Yorkshire to benefit from £2.7bn rail deal
YORKSHIRE is set to reap the benefits of a £2.7bn funding deal to build new state-of-the-art trains and reduce journey times.
In a deal confirmed by the Government, nearly 500 new carriages will be delivered to boost passenger services between London and Scotland which will see reduced journey times between London, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh by up to 15 minutes.
There will also be more seats on each train and improved reliability.
It has also been announced this morning that as part of the plans, Japanese manufacturer Hitachi will construct maintenance depots at sites including Doncaster.
Under the new £2.7bn contract, the new carriages will be manufactured at Hitachi Rail Europe’s purpose-built factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
The Class 800 trains will start running on the East Coast Main Line from 2018 as part of the government’s £5.7bn Intercity Express Programme (IEP).
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “We are building a world class rail system and the Intercity Express Programme is a key part of that.
“These new trains will transform rail travel between many of the great towns and cities of England and Scotland. This deal is further proof that our long-term economic plans are on track, creating jobs and breathing new life into the UK’s train-building industry.”
The contract to deliver the carriages has been agreed with Agility Trains, a consortium of Hitachi Rail Europe and John Laing.
Hitachi, which recently announced its plans to move its global rail headquarters to the UK, will also refurbish and upgrade depots across the Great Western and East Coast Main Lines.
Alistair Dormer, Hitachi Rail Global CEO of Hitachi, said: “This is an important milestone in the delivery of Class 800 series trains for the East Coast Main Line. Hitachi Rail has been working closely with the Department for Transport, train operators and passenger groups to design the new trains. We are delighted that the success of the programme to date has attracted interest by world-class financiers and we look forward to building these trains in our new manufacturing plant in County Durham.”
