Bombardier and Transport for London (TlF) announced on 31 August 2006 that Bombardier Transportation has been awarded a significant contract for the provision of 152 Electrostar electric multiple unit cars plus an associated Train Services Agreement to be operated on the East London Line and North London Railway.

The contract value is approximately £223 million (331 million euro) which includes vehicle manufacture and the first 7.5 years of a Train Services Agreement for the new vehicles which may extend for up to 30 years. Delivery of the new units will commence in July 2008, with the last unit delivered in May 2009.Included within the contract are options for the manufacture of up to 196 additional cars.

The 100mph Class 376 units are specially designed for suburban operations and are part of the proven and reliable Electrostar family of products. 1,614 Electrostar cars are already in daily passenger service with three UK operators, c2c, South East Trains and Southern Railways.

The new vehicles will be manufactured at Bombardier’s production site at Derby and the servicing will be primarily delivered out of a new purpose-built maintenance facility situated at New Cross Gate in East London.

The train order will be split into two sections. Twenty-four dual-voltage three-car sets for use on the North London Railway route, and Twenty, four-car trains for the extended East London Line when it opens in 2010.

Commenting on this announcement, Colin S Walton, Chief Country Representative UK said: “Our award winning Electrostar trains are the most reliable new generation EMUs on the UK network and the Class 376 suburban vehicles have already proven themselves in the London area. The vehicle supply will be complimented by our excellent services provision, which has proved highly successful with other UK operators, winning a number of awards over the past
year. This order will help secure employment for our highly specialized workforce at Derby.”

Bombardier Transportation UK Sales Director, Matt Beeton, commented: "This important order from TfL further demonstrates the benefits and flexibility of the Electrostar family of trains. The trains’ modular design allows us to retain the longevity of the Electrostar platform for both suburban and intercity applications alike".