A new fleet of British-designed and built battery electric trains has been announced, promising thousands of new jobs, faster and more reliable rail service, and significant reductions in carbon emissions across northern England.
Often the butt of jokes for its frequent delays and confusing ticketing practices, the British rail system is set to receive a significant upgrade thanks to a broader series of transit contracts totaling more than €1.2 billion. Those upgrades will see Alstom and TransPennine Express will deploy 29 fully electric Adessia Stream electric trains, which will be the first of their kind to be put to work on long-distance mainline journeys in the UK when they go into service in 2034.
“This agreement is a landmark moment for Britain’s railway, and we couldn’t be prouder that the country’s first mainline battery-electric trains will be designed and built in Britain,” said Rob Whyte, Managing Director UK at Alstom. “The fleet will transform journeys across northern England while showcasing the very best of British engineering, innovation and advanced manufacturing.”
The British government says the new fleet of trains, which will be built in Derby, will support more than 6,000 permanent jobs across the UK. The focus, however, isn’t the jobs – it’s the rail service, itself.
“I’ve lost count of the number of times someone has stopped me to tell me about the train that never came. And when that happens, it means missed shifts, missed appointments and missed opportunities,” British PM Andy Burnham told The Guardian. “Today that starts to change. These 29 new trains will bring faster, more reliable journeys to the north, and thousands of British jobs for the next generation.”
More than a rendering
Despite the fact that these trains aren’t expected to enter service until 2034, this story isn’t about something that’s just a rendering of some far-off technology. TransPennine Express has been testing battery-electric locomotives on its intercity trains since 2024. In that trial, the company replaced one of the diesel engines in a Class 802 Nova 1 train with a battery-electric system developed by Hitachi.
The new trains, developed by Alstom, will take that concept considerably further in becoming Britain’s first mainline fleet designed to operate primarily on battery power while operate at speeds of up to 110 mph. The trains will provide “around” 300 seats per train, including a comfortable First Class area with catering and dining facilities that promises to make the British rail a generally more enjoyable experience than it is now.
Also: it would be nice if we could have more reliable high-speed electric rail in the US, but we have fake subways that don’t work instead.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Alstom, Transpennine Express.
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