Alstom secured £370m contract for new battery-electric trains
Rock Rail bought the rolling stock and leased it to TransPennine Express starting in early 2030s, aiming to cut journey times by up to 14 minutes.
The UK Department for Transport announced a plan to replace diesel trains on sections of its network with new battery-electric models manufactured by Alstom. A £370 million contract awarded in 2024 allowed Rock Rail to produce these electric units at its Litchurch Lane factory in England. Rolling stock company Rock Rail will purchase the trains and lease them to operator TransPennine Express. The fleet is intended to support a route upgrade across the Pennines, increasing daily seating capacity by up to 30%. Government officials stated that journey times between Manchester and Leeds could shorten by 10 minutes, while travel from Manchester to York might be cut by 14 minutes. Services will connect destinations such as Liverpool Lime Street, Scarborough, Manchester Airport, Saltburn, and Hull. On routes where the line lacks electricity, the new electric trains would operate without tailpipe emissions instead of using current diesel engines.
