Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a new fleet of 29 battery-electric trains for TransPennine Express, with the Government presenting the order as a major step towards faster and more reliable rail services across the North of England.
The new Alstom Adessia Stream trains are due to be built at the company's Litchurch Lane works in Derby, supporting more than 350 jobs at the site and around 5,500 jobs across Alstom's UK supply chain.
Alstom said the contracts to supply and maintain the fleet are worth more than €1.2 billion, including a rolling-stock order valued at about €930 million.
Battery trains to replace diesel on long-distance routes
The 29 trains will be operated by TransPennine Express and are intended to work across routes upgraded as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade.
The Government says they will be the first battery-powered trains used for long-distance mainline journeys in the UK.
The fleet is designed to run electrically on electrified sections of the network and switch to battery power on stretches without overhead wires, allowing the trains to operate without diesel engines on those sections.
The trains are expected to include step-free boarding and onboard Wi-Fi.
Built in Derby
Construction work is expected to begin at Alstom's Derby plant from 2028, while Alstom says delivery of the trains is due to begin from 2032.
The Government expects the fleet to enter passenger service in 2034.
The order provides a significant boost for Alstom's Derby manufacturing operation, which has long been one of the UK's principal train-building sites.
Reuters reported that Alstom expects the programme to support more than 350 jobs in Derby and 5,500 positions across its wider UK supply chain.
Burnham: 'Today that starts to change'
Burnham said unreliable rail services had repeatedly caused problems for passengers travelling across the North.
He said the new fleet would bring faster and more reliable journeys while also supporting thousands of British jobs.
The Prime Minister described the investment as an example of the Government's plans for Great British Railways, arguing that the new structure should improve reliability and restore confidence in the rail network.
Government promises faster journeys
The Government says the wider programme of rail investment associated with the Transpennine Route Upgrade will increase capacity on northern rail networks by around 30% over the next decade.
Ministers also expect journey times to fall on key routes, including services linking Manchester, Leeds and York.
The Transpennine Route Upgrade is already electrifying and modernising the main route between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.
Previous Government plans for the project included the procurement of up to 29 new trains to replace diesel rolling stock used by TransPennine Express.
Alexander backs Great British Railways
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the order demonstrated how Great British Railways would combine improvements for passengers with support for British manufacturing.
She said passengers would ultimately be able to move away from overcrowded and delayed diesel trains towards faster electric services.
The battery capability is particularly significant because large sections of Britain's railway remain unelectrified.
Government rail policy has increasingly backed battery technology as one option for reducing diesel use on routes where full electrification has not yet been delivered.
Part of Transpennine Route Upgrade
The new fleet is being ordered alongside the continuing Transpennine Route Upgrade, one of the country's largest railway modernisation programmes.
The project is intended to provide more frequent services, additional capacity, faster journeys and greater reliability between major northern cities.
Alstom's new fleet will form part of that programme, with the first deliveries expected from 2032 before passenger service begins later in the decade.