01.06.16
Alstom awarded maintenance contract for new TPE trains
Alstom has been awarded a €40m contract to maintain the 25 new trains for TransPennine Express (TPE) after they enter service in 2019.
The trains will serve in two fleets of 25, consisting of 12 five-car Civity UK Intercity electric trains and 13 five-car Intercity trains, procured from Spanish manufacturer CAF.
The electric trains will run between Manchester and Liverpool to Glasgow and Edinburgh, whilst the diesel vehicles will run initially between Liverpool and Newcastle.
Leo Goodwin, TPE’s managing director, said: “This is great news for our customers and we are delighted to have concluded the deals that will bring much needed and much wanted extra carriages across our network.
“This will enable us to transform the customer experience over the life of our franchise and our new train fleets will form a key part of this improvement. Whether travelling to work, for business or leisure, our services are going to offer more seats, improved connectivity and a higher standard of comfort. The on-board experience will be second to none and we will provide customers with a real alternative to the car and congested road network.”
Alstom will maintain the trains from 2019-24, with potential to extend the contract for two years, at its maintenance facilities in Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, creating 25 new permanent jobs.
The latest edition of RTM includes a feature on Alstom’s TrainScanner at its Manchester Longsight depot, which provides predictive maintenance for the Virgin Pendolino fleet. Alstom recently completed a successful overhaul of the whole Pendolino fleet.
Henrik Anderberg, acting managing director for Alstom UK and Ireland, said: “Alstom is a world expert in maintenance, able to service non-Alstom fleets as for this order. With 12 train care centres and over 3,000 highly-skilled employees based in Britain, we are well-placed to deliver.”
He added that Alstom is going through “a hugely successful period”, having recently gained planning permission to acquire the land for a new North West Transport Training Academy at Widnes.
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an RTM columnist? If so, click here.