Hitachi has shipped from Japan the first of TransPennine Express’s new Nova 1 trains. The train is due to arrive in the UK in two months’ time, where it will begin testing across the North this summer, ahead of entering passenger service in summer 2019.
The new fleet of Hitachi intercity trains (Class 802) were contracted by First Group and Angel Trains for TransPennine Express in 2016. From 2019, the Nova 1 fleet will support the Great North Rail Project by connecting major cities in the North of England and Scotland and will run from Manchester and Liverpool, across the Pennines to cities such as Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh. The trains will offer 161 additional seats compared to the existing trains on the route. Customers will benefit from spacious carriages, providing extra legroom and additional luggage space. Each new train will offer fast, free Wi-Fi in both Standard and First Class as well as complimentary on-board entertainment system, Exstream, allowing customers to stream the latest movies and TV shows during their journey.
Hitachi is using its Japanese-bullet train technology to make the new Nova 1 fleet light and aerodynamic. The 19 trains will all be hybrid, able to switch seamlessly mid-journey between electric and diesel power. The trains will be able to run in either five or ten carriage formation, capable of speeds of up to 140mph in electric mode and 125 mph using diesel engines. By using modern MTU engines from Rolls-Royce, the trains will cut harmful emissions under diesel power by up to 90 per cent.
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