New £1 billion electric trains to ‘bring faster journeys to the North,’ Burnham says

A £1 billion scheme for 29 new battery-electric trains will "bring faster, more reliable journeys to the North", Andy Burnham has stated.

Built by Alstom at its Litchurch Lane site in Derby, the TransPennine Express fleet will support upwards of 350 local jobs and close to 6,000 positions across the UK supply chain, the Government said.

Services will trim journey times by up to 10 minutes between Manchester and Leeds and 14 minutes between Manchester and York, while potentially raising trans-Pennine capacity by 30% by the mid-2030s.

The Adessia Stream fleet represents the UK’s first battery-electric models for long-distance main line rail. Production is slated for 2028, with rollout expected at the end of 2034.

Destinations covered include routes from Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough, Manchester Airport to Saltburn, and Manchester Piccadilly to Hull.

The Prime Minister said: “I’ve lost count of the number of times someone has stopped me to tell me about the train that never came.

“And when that happens, it means missed shifts, missed appointments, and missed opportunities.

“Today that starts to change. These 29 new trains will bring faster, more reliable journeys to the North, and thousands of British jobs for the next generation.

“It’s exactly what Great British Railways is all about – taking back control of the basics and getting Britain believing again.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the investment embodies how Great British Railways “will deliver better journeys for people while backing British business”.

“Passengers will be able to wave goodbye to overcrowded, delayed diesel trains and step onboard faster electric trains which are fit for the future.”

The new trains will run without emissions on sections of the railway that are not electrified.

They will offer improved accessibility through step-free boarding and more wheelchair spaces, family-friendly areas, cycle and buggy storage and onboard Wi-Fi.

The contract will see the Government investing directly into Alstom.

The trains will be bought by rolling stock company Rock Rail and leased to TransPennine Express.

After taking over as Prime Minister, Burnham said while the Treasury would maintain its focus on overseeing public finances, the regional 10 Downing Street office in Manchester will lead economic expansion.