On Wednesday (6 December) city and business leaders and Alstom workers travelled to London to urgently lobby Parliament in a bid to persuade the Government to safeguard hundreds of jobs at Alstom's Derby train manufacturing plant from being lost - in what could be a matter of weeks.

Dame Margaret Beckett MP for Derby South opened the proceedings in Westminster to the cross-party Derby delegation with the discussion being chaired by Councillor Baggy Shanker, Leader of Derby City Council. The group heard words of support and backing from a number of local MPs and peers, including; Heather Wheeler, MP for South Derbyshire, Amanda Solloway MP for Derby North Nigel Mills, MP for Amber Valley and Baron McLoughlin, previously MP for Derbyshire Dales.

MPs from further afield also expressed their support for the Alstom site, including Stephen Morgan, Shadow Rail Minister, and MP for Portsmouth South. who pledged his support to the workers, talking about his recent visit to the Litchurch Lane site last week and the urgency to act quickly.

Leader of Derby City Council, Councillor Baggy Shanker, who led Wednesday’s lobby at the Houses of Parliament, said:

We’re in Westminster today, alongside key city partners, to speak with MPs and Ministers to urge them to take action to save rolling stock manufacturing in the city.

The consequences of failing to act now would be disastrous for Derby, for the UK rail industry and for the thousands of people who rely on it for their livelihoods. We must act now to save the Litchurch Lane site, which has been creating trains for over 150 years in Derby, whilst securing the continuation of rail manufacturing in the UK.

The future of Alstom hangs in the balance over the next couple of weeks, and the city and business leaders are determined to do everything we can to save this vital site. We will continue to call on Government to take quick and immediate action to safeguard the jobs of hundreds of people and to secure the long-term future of rolling stock creation in Derby.

I want to thank everyone who has come together today to support Alstom, its workers and the city.

The group met following the House of Commons Transport Select Committee, where Alstom Managing Director, Nick Crossfield, shared the news that the business only has six weeks of immediate work left, until planned new tenders later in 2024.

Nick Crossfield, Managing Director of Alstom UK, said:

We are very grateful for the support of Derby’s cross-party politicians, business leaders, and of course the trades unions and our staff in coming to Parliament yesterday. It’s testament to the importance of Litchurch Lane to Derby, to the wider East Midlands and to Britain’s rail industry.

The group then heard from Baron Woodley, Former Joint-General Secretary of Unite, Paresh Patel, Unite Regional Secretary for the East Midlands and Andy Shaw, Unite Regional Officer about future-proofing the site and safeguarding skilled jobs.

John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, said:

The Bondholder business community of Derby stands in full support of Alstom and its suppliers. The short-term threat is real – and we must protect those thousands of jobs. We’ve been here before – and we need an industrial strategy that puts the rail sector at its heart.

Derby councillors from all parties have worked together to support Alstom and its workers during this uncertain time.

Councillor Jonathan Smale, Conservative Councillor for Spondon, said:

Alstom is a vital asset to our local heritage, culture, and the economy of Derby - it is truly a part of the beating heart of our city. The strength and significance of this are felt across party lines, and the unity of all political groups in Derby reflects how crucial these jobs are to us. We encourage the government to expedite any contracts to help fill the gap in the work order, thereby protecting the livelihoods of the many thousands who work for Alstom.

Derby City Council will be continuing to explore potential resolutions with Alstom over the crucial coming weeks for the business.