05.10.16
Abellio completes £600m financing deal for Stadler rolling stock
Abellio has today finalised contracts worth over £600m to procure and finance 58 Stadler Flirt trains as part of the new East Anglia franchise.
Funding for the 378 electro-diesel multiple-units was led by Rock Rail and SL Capital Partners. Additional co-investment equity is being provided by the Greater Manchester and London Pension Fund authorities.
The 58 trains that make up the deal comprise 378 vehicles with a combination of 20 12-car Intercity EMUs and 38 Regional Bi-mode Multiple Units, in both 3-car (14 units) and 4-car (24 units).
The announcement comes just days after it emerged Angel Trains would be financing the £900m deal to purchase 665 Aventra EMU cars from Bombardier, which will serve mainly suburban routes into London.
Dominic Booth, MD of Abellio UK, said: “Our ambitious plans for the new franchise are centred on the largest-ever privately-funded train procurement in the UK to give the people of East Anglia high-quality trains as part of a transformation of the region’s railway.
“They will be the centrepiece of many other improvements including more frequent services, faster journeys and more capacity with 55% more seats into London in the morning peak.”
Abellio added that the Stadler trains, which represent the first major passenger fleet order in the UK for the company, will run on InterCity services between London and Norwich; Stansted Express airport services from London to Stansted Airport; and key regional services in East Anglia.
It was noted that the trains to be used on the East Anglia franchise will significantly enhance passenger journeys for people in Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex and Cambridgeshire. The units will also be equipped with climate-controlled air-conditioning; ‘2x2’ seating; wi-fi and power points throughout the train; a low floor design, allowing easier access to platform from the train; passenger information systems with real-time information; and regenerative braking.
Peter Jenelten, executive vice president and head of marketing and sales of Stadler, said: “I am delighted that Stadler has been chosen by Abellio East Anglia for the supply of these new trains in the prestigious UK rolling stock market.
“All the trains we will be delivering are derived from the latest generation of the best-selling Flirt family, featuring low floor and level boarding for improved accessibility, passenger comfort and safety. The regional Bi-mode trains feature environmentally friendly, state of the art diesel-electric technology.”
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