Alstom and TransPennine Express sign contracts for Britain’s first mainline battery-electric trains
New British-designed and built trains will support the Transpennine Route Upgrade and help decarbonise rail travel across northern England.
www.alstom.com
Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has signed contracts worth €1.2 billion with TransPennine Express (TPE) for the supply and long-term maintenance of a new fleet of battery-electric trains. The British-designed and built trains will transform rail travel across northern England and support the delivery of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU).
The agreements combine a rolling stock contract worth approximately €930 million for 29 five-car battery-electric multiple units (BEMUs) with maintenance contracts valued at around €230 million. The fleet will be delivered from 2032 and will support the ongoing decarbonisation of one of Britain's most important rail corridors.
The order represents the first deployment of Alstom’s Adessia Stream platform in the UK and will deliver Britain’s first mainline battery-electric train fleet, combining high performance, operational flexibility and sustainable mobility.
Devised specifically for the needs of long-distance regional travel, the 121-metre-long trains will operate at speeds of up to 110 mph and provide around 300 seats per train, including a First Class area with catering facilities. As the first new-build trains to be operated by Great British Railways (GBR), they will also offer passengers modern amenities including Wi-Fi, air conditioning, power and USB-C charging at every set, enhanced luggage provision, real-time passenger information systems, CCTV, dedicated cycle storage and quieter, more comfortable interiors.
Level boarding
A defining feature of the fleet is its level boarding design at every door, helping deliver a more inclusive and accessible passenger experience while reducing station dwell times.
Each train will also include three dedicated wheelchair spaces, two accessible toilets, family-friendly areas and buggy storage.
Furthermore, the trains’ battery technology provides emission-free operations on non-electrified sections of railway. Charging infrastructure will be installed by Alstom at Hull, Scarborough and Saltburn, allowing the Adessia fleet to recharge efficiently during normal operations and supporting TPE's ambition to operate a fully decarbonised network. Installation of this infrastructure will be a UK-first on the mainline network and follows a similar successful deployment by Alstom in Ireland.
UK jobs and skills
As the home of the Adessia platform, the new trains will be designed, engineered, built and tested at Alstom's historic Derby Litchurch Lane Works – the UK’s only end-to-end train factory.
The Adessia rolling stock order from TransPennine Express will support more than 350 highly skilled jobs in Derby and over 5,500 roles throughout Alstom’s UK supply chain. Manufacturing is expected to begin in 2028, with the project set to generate at least £360 million in spending with British suppliers.
The maintenance contract – which will support over 100 roles – will run for an initial eight-year period, with the potential for a further eight-year extension, helping maximise fleet availability, reliability and performance throughout its operational life.
Alstom will train at least 36 apprentices and 36 T Level students over the contract, which is also set to benefit over 1,000 community members each year through the company’s established local engagement framework.
The project showcases Alstom's ability to deliver a complete railway solution, combining rolling stock, maintenance, depot provision and charging infrastructure within a single integrated programme.
The new battery-electric fleet will operate on services connecting key destinations across northern England, including Liverpool, Manchester, York, Hull, Scarborough and Saltburn, supporting economic growth and providing passengers with a greener and more comfortable travel experience. The new trains – funded by rail investor Rock Rail – will replace part of TPE’s existing Class 185 fleet.
A three-year research programme and a £35 million investment culminated in the development of Adessia for the UK – the next evolution of the Aventra train platform, proven at scale across England, with fleets already delivering over 18 billion passenger miles.
With flexible traction options and a lightweight design, Adessia Stream trains deliver required capacities while reducing life-cycle cost. Adessia Stream is a train with accessibility built in, enabling unassisted boarding at 85% of existing UK railway station platforms due to level boarding at every door along the full length of the train – reducing the additional investment needed to adapt platform heights.
www.alstom.com
Edited by Nicolas Bony, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.
