British train operating company TransPennine Express (TPE) is set to introduce a second fleet of trains on routes across North West England and Scotland from early 2019.
The introduction of the new fleet forms part of the company’s overall £500m investment programme, which aims to provide a greater number of services in the region.
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The trains are being manufactured by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) in Spain and will be owned by Eversholt Rail.
TPE managing director Leo Goodwin said: “This is an exciting step towards providing brand new state-of-the-art trains, plus more seats for rail customers across the North and into Scotland.
“Once ready, these futuristic trains will be some of the most modern in the country and I’m thrilled to be overseeing such an important transformation.”
The new trains will offer an improved on-board experience to passengers, including comfortable seating, more luggage space and catering facilities.
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By GlobalDataAdditionally, the locomotives are expected to include plugs and USB points for charging, free Wi-Fi, large display screens to provide real-time journey information and on-board entertainment systems.
CAF project manager José María Muguruza said: “The trains are the 'high-speed’ variant of the Civity electric train, are capable of 125mph operation and will provide passengers with a new journey experience.”
The expansion plan will see the introduction of 12 five-carriage trains, which will enable TPE to increase its service frequency by 80% at the North’s five largest cities during peak hours of the day.
The company is also upgrading its existing fleet to ensure consistently high standards of service.
