'Not much hope' for Bombardier Thameslink bid The decision in June last year to award the £1.4bn Thameslink train contract to German firm Siemens, over Derby-based train maker Bombardier, is expected to be sealed this week. Hope was raised for Derby based workers in October - when Department for Transport said it was assessing options. Is time running out? Sim Harris, managing editor of the rail industry magazine, Rail News, told Today business presenter Simon Jack that he thought there was "not a great deal of hope for the Bormbardier bid. He explained that the reason the project was running years later was "almost certainly caused by Siemens having to raise private sector money. That is a big ask for a company in the Eurozone. And he asked: "Would Bombardier be able to do any better?... As Siemens has a better credit rating that seems unlikely.