£230m TPE order
Locomotive-hauled trains to return to TransPennine Express in 2018 as part of new train order.
TRANSPENNINE Express ordered 125 brand new vehicles on May 23, made up of 12 five-car electric multiple units and 13 sets of fivecar carriages.
The vehicles will be built by Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles (CAF) at its Beasain factory in northern Spain. TPE said that no UK manufacturer took part in the competitive tender process.
The £230 million deal will mean the permanent return of locomotive-hauled trains to transPennine routes, with Class 68s hauling Mk 5 carriages between Liverpool and Newcastle.
Eversholt Rail Group will fund the EMUs, while Beacon Rail will finance the locomotive-hauled coaching stock (LHCS). Class 68s leased from Direct Rail Services will haul the LHCS, with TPE revealing that most of the ‘68s’ that will be used are already in the UK. TPE is the third train operating company to lease the locomotives, following Chiltern Railways and ScotRail. CR leases six and SR two.
The new fleets follow on from the AT300 deal announced in April ( RAIL 798), whereby Hitachi Rail Europe will build 19 five-car bi-mode trains for use on TPE trains to Edinburgh via the East Coast Main Line.
The LHCS sets will have 287 seats compared with the 181 on the Class 185s, while the EMUs will have 286 seats compared with the 206 fitted to the ‘350s’.
“This is great news for our customers, and we are delighted to have concluded the deals that will bring much-needed and muchwanted extra carriages across our network,” said TPE Managing Director Leo Goodwin.
“This will enable us to transform the customer experience over the life of our franchise, and our three new train fleets will form a key part of this improvement.”
Councillor Liam Robinson, who chairs the Rail North Ltd Board, said: “To support long-term economic growth and prosperity, the North needs a modern, highquality rail service connecting towns and cities.
“We need a lot more capacity with new routes and additional journey opportunities, seven days a week. Passengers want an end to overcrowding and an improved travel experience.”
The LHCS will be delivered during 2018. CAF will provide spares and technical support, and Alstom will undertake maintenance at its Longsight, Edge Hill and Polmadie depots.