ALSTOM bosses moved to assure 500 workers at its Eastleigh plant that a decision to stop making new trains there will not mean job losses.

Workers feared a spate of redundancies would follow the engineering giant's move to switch component manufacturing away from the Campbell Road factory.

But the company said rather than redundancies, staff would be retrained to focus on the site's other main business of restoring older rolling stock.

The decision to move manufacturing to Wolver-ton, Buckinghamshire is a direct result of a tail-off in orders for new trains.

Alstom, which built giant liner Queen Mary 2, has endured a turbulent year as it struggles to cope with massive debts of £3.4bn. The EU has agreed to a refinancing package if the company sheds 10 per cent of non-core business.

The Eastleigh depot has already suffered, with 90 jobs recently shed and a four-day week brought in at one point. Union leaders hope such events remain in the past.

TGWU regional officer Colin Lumber said: "We are not going to buy into any package that results in redundancies. We are committed to the future of the Eastleigh works as well."

A spokesman said: "Alstom Transport UK has been reorganising its activities to reflect the fact that it is no longer in rolling stock new build but addressing the maintenance and renovation market.