Alstom Deal to Boost Passenger Capacity on UK West Coast Route

The UK Government has reached an agreement with Alstom to begin production on a new fleet of high-speed tilting Pendolino trains and carriages on the busy West Coast Mainline.

As part of the agreement, Alstom will build 106 carriages, creating four new eleven-car trains, set to provide 7,420 additional seats on the rail route.

The new trains are set to be in full service by December 2012, with an option to procure a further 42 carriages by early 2013 to meet rising passenger demand, says the Department for Transport (DfT).

The work is in addition to an £8.8bn upgrade programme to cut journey times and deliver more frequent services, says the DfT.

The West Coast Mainline serves the busiest passenger routes in Britain; from London to Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow.

By Ozge Ibrahim