The new trains are expected to ‘bring faster, more reliable journeys to the North’
A £1 billion investment in a new fleet of battery-electric trains for TransPennine Express has been announced(Image: TransPennine Express)
High-tech battery-powered electric trains could be serving East Yorkshire in less than ten years’ time following the announcement of a £1-billion investment. The Department for Transport has announced the plans, which will mean the more sustainable trains pulling into Hull’s Paragon Station by 2034.
The news is a big breakthrough for local rail users and will see East Yorkshire being among the regions benefitting from a new fleet of 29 battery-electric TransPennine Express trains. It will also Hull’s Paragon Station enjoying cleaner air for passengers.
The new trains will be part of services between important destinations across the North, including routes between Manchester Piccadilly and Hull, Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough, and Manchester Airport and Saltburn.
It means train journeys will be vastly improved for travellers, according to Emma Hardy, the Labour MP for Hull West and Haltemprice.
She took to Facebook to welcome the news stating: “Diana Johnson and I promised residents we wouldn’t let Hull be left behind with diesel while the rest of the north electrifies. So we’re delighted by today’s news that electric trains are coming to Hull.”
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The battery-electric Adessia Stream trains, the first of their kind on a UK main line route, will provide emission-free travel on non-electrified sections of the railway. The new trains will also improve accessibility, providing level access boarding at every door.
Each train will also include three dedicated wheelchair spaces, two accessible toilets, family-friendly areas and cycle and buggy storage.
The Department for Transport claims Manchester to Leeds journey times could be reduced by up to ten minutes, with improvements expected for the line into Hull too. The investment is also intended to support an ambition for a 30 per cent increase in Transpennine Route Upgrade capacity. This could add thousands of seats daily across the Pennines by the early to mid-2030s.
Boosting rail reliability in East Yorkshire
Prime Minister Andy Burnham explained the new trains would help decarbonise rail travel across northern England, boost reliability and help deliver growth.
He said: “I’ve lost count of the number of times someone has stopped me to tell me about the train that never came. And when that happens, it means missed shifts, missed appointments, and missed opportunities.
“Today that starts to change. These 29 new trains will bring faster, more reliable journeys to the North, and thousands of British jobs for the next generation. It’s exactly what Great British Railways is all about – taking back control of the basics and getting Britain believing again.”
The new trains will be built at Alstom in Derby. Some Hull-area rail users on social media have already argued the plan does not go far enough though, making clear that many regions are fully electrifying their train networks with overhead electric wires instead of relying on battery-powered trains. Other Facebook users have questioned where the charging capacity will come from.
But Chris Jackson, managing director at TransPennine Express, said the investment will be ‘transformational’ for Hull: “Our customers will benefit from more seats and better accessibility, including level boarding. Britain has a proud railway heritage, and this project puts the UK at the forefront of the next generation of cleaner rail technology.”
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