UK rail operator Northern, the subsidiary of Arriva UK Trains, has introduced the first nine CAF trains which will operate on routes between Doncaster and Leeds, Cumbria and Manchester Airport, Liverpool and Manchester Airport.
The rest of the fleet of new trains will be rolled out at monthly intervals through 2019 and into 2020, with more routes benefiting from the new trains over time.
“We have already seen the introduction of refurbished trains as part of Northern’s investment. The unveiling today of brand new trains shows that transformation continues on the north’s rail network,” Rail minister, Andrew Jones, said.
Northern has ordered from CAF 101 new trains, a GBP 500 million (EUR 556.75 million) investment, funded by Eversholt Rail Group. The trains are manufactured in Spain and in Wales.
Each of the new trains features free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, at-seat power and customer information/media screens with real-time information. They are also more spacious for customers and are fully accessible with spaces for wheel chairs and cycles.
The new electric train was officially named ‘Proud to be Northern’ in recognition of the step change in quality that it represents for customers and for Northern’s 6,100 employees.
Northern’s new trains are part of the largest modernisation programme in a generation that is transforming travel in the north of England. It is currently fully refurbishing its existing fleet of 243 trains, improving its stations and has introduced over 2,000 extra services every week since 2016.
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