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East Midlands Trains extends maintenance contract with Bombardier

East Midlands Trains (EMT) has extended its technical service agreement with Bombardier until March 2018.

This means Bombardier will continue to maintain EMT’s fleet of Meridian DEMUs, with an option to extend this contract further to 2019.

The agreement, in place since 2007, encompasses 27 train sets (143 vehicles) with a requirement for 24 train sets to be available daily. Maintenance is carried out at Bombardier’s main UK depot in Etches Park, Derby, with stabling at Cricklewood, North London.

The 125mph Class 222 Meridian DEMUs were manufactured by Bombardier between 2002 and 2005 and have been maintained by the company ever since. The fleet operates on services from Sheffield to London St Pancras via Derby and Nottingham.

Tim Sayer, fleet director at EMT, said: “It’s great news for passengers that our franchise will continue until at least March 2018, and we’ve got lots of plans to improve our services.

“We’re looking forward to continuing to work with Bombardier over the coming years to ensure our Meridian trains offer a reliable and enjoyable travelling experience for our passengers.”

And Hugh Heat, head of project management for UK fleet contracts at Bombardier Transportation, said they were honoured that their industry partners had chosen the manufacturer for continued maintenance services.

He added: “We’ve worked hard to enhance safety, reliability and availability of the Meridian fleet, including targeted attention to improve customer environment and increase capacity. We look forward to continuing those improvements in the future through our ongoing collaborative relationship with EMT.”

Last week, Stagecoach Group secured the EMT franchise until March 2018 as part of a £150m deal with the government.

As well as continuing to run services between London, the east Midlands and parts of the north, the operator will also deliver a host of improvements supported by a £13m investment fund.

The Department for Transport also has the option to extend the TOC’s franchise for up to one year.

New planned improvements for the EMT network include 22 extra services between Nottingham and Newark Castle on Saturdays by December 2016 and a £1m investment in improving station accessibility – alongside a series of passenger improvements regarding timetables and customer assistance.