A new high-quality, low fare rail link between London and Edinburgh has come a step closer for customers with news that FirstGroup has confirmed an order for five brand new AT300 125mph intercity electric trains and ongoing maintenance, following completion yesterday of a £100 million deal for the trains between FirstGroup and Hitachi Rail, financed by Beacon Rail.
FirstGroup has secured rights from the Office of Rail and Road to run a new ‘open access’ service between the two capitals, with the aim of encouraging people to use trains rather than planes. Currently two-thirds of journeys between the two capitals are made by air.
Under the plans, customers will benefit from an average fare of less than £25, on-board catering and free Wi-Fi, all offered in one high-quality class of travel. FirstGroup already operates an open access service, the award-winning Hull Trains.
Today’s news that FirstGroup has procured Hitachi’s latest AT300 125mph intercity electric trains provides confirmation that the service will be going ahead and will start in Autumn 2021.
Hitachi will build the five electric intercity trains of five carriages each. As part of the agreement, the new trains will be fully maintained by Hitachi for 10 years.
The benefits of the new trains include:
- More seats – five new trains will offer an additional 400 seats per train on the route
- Greater comfort – new interiors, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, power sockets
- Quieter and more environmentally friendly – electric power is quieter with lower emissions
- High-quality travel for all – one standard class of service will operate throughout the train
Steve Montgomery, First Rail’s Managing Director, said: “We’re excited to announce the next step to providing our high-quality low fare service for customers linking London and Edinburgh. There’s a real gap in the market for truly affordable rail travel between the two capitals – our plans show we are serious about competing with low-cost airlines and opening up rail travel on this key route to thousands of new passengers.
“The new trains we are introducing will provide the highest level of comfort and service, whilst being great for the environment and air quality.”
Karen Boswell, Managing Director of Hitachi Rail Europe, said: "Our Japanese-bullet train inspired fleet will play a vital role in supporting FirstGroup’s exciting new service.
“These trains have been designed to increase the number of seats available whilst harnessing the latest in comfort design to boost passenger experiences.
“Today’s deal extends our long-term relationship with FirstGroup, who already use our pioneering intercity trains in other parts of the country to boost reliability and passenger satisfaction.”
Rob Dee, Commercial Director of Beacon Rail, said: "Beacon Rail is delighted to be financing, procuring and leasing the new Hitachi Inter-City Trains for FirstGroup’s new London-Edinburgh service. We are delighted to extend our existing relationship with FirstGroup and look forward to working closely with the Hitachi Rail Europe team to deliver a fantastic passenger experience, which will encourage passengers out of planes and onto trains, promoting sustainable travel."
Contact
FirstGroup - Mike Katz, Head of Public Affairs, +44 20 7725 3354 | [email protected]
Hitachi - Sam Fisk, External Communications Manager, +44 203 904 4034 | [email protected]
Beacon – Rob Dee, Commercial Director, +44 7595 124 146 | [email protected]
Pictures attached: Hitachi intercity train CGI in Kings Cross station. The final train design and branding to be released at a later date. Higher resolution images are available on request.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. FirstGroup secured ten-year track access rights, to start in 2021, following an application approved by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in April 2016 after an extensive industry consultation lasting more than a year.
2. The service will comprise five trains a day each way from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh, via intermediate stations at Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth, with journey times of approximately four hours. The first service of the day from London would arrive in Edinburgh by 10:00 am, designed specifically to attract business passengers who usually fly.
3. FirstGroup already has extensive experience running an open access operation that fills a vital gap in the market. First Hull Trains regularly receives amongst the highest customer satisfaction scores in the country – regularly topping Transport Focus’s independent National Rail Passenger Survey, with satisfaction scores of 90%+. First Hull Trains makes 90 journeys a week on the East Coast Mainline between London and Hull and transports more than 750,000 people annually – a ten-fold increase since inception.
4. FirstGroup plc is a leading transport operator in the UK and North America and our services help to create strong, vibrant and sustainable local economies. During the last year around two billion people relied on us to get to work, to education, to visit family and friends and much more and, each day, every one of our 100,000 employees works hard to deliver vitally important services for our passengers.
We provide easy and convenient mobility, improving quality of life by connecting people and communities. Please visit www.firstgroupplc.com for more information or follow us on Twitter @firstgrouppplc
5. Hitachi Rail Europe is a global transport specialist with over 100 years of experience building pioneering trains, offering quality maintenance and developing innovative new technology. As a leader in rail we’re improving transport for passengers, connecting communities and helping to boost the UK’s economy.
Having delivered the hugely popular Javelin HS1 fleet in advance of the 2012 London Games, Hitachi is delivering major orders for new trains, with 281 due to be in service by 2021. The first wave of new trains is being made at our purpose-built factory in County Durham and entered passenger service in 2017 as part of the UK Government’s £5.7bn Intercity Express Programme. With a proud reputation for innovation, Hitachi is at the forefront of using new digital technology to enhance passenger experience and enrich Britain’s railway’s heritage. Hitachi rail is a UK wide organisation with depots across England, Scotland and Wales.
For more information about the company, please visit: www.Hitachirail-eu.com or follow us on Twitter @HitachiRailEU
6. Beacon Rail Leasing is a rolling stock leasing company headquartered in Luxembourg and focused on serving the UK and European rolling stock markets. The Beacon Rail Leasing portfolio currently consists of 550 passenger vehicles, 337 locomotives and over 900 wagons on lease across the UK and Europe. Beacon Rail Leasing has an industry leading management team with rail asset management expertise and capital markets experience, enabling it to effectively meet the equipment needs of its pan-European customer base. Please visit www.beaconrail.com for more information.