Bombardier awarded 1 billion pound London train contract

LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Bombardier Inc (Toronto: BBD-A.TO - news) has been awarded a contract worth around 1 billion pounds ($1.63 billion) to supply trains for the huge London Crossrail project, Britain's Department for Transport (DfT) said on Thursday.

The deal between the DfT, Transport for London and Bombardier will see the Montreal-based firm supply and maintain 65 new trains and build a new depot for Crossrail, the largest infrastructure project in Europe.

The DfT said Bombardier would build the new trains at its plant in Derby, central England, supporting 760 jobs and 80 apprenticeships.

The 15 billion pound ($24.5 billion) project, due to open in 2018, will connect Heathrow airport to the west of London to the county of Essex in the east through 42 km (26 miles) of new tunnels to ease pressure on London's crowded underground and cope with the city's projected population growth.

"The manufacture of these new trains will not only revolutionise rail travel in London, they will deliver jobs and economic growth in their birthplace in Derby and across the UK," London Mayor Boris Johnson said in a statement.