Bombardier boosted by £188m deal - graduate jobs

Engineering graduates might be alerted to the fact that Bombardier, the train-maker which recently lost a high-profile order to a German firm, has won a new £188 million deal.

The UK train-maker, which was forced to announce hundreds of job losses after losing the Thameslink deal, will build 130 new rail carriages for Southern.

While current staff at the firm will be hoping that the new business saves their roles, there are also likely to be plenty of university leavers watching carefully in case any new positions become available.

The Department for Transport, which was heavily criticised for preferring Siemens to Derby-based Bombardier for the Thameslink deal, is putting forward £80 million for the new contract.

It is hoped that the new carriages will be able to begin service in December 2013.

The row over the Thameslink contract battle between Siemens and Bombardier has subsequently prompted the Government to examine future rail procurement procedures.

And the Government funding for the Southern deal was made available after Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement last month.

Derby North MP Chris Williamson explained that the deal was "extremely good news".

He told the Derby Telegraph: "There is a strong likelihood that this will secure the company's future in Derby for the next 12 to 18 months."