SHADOW Rail Minister Tan Dhesi has visited a Wiltshire company to find out what it’s like to drive a Crossrail Elizabeth Line train.

The 60-mile-long railway – London’s latest transport link - opened to the public on May 24 after taking 23 years to construct and cost £18.9 billion.

During his visit to Siemens Mobility in Chippenham on August 5, Mr Dhesi was introduced to apprentices and given a tour of the facility which developed signalling for London’s new railway.

The new line has already been a major boost for commuters and leisure travellers, with Dhesi’s Slough constituents directly benefiting from faster journeys into Central London and beyond.

Siemens Mobility’s Chippenham site has been a crucial hub for the Elizabeth Line, welcoming the different suppliers involved in the project to plan and deliver the railway’s pioneering signalling system, with the company’s site in Ashby, Leicestershire, delivering the station and railway control.

During his visit, Dhesi drove an Elizabeth Line train in an in-cabin simulator, spoke to apprentices working on-site, and explored the company’s offerings which can touch every part of a passenger’s journey.

The visit was part of RIA’s parliamentary Rail Fellowship Programme, which matches politicians to rail sites relevant to their brief or in their constituency and gives them a hands-on experience of what goes on in the sector day-to-day.

Mr Dhesi said: “I have spoken many times about the benefits Crossrail is delivering for passengers in my constituency of Slough and beyond.

“Today, I was lucky enough to get the immersive experience of Crossrail behind the scenes, meeting the workers who made it happen, and making my debut behind the wheel.

“Thank you to the railway workers at Siemens Mobility for all their hard work on this transformative project, and to RIA for organising the visit as part of their Rail Fellowship Programme.”

Darren Caplan, chief executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “It’s great that the Shadow Rail Minister, Tan Dhesi, has been able to visit Siemens Mobility’s Chippenham site, as part of the RIA Rail Fellowship Programme.

“Siemens has been a crucial supplier in helping to deliver the huge benefits of the Elizabeth line to Slough and the South East.”

Rob Morris, managing director, Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, said: “It was really great to meet with Tan and RIA to demonstrate our investment in the technology, people, skills and supply chain in the UK to help deliver transformative projects such as the Elizabeth Line.”