Hitachi Rail Europe to Provide New Trains for Abellio Franchise in Scotland
10 October 2014 - 2:48PM
JCN Newswire (English)
Hitachi Rail Europe is delighted that Transport Scotland has
announced its intention to award Abellio the new ScotRail
franchise. The Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) will
be a crucial part of the new franchise, and Abellio has confirmed
that Hitachi Rail Europe is its preferred supplier of new rolling
stock for the programme, subject to successful conclusion of
negotiations.
Andy Barr, Hitachi Rail Europe's Chief Operating Officer, said: "We
are delighted that Abellio has selected Hitachi Rail Europe as
preferred bidder to supply rolling stock as well as long-term
maintenance of our electric trains. 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."
Abellio, a well-known name in the UK rail market, was named
franchise operator for the ScotRail franchise on October 8, 2014.
Hitachi Rail Europe will supply Abellio with 70 electric multiple
units (EMUs), which will form 46 three-car trains and 24 four-car
trains (234 rail cars). These will run on the newly electrified
Edinburgh-Glasgow line as well as on the Stirling - Alloa -
Dunblane lines. They will be cleared to run throughout the wider
network, which is currently being electrified.
A spokesman from Abellio said: "We are delighted at the decision of
Transport Scotland to award Abellio the new ScotRail franchise. The
new fleet proposal was a major feature in our winning bid, and we
look forward now to continuing the negotiations with our preferred
supplier Hitachi."
Hitachi Rail Europe will build a fleet of AT200 commuter trains. A
life-size mock-up of this new development was recently presented to
the UK and international rail industry. It has been designed to
transform the regional commuter travel experience. With a top speed
of 100 miles per hour, each unit is 23 metres in length, and
features cab-end and inter-vehicle gangways to facilitate the best
use of passenger space. The train has a 35-year design life and is
made to complement the requirements as set out by Transport
Scotland. In particular, they place a heavy emphasis on energy
efficiency and weight reduction to minimise the impact on the
infrastructure.
Andy Barr continued: "For ScotRail, the passenger experience was a
particular area of consideration for us. We wanted to ensure that
passengers have a pleasant travelling environment with adequate
table and toilet facilities, LED lighting and air conditioning as
standard. Power sockets and wifi are available throughout the
trains, bringing modern comforts to the travelling public. In
addition to this, the space underneath our cantilever seats
provides room for luggage, which is supplemented by further luggage
storage for commuter travel."
This is the latest contract for Hitachi Rail Europe in the UK. To
date, the train manufacturer has delivered the preview service for
the Class 395 Javelin trains, Britain's fastest commuter service,
to Southeastern six months early. They remain the most reliable
train fleet on Southeastern's network. The new trains for Scotland
further Hitachi's AT200 range of trains, a custom-designed train
for their passengers' requirements.
Furthermore, Hitachi Rail has implemented new methods of vehicle
construction and manufacturing based on its A-train product
platform. These methods will be employed in the construction of the
AT200 trains. In addition to the Class 800/801 trains commissioned
for the government's Intercity Express Programme (IEP), the AT200
trains will be built at Hitachi Rail's flagship vehicle
manufacturing unit in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. The Newton
Aycliffe facility will contribute 730 jobs to the local
economy.
The AT200 trains, run by Abellio, will be in operation from
2017.
About Hitachi
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers
innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team
and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated
revenues for fiscal 2013 (ended March 31, 2014) totaled 9,616
billion yen ($93.4 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on
the Social Innovation Business, which includes infrastructure
systems, information & telecommunication systems, power
systems, construction machinery, high functional materials &
components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more
information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at
http://www.hitachi.com.
Source: Hitachi
Contact:
Hitachi Ltd
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-3258-1111
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