HS2 Ltd has revealed, on November 2, the five shortlisted bidders for the delivery of at least 54 state-of-the-art high speed trains. They will be invited to tender in spring 2018, with contracts awarded in 2019. The £2.75 billion (EUR 3.15 billion) contract will cover the design, build and maintenance of the trains coming into service from 2026.
The shortlisted bidders are:
Alstom Transport;
Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd;
Hitachi Rail Europe;
Patentes Talgo S.L.U;
Siemens PLC.
The successful bidder will also maintain the fleet from the dedicated rolling stock depot planned for Washwood Heath in Birmingham. The area will also be home to the HS2 Network Control Centre, which will together create hundreds of skilled jobs.
“It’s great to see such a strong line up of experienced high-tech manufacturing and design talent. Together with the successful bidder, HS2 will deliver some of the world’s most advanced rolling stock, engineered to provide seamless, accessible, fast and reliable journeys,” Chris Rayner, HS2 Ltd Managing Director – Railway Operations, said.
The new trains will be required to meet HS2’s design and performance needs and the highest standards internationally for passenger experience, noise reduction, and environmental sustainability, while maximising skills, employment and growth opportunities.
Operating at speeds of up to 360 km/h, the first trains will begin to roll off the production line in the early 2020s and they will also serve destinations beyond the core HS2 network, including York, Newcastle, Liverpool, the North West, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
“HS2 will see some of the world’s fastest trains connecting our great cities across the north and Midlands, creating an economy that works for everyone. But announcements like this show how the benefits of HS2 will resonate far beyond the opening of the new railway. HS2’s legacy of jobs and skills is already being created,” HS2 Minister Paul Maynard said.
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