Alstom to build UK’s first long-distance battery-electric trains

Alstom is set to begin construction of the United Kingdom’s first battery-electric trains designed for long-distance main line services in 2028. The Department for Transport has announced that the 29 new Adessia Stream units will be manufactured at the company’s Litchurch Lane factory in Derby. These vehicles are scheduled to enter service with TransPennine Express in 2034, marking a significant shift in rail technology for the country’s northern routes.

The government has stated that the investment, valued at almost one billion pounds, will support more than 350 jobs at Alstom and an additional 6,000 positions across the wider UK supply chain. Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the project as a means to deliver faster and more reliable journeys to the north, while also securing thousands of British jobs for the next generation. The new fleet is intended to address longstanding reliability issues, with Alstom’s UK managing director noting that the trains will help resolve frequent service disruptions that have previously led to missed shifts and appointments for passengers.

The introduction of these trains is a key component of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, which aims to boost capacity by 30 per cent. This expansion is expected to provide thousands of additional seats daily across the Pennines by the early to mid-2030s. The new services will connect major destinations across the north, including routes between Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough, Manchester Airport and Saltburn, and Manchester Piccadilly and Hull. Journey times are also set to improve, with reductions of up to 10 minutes between Manchester and Leeds and up to 14 minutes between Manchester and York.

Rock Rail will purchase the trains and lease them to TransPennine Express. The vehicles will feature step-free boarding to eliminate gaps between the train and platform, alongside three dedicated wheelchair spaces, two accessible toilets, and family-friendly areas. Each train will also include cycle and buggy storage, more luggage space, and onboard Wi-Fi. The Department for Transport emphasised that the new fleet would offer quieter, smoother, and more reliable travel. This contract follows Alstom’s 2024 agreement to produce 10 new London Elizabeth line trains, a deal secured shortly after a redundancy consultation placed 1,300 jobs at risk at the Derby site.