorporated glass fibre laminate materials for their roof ends. Additionally, trailer cars were constructed for the London Transport Executive to replace aging stock on the London Underground's Piccadilly line. By 1956, Derby introduced all-steel DMUs known as Derby Heavyweights, producing more than a thousand units during that decade.
Starting in 1958, mass production focused on the Class 108 Derby Lightweights. In 1960, steel-bodied Class 107 DMUs were manufactured specifically for routes in Scotland.
On January 1, 1970, ownership of the works transferred to British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL), becoming known as Derby Litchurch Lane Works. A significant restructuring led to the cessation of wagon construction and repairs; container manufacturing ended permanently in 1979.
Amid financial challenges in 1984 and increasing global demand for cost-efficient rail vehicles, British Rail’s Research Division collaborated with British Leyland to develop the lightweight four-wheeled LEV-1 prototype. Following successful trials—including tests on the Boston and Maine Railroad in the United States—the design evolved into the Class 140, which paved the way for a series of two-car Pacer units. Approximately 150 Pacer units across various classes were produced thereafter.
BREL (1989–1992), ABB (1992–1996), Adtranz (1996–2001)
Following its privatisation in 1989, BREL commenced manufacturing the Class 158 units at the Derby facility. In 1992, ABB acquired full ownership of BREL, which was subsequently incorporated into Adtranz in 1996.
During 1993, the factory secured a contract to produce Class 482 electric multiple units (EMUs) for the Waterloo and City Line. By 1995, production had expanded to include Class 325 parcels EMUs. This timeframe was characterised by alternating phases of substantial contracts followed by periods of inactivity and workforce reductions. To maintain operations, the works engaged in refurbishing former Southern Region slam-door trains.
A pivotal contract awarded in 1997 by Chiltern Railways initiated the manufacture of the Class 168 Clubman DMU, marking the beginning of over 200 Turbostar DMUs produced between 1997 and 2012.
In the same year, a deal from Prism Rail led to the production of 44 Class 357 Electrostar EMUs. These units became the first in a series exceeding 640 Electrostar trainsets built from 1999 through 2017, establishing this model as the most widely manufactured EMU type in Britain's post-privatisation period.
Bombardier Ownership (2001–2021)
After Bombardier Transportation acquired Adtranz in 2001, the Derby works became part of Bombardier’s portfolio.
Despite a European restructuring by Bombardier that resulted in the closure of seven UK sites—including Derby Pride Park and Doncaster—the Derby plant was retained by 2004. A production lull followed completion of the Electrostar contract until a significant £3.4 billion order for over 1,700 carriages for Metronet commenced in 2008. This interval was partially mitigated by a 2006 Electrostars order for South Africa’s Gautrain project; initial units were shipped fully assembled, with subsequent vehicles assembled domestically.
Following the shutdown of Alstom’s Washwood Heath facility in 2005, Derby became the only passenger rolling stock manufacturer remaining in the UK. However, a nationwide slowdown in rolling stock orders raised questions about the future sustainability of British train manufacturing.
In 2009, Bombardier secured a contract to produce thirty Class 379 EMUs for National Express services, including Stansted Express. By mid-2011, Derby had completed EMUs for London Underground’s 2009 Stock and Class 379 models and was finalising Class 172 Turbostar DMUs. A major order comprising 192 S Stock trains for London Underground reached completion by 2017.
Facing diminishing workload in 2011, Bombardier announced plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 1,200 employees, with the Thameslink contract considered vital for maintaining operations at Derby. After Siemens won this Thameslink rolling stock contract in June 2011, Bombardier declared cuts amounting to around 1,400 jobs out of its total workforce of about 3,000 at Derby. Company executives attributed these job losses to the contract outcome necessitating a reassessment of their UK operations.
On 28 December 2011, Bombardier secured a £188 million contract to build 130 carriages for Southern services. By February 2012, employee numbers had declined to roughly 1,600. Nonetheless, subsequent contracts for Gatwick Express and Crossrail projects helped ensure the plant’s continued viability. In November 2019, Bombardier announced plans to create an additional 400 positions at Derby to support production of numerous Aventra trains destined for Greater Anglia, South Western Railway, and West Midlands Trains.
Alstom (2021–present)
In January 2021, Alstom completed the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation for €5.1 billion, incorporating the Derby facility along with rolling stock models such as the Aventra and Electrostar into its portfolio.
Later that year, in December 2021, Alstom, collaborating with Hitachi in a joint venture, secured a significant contract to produce the High Speed Two Phase One Class 895 trains, designed to operate at speeds up to . The final assembly is planned at Derby and Alstom’s Crewe plant, while initial manufacturing will take place at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe site; nevertheless, some uncertainties surrounding this contract have arisen.
At the start of 2024, Alstom appealed to the UK government to confirm orders for a minimum of ten trains to prevent the loss of 1,300 jobs and maintain essential expertise at the Derby location. By June, approval was granted for Alstom to manufacture the new fleet and manage maintenance services through 2046, although voluntary redundancies continue to be considered.