Hitachi Rail has won a £350 million contract to build 23 new trains to run on the new Avanti West Coast rail service.
Avanti West Coast, run by First Group and Trenitalia, takes over the West Coast Mainline rail franchise from Virgin Trains on 8th December, however the new intercity trains are not scheduled to come into service until 2022.
The 23 new trains will operate on services between London and the North-West and North Wales, travelling up to 125 mph and will be capable of switching from electric to diesel power. Increased capacity on the new carriages will add around 25,000 new seats to the network’s capacity.
The trains will also feature free passenger Wi-Fi and at-seat USB and wireless changing points for mobile devices. The 23 trains will also be able to offer information on connecting services in real time via a new passenger information service.
Ernesto Sicilia, Trenitalia UK Managing Director, said:
We are pleased to announce this new fleet which highlights our commitment to innovation and desire to constantly improve our services.
“We are delighted to provide more efficient and modern trains which are sustainable and environmentally friendly, reducing CO2 emissions by 61%, including new comfortable seats for an improved customer experience.”
Andrew Barr, group CEO of Hitachi Rail, said:
We’re delighted to continue our excellent relationship with FirstGroup and Trenitalia, for whom we’ve delivered hundreds of trains across Italy and the UK. This new order, which will be built at our factory in the North East, is another vote of confidence in the success of our trains, which are both green and reliable.”
Hitachi has previously completed production of new trains for Great Western Railway and TransPennine Express. Both franchises are also run by First Group, which is currently under investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority as the new West Coast franchise gives the business a local monopoly on some routes in the North West.