The UK government has announced that Alstom will begin building 29 battery-electric trains for long-distance services in 2028, with an expected entry into service by 2034. The £1bn investment will support over 6,350 jobs and aims to boost capacity on the TransPennine route by 30%, reducing journey times significantly between cities like Manchester and Leeds. Prime Minister Andy Burnham emphasized the project's importance for reliable travel and job creation in northern England.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
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Story summary
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) announced in 2028 that work on the country's first battery-electric trains for long-distance services would begin. Alstom will build these new Adessia Stream trains at its Litchurch Lane factory in Derby, with an expected service start date of 2034. The project includes a £1bn investment that will support over 350 jobs directly at Alstom and around 6,000 jobs across the UK supply chain. Prime Minister Andy Burnham emphasized the trains' role in delivering faster, more reliable journeys to northern regions and addressing missed opportunities due to unreliable service.
The new fleet of 29 trains will enhance accessibility with step-free boarding, three dedicated wheelchair spaces, two accessible toilets, family-friendly areas, and storage for bicycles and buggies on each train. The DfT stated that the initiative aims to boost capacity by 30% through the TransPennine Route Upgrade, adding thousands of additional daily seats across northern destinations such as Liverpool Lime Street, Scarborough, Manchester Airport, and Saltburn.
Written for “Alstom Train Fleet Expansion” on 2026-09-17,
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- Published
Work to create the UK's first battery-electric trains for long-distance main line services is set to begin in 2028, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.
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The 29 new Adessia Stream trains are expected to enter service in 2034 and will be built at Alstom's Litchurch Lane factory in Derby.
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The government said the investment of almost £1bn would help support more than 350 jobs at Alstom and a further 6,000 jobs across the UK supply chain.
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Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the new trains would deliver "faster, more reliable journeys to the north and thousands of British jobs for the next generation".
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He added: "I've lost count of the number of times someone has stopped me to tell me about the train that never came.
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"And when that happens, it means missed shifts, missed appointments, and missed opportunities.
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Today, that starts to change."
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The DfT said the trains would help deliver the TransPennine Route Upgrade's aim to boost capacity by 30%, with thousands of additional seats a day across the Pennines by the early to mid-2030s.
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They will run between key destinations across the north including Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough, Manchester Airport and Saltburn, and Manchester Piccadilly and Hull.
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On sections of the railway that are not electrified, where trains currently use diesel engines, the new electric models would be able to run without emissions, the government said.
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The DfT added journey times would be cut by up to 10 minutes between Manchester and Leeds, and up to 14 minutes between Manchester and York.
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The trains will be bought by rolling stock company Rock Rail and leased to TransPennine Express, the government added.
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Alstom, which boasts the largest rolling stock train manufacturing site outside of China, secured a £370m contract in 2024 to produce 10 new London Elizabeth line trains.
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This came less than three months after a redundancy consultation put 1,300 jobs at risk at its Litchurch Lane factory, which dates back to 1876.
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Rob Whyte, managing director UK at Alstom, called the latest agreement a "landmark moment for Britain's railway".
He said: "We're absolutely delighted.
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It's a great opportunity for us to continue our legacy.
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We have a period where new builds will stop until the TransPennine order starts, but we've already taken on some refurbishment works for CrossCountry and for ScotRail and we'll look to transfer as many people as we can into that area."
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The Unite union also welcomed the news, with general secretary Sharon Graham saying the announcement would come as a "huge relief to Alstom's Derby workers and those in the supply chain".
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"Unite's Alstom members have worked tirelessly in campaigning to ensure Derby's proud history of train making continues well into the future," she added.
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Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander spoke to the BBC at Alstom, next to one of the new Elizabeth line trains.
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She said: "It's fantastic news that a city like Derby, that's got such a proud railway heritage, is also going to be manufacturing that new fleet of trains for the north of England as well.
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It's about building the railway that the country needs to support the economy, but it's also about making sure that, in our economic heartlands - places like Derby - we've got really high skilled jobs for the future.
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"This contract alone means 40 extra apprentices here.
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It secures 350 jobs at this facility and will support over 5,000 jobs in the wider supply chain as well."
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In a statement, DfT said journeys on the new fleet would be "quieter, smoother and more reliable", while offering "improved accessibility, more luggage space and onboard wi-fi".
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Step-free boarding - the "elimination of gaps between the train and platform" - are also being promised as part of a commitment to accessibility, alongside three dedicated wheelchair spaces, two accessible toilets, family-friendly areas and cycle and buggy storage on each train.
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The Aporia
