IN BUSINESS
ATRAIN builder which has recently opened a new site in Widnes has been named as one of the firms vying to deliver Britain’s next generation of stateof-the-art high speed rail.
High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd has revealed Alstom Transport as one of five companies shortlisted to deliver a fleet of trains travelled at speeds of up to 225mph.
The firms are being are invited to tender for contracts next spring which will cover the design, build and maintenance of at least 54 trains coming into service from 2026.
The contracts will be awarded in 2019.
Alstom opened a new train modernisation facility in Halebank at the end of June which is the largest in the UK.
It has more than 13,000sq m of space and work on the first contract at the site – repainting the Virgin Pendolino trains which run on the West Coast Main Line – has started with an 80-strong workforce.
The firm would use its Widnes facility to support HS2.
Alstom UK & Ireland managing director Nick Crossfield said: “Alstom is a world leader in highspeed railways, with the widest range of highspeed trains on the market.
“We have a track record in putting passengers first and collaborating with stakeholders to deliver trains that are efficient for customers to use and transform expectations of railways around world.
“But HS2 isn’t just a new railway, it is a once in a generation opportunity to build jobs, skills and growth throughout the UK.
“Alstom is committed to using our UK base in Widnes to support the project; to train a whole new generation of appren- tices there in our academy; and to work with the UK supply chain to create a sustainable long-term legacy of growth and opportunity.”
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling recently opened the Alstom Academy For Rail also based at the Widnes site which is due to train 500 apprentices over the next five years. The first trains will roll off the production line in the early 2020s with the investment expected to create hundreds of jobs and boost Britain’s skills and expertise in the high speed rail sector.
HS2 minister Paul May- nard said: “Thousands of skilled British jobs and apprenticeships will be created by HS2, which gets a step closer as we reveal the companies shortlisted to build the high speed trains.
“HS2 will see some of the world’s fastest trains connecting our great cities across the north and Midlands, creating an economy that works for everyone.
“But announcements like this show how the benefits of HS2 will resonate far beyond the opening of the new railway. HS2’s legacy of jobs and skills is already being cre- ated.”
In total, HS2 will create around 25,000 jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships both directly in construction and also across the UK-wide supply chain.
HS2 Ltd’s managing director for railway operations Chris Rayner said: It’s great to see such a strong line up of experienced high-tech manufacturing and design talent.
“Together with the successful bidder, HS2 will deliver some of the world’s most advanced rolling stock, engineered to provide seamless, accessible, fast and reliable journeys.
“Starting from 2026, our trains will be used by tens of thousands of people every day, transforming links across the Midlands and the North and providing much-needed extra capacity between Britain’s major cities.”
A HS2 spokesman said providing a ‘ world class passenger experience’ is at the heart of the requirements for the £2.75bn contract.
The spokesman added: “The new trains will also serve destinations beyond the core HS2 network, including York, Newcastle, Liverpool, the North West, Glasgow and Edin- burgh. The new trains will be required to meet HS2’s design and performance needs and the highest standards internationally for passenger experience, noise reduction, and environmental sustainability, while maximising skills, employment and growth opportunities.
“The successful bidder will also maintain the fleet from the dedicated rolling stock depot planned for Washwood Heath in Birmingham.
“The area will also be home to the HS2 Network Control Centre, which will together create hundreds of skilled jobs.”