According to the latest figures released by Rail Delivery Group (RDG), 7,000 new carriages will arrive on Britain’s railway by 2021. The new carriages represent an investment of at least £13.8 billion (EUR 15.69 billion) by the private sector in rail. This is bolstering public investment in major upgrades to the railway infrastructure which, combined with new carriages, will enable the partnership railway to run more than 6,400 extra services each week by 2021, benefitting all parts of the country, RDG says.
New carriages are part of the long-term plan of the partnership railway – “In Partnership for Britain’s Prosperity”, which mentions that railway companies commit to improve customer satisfaction to remain the top-rated major railway in Europe. The long-term plan will secure almost £85 billion (EUR 96.6 billion) of additional economic benefits for Britain.
“With thousands of new, state-of-the-art carriages coming on track over the next three years, the partnership railway’s long-term plan is transforming journeys up and down the country. These new carriages will enable rail companies to work together to deliver on their commitment of at least 6,400 extra services a week, better connecting communities and helping to boost local economies from Aberdeen all the way to Penzance,” Paul Plummer, Chief Executive of the Rail Delivery Group said.
The partnership railway’s long-term rolling stock strategy highlights that the total number of carriages running on Britain’s railway is estimated to increase by 22 per cent, from 13,000 to 15,900 carriages.
The new carriages will mean the retirement of some of the oldest trains on the network with rolling stock that has more seats, Wi-Fi, power points, improved accessibility, air-conditioning and, in the case of the Caledonian Sleeper, even double en-suite bedrooms. As well as a smoother, quieter ride, technology on the new carriages will improve reliability by enabling potential faults to be detected and fixed more quickly. Some will include digital screens to give passengers real-time information on connecting services and seat availability.
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