TransPennine Express (TPE) has shared an exclusive image of the first carriage from the second fleet of its brand new trains. The ultramodern trains will operate on routes across the North West and into Scotland from spring 2019.
The new fleet forms part of TPE’s overall £500 million investment programme which will deliver more services, seats and an enhanced experience for customers. Customers will benefit from a transformed on-board experience which includes comfortable seating, plugs and USB points, more luggage space, fast free Wi-Fi and an entertainment system enabling the latest films, news and boxsets to be downloaded straight to phones and devices. Each train will also feature display screens that provide real time reservations and new catering facilities tasty hot food and cold drinks to be served on-board.
The 12 5-car trains are being introduced along with two other fleets and together these will deliver 13 million more seats per year for customers giving an 80 per cent increase into the North’s five largest cities at the busiest times of day. Currently the company’s existing trains are being treated to a full upgrade ensuring they are of the same high standard.
The new trains are being manufactured by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) in Spain and owned by Eversholt Rail. They will be maintained by at Alstom’s facilities at Longsight (Manchester) and Polmadie (Glasgow).
Railcolor: The new EMUs will form the new ‘class 397’ and are financed by Eversholt. They belong to the CAF ‘Civity’ product family, there complete name being ‘Civity UK Intercity’. The twelve 5-car trains will replace the 2013-2014 built Desiro trains (no.350 401-410) which presently operate TransPennine Express’ services between Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland. Firstgroup/Transpennine Express announced the order on 20.05.2016.
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