Hitachi will build 23 new trains for Avanti West Coast in a £350 million deal.
Ten seven-car electric multiple units and 13 five-car bi-modes will be introduced from 2022. They will be built at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe facility.
The EMUs will run between London Euston, the West Midlands and Liverpool, while the bi-modes will run between Euston and North Wales.
Regarding capacity, in a statement, FirstGroup said: “There are 453 seats on a seven-car train and 301 seats on a five-car train, increasing compacity compared to the Class 221 Voyager trains they replace (which have 258 seats).
“The seven-carriage version of the electric trains will have similar numbers of seats to a nine-carriage Pendolino, owing to the longer 26 metre carriages of the Hitachi trains.”
The trains are funded by Rock Rail West Coast. They will be based at Oxley, with a maintenance agreement signed with Alstom to carry out work alongside Hitachi on the trains.
Avanti West Coast replaces Virgin Trains this weekend as the operator of the West Coast franchise.
- For the FULL story, read RAIL 894, published December 18, and available digitally on Android, iPad and Kindle from December 14.
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VT Fan 3 - 06/12/2019 15:05
Questions for the new trains: 1. Will they tilt? And 2. Will they look completely different from the other Hitachi trains from GWR, LNER, TransPennine, Etc.
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WCML - 09/12/2019 22:24
Hi VT Fan, I am not sure but can only imagine they would with the HCD curves on the WCML, it will need to have the tilt functionality in place to run 125mph EPS on these lines....... unless they manage to do something with the rolling stock but even then, the centrifugal forces will need that tilt to counter balance the HCD.......
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Bob morriss - 24/12/2019 18:25
Let's hope the seats are softer on the 'backside' than current Hitachi stock!
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