The Department for Transport (DfT) and rolling stock leasing company Eversholt have reached a deal to finance a new fleet of intercity trains for South West England.
Eversholt will fund the purchase of 173 new AT300 vehicles worth £361 million which will then be leased to First Great Western to operate services from London Paddington to Plymouth and Penzance.
Built by Hitachi, the fleet will consist of 29 bi-mode trains – seven nine-car and 22 five-car sets. The trains will be “closely related” to the Class 800 bi-mode being built for the Great Western and East Coast main lines.
The new units will feature larger fuel tanks and up-rated power packs to allow it to negotiate the steeper gradients.
Mark Hopwood, managing director of First Great Western, said: “We know how important the railway is to the economies and communities of the South West, and today’s agreement is fantastic news for the region and the rail industry as a whole.
“These trains will help us deliver faster, more frequent services into the South West, each providing a 14 per cent increase in seats across the routes once they are all in service.
“Following this we have now formally finalised the agreement with Hitachi Rail Europe and Eversholt Rail, which will see the first trains in service in the summer of 2018.”
After the AT300 IEP’s have been constructed and built for First Great Western and Virgin Trains East Coast. These new IEP trains will replace the Class 43 MK3 HST’s and with Hitachi to start manufacturing the AT200’s for Abellio Scotrail and plans to build the AT200’s for other operators such as Abellio Greater Anglia to replace the Class 321’s & 317’s used on the West Anglia and Great Eastern routes to/from London Liverpool Street.
Clearly the Class 321 and 317 fleets won’t be replaced if they’re going to be refurbished…
Hopefully the Class 321’s will be air-conditioned just like the 321448 Demonstrator train.
Maybe ideal for electrified South Wales Valley Lines?
What the Class 321’s & 317’s to be cascaded to South Wales Valley lines and Cardiff suburban routes. Possibly but the Class 315’s will be used on the network once Crossrail and London Overground order brand new Bombardier EMU trains.
And the Hitachi AT100’s to be manufactured to be built for Southern to replace the Class 313’s used on the South Coast routes between Brighton-Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth & Southsea, Fareham, Southampton Central, Eastbourne, Lewis, Littlehampton, Seaford, Hastings and Havant.
You work for Hitachi now?
No. If Hitachi’s new facility in County Durham is finished being constructed. Hitachi will start building new IEP trains and the AT200 trains.
No they wont be… Why would you have an intercity train on a suburban route…. Where did you get this information from? A bull pen at a farm?
Wow you are so funny.
Sam. Ignore me. Just ignore ok.
Dreaming is one thing, making up your own facts is another. Not sure how discerning the mods are. Don’t worry Sam, I should think we are more adept at seeing fact from fiction.
Am I dreaming. You dont like what I say. If only I would of block you. Or you block me.
We wouldn’t have a problem if you write something that’s actually relevant or correct about the article. Or just ask a question.
I was trying to write something relevant but in fact it doesn’t seem to be in a way I’m thinking of. And that’s why I don’t like back chats. This discussion is over.
And plus I hate to say it but I am Autistic.
I’m Autistic too, sorry if this feels like back chat to you.
Say no more. End of.
Why do you always say there will be new trains for your area and that everyone else will get your old trains?
Well is there new trains coming. Only for Thameslink, FGW & other routes apart from Abellio GA not getting new trains as they are to refurbish their Class 321’s & 317’s trains.
Yes therefore Greater Anglia will not be getting new trains until after 2030 or 2035.
Really. And how do you know that. Lack of knowledge I guess so.
The new traction packages will last at least 15 years, the train owners will want them to be in use for as long as possible.
Right. So the Class 321’s and the Class 317’s are to be fitted with new reaction motors to replace the older traction motors so that those trains would last for 15 years.
And even if Abellio loses the Greater Anglia franchise to either National Express or First Group or to merge to with Stagecoach and to remain as Greater Anglia then new traction motors will be delivered for replacing the Class 321’s & Class 317’s.
Yes that’s being planned, it doesn’t matter who wins the next franchise as they will be happy to keep using these trains.
Ok. I now understand.