Hitachi Rail Europe has been awarded a contract from Dutch rail firm Abellio to supply the new rolling stock for Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).
Recently, Abellio won the new ten-year £6bn ScotRail franchise from Transport Scotland to operate most of the country’s trains from April 2015.
Under this contract, Hitachi Rail Europe will deliver 46 three-car and 24 four-car electric multiple units (EMUs) that will serve on the newly electrified Edinburgh-Glasgow line and the Stirling-Alloa-Dunblane lines.
After the completion of construction works, these trains will be allowed to operate on the entire network.
Hitachi Rail Europe chief operating officer Andy Barr said: "This is great news, as it is the first contract for our recently launched AT200 commuter train.
"These trains will be built at Hitachi’s new Rail Vehicle Manufacturing Facility in Newton Aycliffe, complementing the delivery of the Class 800 and 801 trains for the Intercity Express Programme, boosting jobs and growth in the north-east."
The 23m-long AT200 commuter trains constructed by Hitachi have a maximum speed of 100mph and feature cab-end and inter-vehicle gangways for the best use of passenger space.
The AT200 trains will be constructed at Hitachi Rail’s flagship vehicle manufacturing unit in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, England. The service is scheduled to start from 2017.
This contract is the latest order from the UK for Hitachi Rail Europe, which has recently delivered the preview service for the Class 395 Javelin trains for the Southeastern network.
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