£2bn HS2 trains deal for Hitachi Rail and Alstom
AJOINT venture between manufacturing giants Hitachi Rail and Alstom has won the £2 billion contract to build trains to be used on the new HS2 high-speed rail line.
A fleet of 54 trains capable of hitting 225mph will be built and used on the first two phases of the line between Crewe, Birmingham, Solihull and London, which is due to open in the next decade.
It will provide a major boost for the Midlands region as the trains will be manufactured at the Alstom plant in Derby as well as at Hitachi Rail in County Durham, supporting around 2,500 jobs and generating economic benefits of £157 million per year.
All the bogies, which house the wheelsets, will both be assembled and maintained at Alstom’s facility in Crewe – the first time since 2004 that both jobs have been done in the UK.
Each train will be around 200 metres long, with the option to couple two units together to create a 400-metre long train with up to 1,100 seats, and be capable of running on the existing rail network to destinations
such as the North-West and Glasgow.
The first train is expected to roll off the production line in around 2027 and, following testing and commissioning, passengers are due to be carried on the first phase of the line between 2029 and 2033.
The fully electric trains will build on the latest technology from the Japanese Shinkansen ‘bullet train’ and European high-speed network.
The joint venture will also maintain the trains at the new rolling
stock depot in Washwood Heath.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “This announcement places Britain firmly at the forefront of the high-speed rail revolution with these state-of-the-art trains serving communities right across the country from London to Glasgow.
“This is another landmark step in the delivery of HS2 which will open up new employment and leisure opportunities for millions of people, levelling up opportunity for generations to come.”
HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston added: “The trains will transform rail travel, offering passengers unparalleled levels of reliability, speed and comfort and help in the fight against climate change.
“I’d like to congratulate Alstom and Hitachi and I look forward to working with them as together we bring these exciting new trains to passengers across the UK.”
Andrew Barr, group chief executive of Hitachi Rail, said: “We are excited to be pioneering the next generation of high-speed rail in the UK as part of our joint venture with Alstom.
“This British-built bullet train will be the fastest in Europe and I am proud of the role that Hitachi will play in helping to improve mobility in the UK through this project.”
Nick Crossfield, Alstom’s managing director for UK and Ireland, said: “HS2 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform Britain by building a sustainable transport system fit for the 21st century.
“I am delighted that Alstom’s joint venture with Hitachi Rail has been selected to develop, build and maintain in Britain the next generation of high-speed trains.”