Alstom to Build UK's First Mainline Battery-Electric Trains — SkimNews
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- Alstom and TransPennine Express will deploy 29 Adessia Stream battery electric trains — the UK's first mainline battery-electric fleet — entering service in 2034 under broader transit contracts totaling more than €1.2 billion.
- The British government says the Derby-built fleet will support more than 6,000 permanent UK jobs and focus on northern England routes, with Alstom UK MD Rob Whyte calling it a "landmark moment for Britain's railway."
- The Adessia Stream trains will run primarily on battery power at speeds up to 110 mph and offer around 300 seats per train, including a First Class area with catering and dining.
- TransPennine Express has been testing battery-electric locomotives on intercity services since 2024, swapping a diesel engine in a Class 802 Nova 1 train for a Hitachi-developed battery-electric system — the proof-of-concept the new Alstom fleet scales up.
- The article quotes Andy Burnham (labeled "British PM" in the source, though he is Greater Manchester's mayor) telling The Guardian: "I've lost count of the number of times someone has stopped me to tell me about the train that never came."
Why it matters: The deal anchors 6,000 UK manufacturing jobs in Derby and gives northern England's chronically delayed intercity routes a purpose-built battery-electric fleet by 2034. TransPennine's 2024 Hitachi pilot provided the real-world operating data that de-risks scaling battery power to full mainline service at 110 mph.
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