UK operator TransPennine Express (TPE) is planning to invest more than £230m in 25 five-carriage trains to operate on all InterCity routes across the North and into Scotland by 2019.
The proposed investment will see the addition of 12 Civity UK InterCity electric trains and 13 InterCity carriages, which will be financed by Eversholt Rail and Beacon Rail.
Spanish manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) has secured contracts to supply and maintain the trains, which will operate at speeds of up to 125mph.
CAF UK and Ireland business development director Richard Garner said: "Following on from CAF’s recent order for the supply of 281 passenger carriages to Arriva Rail North, this order reinforces CAF’s presence in Northern England.
"These new contracts further support the economy of the Northern powerhouse, including the creation of 50 new jobs. CAF will invest in a new central logistics hub and as an established supplier into the UK market. CAF now has a solid economic basis for further increasing its footprint in the UK."
The Civity UK electric trains will be operated between Manchester and Liverpool, travelling to Glasgow and Edinburgh. The InterCity carriages will initially be run between Liverpool and Newcastle, pulled by Direct Rail Services’ leased Beacon’s Class 68 diesel locomotives.
Both fleets will have Wi-Fi and media servers, advanced on-board customer information, modern interiors with spacious seating, air conditioning, and power sockets.
Image: Eversholt Rail will finance 12 five-car Civity UK InterCity electric trains for TransPennine Express. Photo: courtesy of Eversholt Rail (UK).
