Hitachi-alstom partnership secures £1.97bn HS2 train building contract
A 50-50 joint venture between train builders Hitachi Rail and Alstom have been awarded the £1.97 billion contract to build and maintain the train fleet for the first phase of HS2, with the trains set to be built at three locations around the UK. Hitachi-alstom High Speed signed the contract in December for the 54-strong electric train fleet, with construction planned to begin in 2025. The eight-coach trains, which will be capable of operating at speeds of up to 225mph, are set to run in Phase One of HS2 between London and Birmingham, as well as parts of the existing network.
The partnership states that the fleet will be 100% electric and one of the world’s most energy-efficient very high-speed trains due to the lower train mass per passenger, aerodynamic design, regenerative power, and latest energy efficient traction technology. Work on the construction will be split between Hitachi’s plant at Newton Aycliffe, as well Alstom’s Derby factory and a new bogie manufacturing facility at Alstom Crewe. As well as construction of the fleet, the contract includes maintenance of the trains for an initial period of 12 years. The HS2 train building contract is expected to create and sustain more than 2500 jobs. A total of 505 people will be directly employed by the two companies in the Midlands and the North in the design and manufacturing phase, including 49 apprentices and graduates.
Extensive use of a UK supply chain means that a further 2000 indirect jobs are expected to be created elsewhere in the UK economy. The maintenance element of the contract for when the trains have been built will also create more than 100 new jobs at Washwood Heath in Birmingham.
Hitachi Rail CEO Andrew Barr 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.” Alstom’s UK and Ireland managing director, Nick Crossfield, 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 Europe’s fastest high-speed train.” Now that the contract has been awarded, Hitachi-alstom High Speed will work with HS2 and with HS2 operator West Coast Partnership to refine the final design of the trains.