First Group has signed a deal with Angel Trains and Hitachi to lease 14 brand new Class 80X electric, battery electric or bi-mode trains at a cost of £500m
Manufactured in County Durham, the new trains will be used on the London – Carmarthen services and increase the number of trains available for Lumo and Hull Trains.
The agreement also includes an optional 13 more trains if the open-access applications are granted by the ORR.
It is expected that the new London – Rochdale services will feature these new trains as part of the Lumo expansion, the expansion of the London – Carmarthen service to run a service to Paignton and a new Hull Trains service to Sheffield from London.
“The introduction of our new service between London and Carmarthen, and the extra capacity on Lumo and Hull Trains, will significantly increase our open access portfolio over the next few years, with further expansion possible should our recent applications be successful. The new trains, to be manufactured for us in County Durham by Hitachi, will support UK manufacturing and offer customers more choice as they consider affordable, environmentally friendly modes of travel in the future, and we are pleased to be taking them forward.
FirstGroup Chief Executive Officer Graham Sutherland