Express trains

Bombardier Transportation has signed a £173m order for a new line of high-speed trains that will run on the Stansted Express route from 2011.

The high-speed rail line between London and Stansted will receive funding from the Department for Transport as part of a plan to increase railway capacity and create jobs.

The effort will allow National Express East Anglia (NXEA) to increase its fleet by 188 carriages, 120 of which will be newly built by Bombardier.

Bombardier will build 30 four-car Bombardier Electrostar Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) trains that are designed for service speeds up to 160km/h – equal to the capability of the Heathrow Express.

The Electrostar fleet, which will be delivered between March and June 2011, will replace the older Class 317 line of trains.

Bombardier will maintain the fleet for three years using the operator’s maintenance depot at Ilford.

Bombardier’s Derby site will be responsible for the vehicle manufacture, project management, engineering and testing.