£1.4bn of new fleets roll out!
139 TRAINS, 985 VEHICLES
THREE train fleets costing more than a combined £500 million were formally launched by TransPennine Express at Liverpool Lime Street on November 22.
The operator’s Class 68/Mk 5As, Class 397 five-car 125mph electric multiple units and Class 802 five-car 140mph bi-mode units were shown off ahead of the December timetable change.
TPE put its Class 68/Mk 5A sets into traffic from the late August Bank Holiday weekend ( RAIL 887), while the ‘802s’ began running from October ( RAIL 889). As this issue of RAIL went to press, it was planned that ‘397s’ would enter service from November 30.
“Our vision was for Nova to represent the brightest future for rail in the North, so we are pleased to make this vision a reality for customers, colleagues and businesses who make the TransPennine Express network such a crucial part of our infrastructure here in Liverpool and across the North,” said TPE Managing Director Leo Goodwin.
The trains were built by CAF (Mk 5As and ‘397s’) and Hitachi (‘802s’). Eversholt owns the Class 397s (Nova 2) and Angel Trains the Class 802s (Nova 1), while the ‘68s’ are leased from Direct Rail Services.
They are being used to boost capacity, replacing three-car
Class 185 diesel multiple units that date from 2006-07.
Twenty-nine of the ‘185s’ are being retained by TPE to run as pairs of six-car trains on the southPennine route, while the current plan is for the remaining 22 to be sent off-lease. This is due to happen from the end of 2019, but the deadline is likely to be extended).
Goodwin said the new fleets will increase capacity by 80% on all routes.
“The new Nova 1 fleet will nearly double the number of seats available to passengers - up to 161 extra per train,” said Hitachi Rail Group CEO Andy Barr.
“These modern inter-city trains
- built incorporating bullet train technology - will make journeys across the North smoother and more reliable.”
CAF UK Director Richard Garner added: “These high-quality, highperformance trains will provide TPE customers across the north of England and Scotland with a transformed onboard experience, making a real difference to this important and busy rail network.”
Eversholt Rail Group CEO Mary Kenny said “We are delighted to see our newest fleet of trains introduced to passengers in the North. Our Nova 2 fleet will help to turn TPE’s ‘Take the North Further’ vision into reality.”
Angel Trains CEO Kevin Tribley said: “The introduction of the
Nova 1 fleet is a significant milestone which will see the Northern Powerhouse connected with new top-of-the-range trains.
“By investing in and developing trains that improve passenger experience between major cities across the North, we’re taking strides towards creating the railway of the future that modern Britain deserves.”