Alstom awarded £1bn UK battery-electric train contract

UK: Alstom has been awarded a £1bn contract to supply and maintain 29 Adessia Stream five-car battery-electric multiple-units for use on TransPennine Express long-distance regional services across northern England.

Financed by leasing company Rock Rail, the rolling stock order announced on September 11 is worth £800m, including the provision of depot facilities and charging infrastructure.

The maintenance element is worth £200m over an initial eight years, with the potential for an eight-year extension.

The fleet will be delivered from 2032 for entry into service from winter 2034. The trainsets will serve destinations including Liverpool, Manchester, York, Hull, Scarborough and Saltburn, replacing part of TPE’s existing Siemens Mobility Class 185 diesel multiple-unit fleet and increasing overall capacity.

The battery technology will enable emissions-free operation on lines without 25 kV 50 Hz electrification. Charging infrastructure is to be installed by Alstom in Hull, Scarborough and Saltburn. This follows a similar deployment in Ireland.

Adessia Stream design

This will be the first deployment of Alstom’s Adessia Stream design in the UK. This has been developed through a £35m three-year programme as an evolution of the proven Aventra family, with the aim of offering a lightweight design with flexible traction options, reduced life-cycle costs and the capacity required.

Alstom said a ‘defining feature’ would be level boarding at every door, improving accessibility for people with wheelchairs, pushchairs or luggage and helping to reduce station dwell times. Adessia Stream is expected to enable unassisted boarding at 85% of existing UK station platforms.

The 177 km/h trainsets for TPE will be designed around the needs of long-distance regional travel. They will be 121 m long with around 300 seats, and will include a first class area with catering facilities.

Each unit will have three dedicated spaces for wheelchair users, two accessible toilets, family-friendly areas and buggy storage.

TPE said passenger amenities would include quieter and more comfortable interiors with wi-fi, air-conditioning, power and USB-C charging points at every seat, more luggage space, real-time passenger information systems, CCTV and dedicated cycle storage.