Following being awarded the eight-year East Midlands Railway contract by the DfT, Abellio UK has chosen Hitachi Rail to build a new fleet of intercity trains.
Suppliers around the country, and the East Midlands in particular, are set to benefit, Hitachi said. Its Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham train factory has worked with 65 different suppliers from the East Midlands, including multi-million-pound contracts to support skills and high quality jobs in the region.
The £400 million contract will include 33 five-carriage trains, to be regularly operated in 10-carriage formations. Hitachi said the new trains are quieter and greener, with the ability to use electric overhead lines wherever possible - taking advantage of the £1.5 billion Midland Main Line upgrade. When operating in diesel mode, particulate matter will be cut by up to 90%, said Hitachi Rail, compared to legacy High Speed Trains.
The new trains will start operating in 2022 across the main cities and towns on the Midland Main Line, including Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Chesterfield, Kettering and London St Pancras.
Based on Japanese bullet train tech, the new trains will be serviced at EMR's Etches Park depot in Derby.
“Today’s announcement will be welcomed in workshops and engineering centres across the country, thanks to our large network of UK suppliers," said Hitachi Rail UK MD Karen Boswell. "Our train factory in County Durham sources train parts from across the country, including a significant amount from the region where the new trains will run.
“Hitachi is delighted that EMR passengers will soon be receiving the very latest model of our new intercity trains, which are already proving popular and increasing satisfaction among passengers in other parts of the country.”
