Rail replacement

News

UK Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon has announced the biggest investment in Intercity trains for a generation.

Agility Trains has been selected as the preferred bidder for a £7.5bn contract to build and maintain a fleet of new Hitachi Super Express trains for the Great Western and East Coast Main lines. These will replace existing high-speed trains that are 20-30 years old.

Agility - a British-led consortium comprising of John Laing, Hitachi and Barclays - will make a significant investment as part of the contract. To build the trains, Hitachi, Agility Trains’ principal supplier, will establish a rolling stock manufacturing facility in the UK.

From feasibility studies to date, a shortlist of three suitable sites, located in Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire, Sheffield and Gateshead, has been drawn up, with all locations under active consideration.

The Hitachi Super Express fleet will comprise full electric, bi-mode and hybrid trains configured in 10 and five coach formations (26m coaches) delivering over 1m additional seats per year on the East Coast Main Line alone. Trains will be serviced, maintained and cleaned around the UK at five new train maintenance centres and several upgraded existing facilities.

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