Hull Trains Invests to New Hitachi Trains

HULL Trains is investing £68m in a new high-speed fleet that will cut journey times to London and carry 50 per cent more passengers.

It will introduce five new Hitachi trains will run on both diesel and electricity at speeds of up to 140mph. The company is also seeking a ten-year extension to its deal with Network Rail, which will allow it to continue operating Hull to London services until 2029.

CEO Will Dunnett said: “The new units will bring an even higher quality environment for passengers with new interiors, enhanced catering, air-conditioning and a quieter environment due to electric traction – all areas that we know are important to passengers.”

Hull Trains has been pushing for rail electrification from Hull to Selby, but the work is unlikely to happen until the first half of the 2020s at the earliest.

The new Hitachi “bi-mode” engines will mean passengers can benefit as soon as possible. They will run on diesel from Hull or Beverley to Selby, before switching to electricity on the East Coast Mainline to London King’s Cross.

The trains are due to be introduced in 2020 and will replace the existing four Class 180 vehicles built by Alstom, which have a top speed of 125mph.

Source : HullDailyMail
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