Trains

HS2’s state-of-the-art trains will transform rail travel – offering passengers unparalleled levels of reliability, speed and comfort – and will help in the fight against climate change. They are also a major boost for UK train-building.

HS2 Ltd confirmed on December 9, 2021 that a Hitachi/Alstom JV has been awarded the contracts to build Britain’s next generation of high-speed trains at their factories in Derby and County Durham in a major deal set to support 2,500 jobs across the UK. 

The landmark contracts – worth an initial £2bn – will see the JV design, build and maintain a fleet of 54 state-of-the-art high-speed trains that will operate on HS2 – the new high-speed railway being built between London, the West Midlands and Crewe.

Capable of speeds of up to 225mph (360km/h), the fully electric trains will also run on the existing network to places such as Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and the North West. Building on the latest technology from the Japanese Shinkansen ‘bullet train’ and European high-speed network, they will be some of the fastest, quietest and most energy efficient high-speed trains operating anywhere in the world.

The design, manufacture, assembly and testing of the new trains will be shared between Hitachi Rail and Alstom.

• The first stages including vehicle body assembly and initial fit-out will be done at Hitachi Rail’s facility at Newton Aycliffe, County Durham; and
• The second stage of fit out and testing will be done at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane factory in Derby.

In another major boost for train-building in the UK, all the bogies (which house the wheelsets) will both be assembled and maintained at Alstom’s Crewe facility – the first time since 2004 that both jobs have been done in the UK.

The first train is expected to roll off the production line around 2027. Following a rigorous process of testing and commissioning, the first passengers are expected to be carried between 2029 and 2033.

Designed for everyone

Designed to be fully accessible, the interior layout of the trains will be decided following a two and a half year collaborative design process involving HS2 Ltd, the Department for Transport and the West Coast Partnership, the operator of the trains when they first come into service.

Serving destinations such as Liverpool, Glasgow, Birmingham, and London, HS2 trains will operate seamlessly between HS2 and the existing rail network halving many journey times across the UK. Each train will be around 200m long, with the option to couple two units together to create a 400m long train with 1,100 seats.

The train will also benefit from Hitachi Rail’s pioneering low noise pantograph – the arm which collects power from the overhead wires. Developed in Japan, this technology will make it one of the quietest high-speed trains in the world, and use regenerative braking to boost energy efficiency.

It will also be 15% lighter and offer 30% more seats than comparable high-speed trains in Europe – such as the Italian ETR1000 built by JV between Hitachi Rail Italy and Alstom.

Alongside, design, manufacturing and testing, the contract also included 12 years of maintenance with optional extensions over the estimated 35-year life of the rolling stock. The fleet will be maintained at a new maintenance depot being built by HS2 Ltd at Washwood Heath on the outskirts of Birmingham, creating more than 100 jobs and additional apprenticeship opportunities.