Rolling stock

First Greater Anglia FLIRT bi-mode arrives in Norwich for testing

15 November 2018The first of Greater Anglia’s brand-new trains has now arrived in the region, pulling up to Norwich by a locomotive ahead of a programme of testing around the network. The four-carriage bi-mode Swiss train will run on regional lines across...

Talgo names Fife as the chosen site of its first UK train factory

14 November 2018Spanish train manufacturer Talgo has revealed that is new train-building factory will be built at Longannet in Fife, bringing more than 1,000 jobs to Scotland. Talgo will build its first UK manufacturing base at the site of a decommissioned power...

Grayling ‘sees no reason’ to follow European standards in post-Brexit rolling stock regulation

14 November 2018  The transport secretary has categorically opposed the following of European Union rail standards when Britain leaves the EU, arguing he can see ‘absolutely no reason’ to follow the regulations. Speaking to the Lords EU Interna...

TPE’s new CAF Nova 3 fleet delayed by ‘technical issue’

12 November 2018A technical issue has delayed the roll out of TransPennine Express’ new fleet of CAF Nova 3 trains. The fleet had been expected to be rolled out by the end of the year, but are now expected to enter service next spring, which is “slig...

Siemens CEO says it is ‘willing to make concessions’ to secure EU approval for Alstom merger

09 November 2018The chief executive of Siemens has said he is “willing to make concessions” if necessary in order to gain EU approval for its proposed rail merger with Alstom. Joe Kaeser, head of the German rail giant, said he was relaxed about the E...

High Court ruling awards Siemens £1.5bn Underground contract

06 November 2018Siemens has won a £1.5bn contract with London Underground to replace some of its oldest trains with almost 100 new models after a High Court ruling lifted the suspension on the contract. London Underground originally awarded the contract to...

EU Commission sends out antitrust warning over Siemens-Alstom merger

01 November 2018The EU Commission has sent a series of objections to Siemens and Alstom over their plans for a European railway merger, increasing the possibility of substantial asset sales needed to secure EU approval. The move by the European Union’s ant...

Still no date given for Azuma rollout on ECML by DfT

31 October 2018The DfT still has no answer for when the long-awaited Azuma trains will begin running on the East Coast Main Line, the transport minister told the House of Lords today. Baroness Liz Sugg, appointed to the DfT role in October last year, said she w...

Refurbishing rolling stock into bi-modes could unlock disused railway lines

31 October 2018The DfT has said that innovative refurbishment of old rolling stock into modern bi-mode trains could offer the opportunity to reopen disused railway lines. In the department’s ‘Rolling Stock Perspective Fourth Edition,’ the gove...

Future Vivarail Class 230 trains for London Northwestern Railway delayed by technical issues

30 October 2018The delivery of Vivarail’s Class 230 trains for the Marston Vale Line is behind schedule due to “technical issues” and will not be ready for their planned December introduction. West Midland Trains and Vivarail released a joint...

Age of UK’s rolling stock decreasing thanks to a range of new fleets

24 October 2018The average age of trains in the UK has decreased following the introduction of new fleets, figures from the ORR show. The rail regulator has revealed figures showing a 0.6-year reduction in the average age of UK trains in 2017-18 compared to las...

ScotRail’s new Inter7City train breaks down on landmark voyage

12 October 2018ScotRail’s new Inter7City train broke down on its landmark journey after leaving Aberdeen on a VIP trip. Hailed as a milestone voyage, Scotland’s refurbished high-speed train left Aberdeen bound for the capital on its inaugural journe...

First of revamped HSTs set to run between Aberdeen and Edinburgh next week

10 October 2018The first Inter7City high-speed train will be entering service between Aberdeen and Edinburgh from the beginning of next week, marking another milestone in Scotland’s wide-ranging railway improvement programme. The train, which will run fro...

Northern unveils new £500m fleet

08 October 2018The new CAF-manufactured fleet of trains to be used by Northern was officially launched at a special event at the Edge Hill depot, Liverpool. The eight state of the art trains – four class 195 and four class 331 vehicles – arrived for...

Rolls-Royce and Porterbrook launch UK first hybrid rail project

02 October 2018Roll-Royce is working with Derby-based train leasing firm Porterbrook to launch UK’s first hybrid rail project with an MTU drive system. The two companies have joined forces to convert Class 168 and Class 170 Turbostar diesel trains into hy...