The Alstom-Hitachi joint venture has been selected by the UK Department of Transport (DfT) to sign a contract worth £1.97 billion to provide 54 8-car, 360 km/h high-speed train fleets and traditional mainline network for HS2 (HS2) . The new train will be built entirely in the UK. The first phase of production, including the assembly and preliminary assembly of 432 car bodies, will be carried out at Hitachi Railway's Newton Aycliffe plant in northeastern England. The second phase of the renovation, including the interior, all electrical systems and bogies, will be carried out at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane plant in Derby. Alstom will also assemble and maintain bogies at its plant in Crewe.

Manufacturing will begin in 2025, and the first trains will be launched in 2027, and then put into use from 2029 to 2033. The two companies will directly employ 505 employees in the central and northern regions during the design and manufacturing stages, including 49 apprentices and graduates. An additional 2,000 jobs will be created elsewhere in the UK supply chain.

IRJ understands that the last two bidders for the rail vehicle contract are the Alstom-Hitachi joint venture and Siemens. The German manufacturer launched a legal challenge to HS2Ltd earlier this year. It is understood that the trial date for the case is November 2022. "We are obviously very disappointed by the announcement because we believe we have submitted a strong bid for the construction of the new HS2 train in the UK," a Siemens spokesperson told IRJ. Spanish manufacturers CAF and Talgo also launched legal challenges in the procurement process. Hitachi’s joint venture bid was originally a cooperation with Bombardier, and Alstom bid separately. When Alstom acquired Bombardier, it was understood but unconfirmed that the separate bid was abandoned at the beginning of the rebranding process

HS2 fleet maintenance

In addition to design, manufacturing and testing, the contract also includes 12 years of maintenance, which can be extended to cover the expected 35-year service life of the fleet. The trains will be repaired at a new station HS2 is constructing at Washwood Heath on the outskirts of Birmingham, where 100 jobs will be created. Alstom’s service center in Crewe will also become a strategic base for extensive maintenance activities on a “large portion” of the train’s key components and systems. The approximately 200-meter-long train will be designed to be completely barrier-free, and the internal layout will be determined during a two-and-a-half-year collaborative design process involving HS2Ltd, DfT and West Coast Partnership. Train when they enter the service. The trains will be able to run multiple trains, each providing 1,100 seats for each pair of trains. In addition to the first phase of the HS2 network from London to Birmingham, the trains will also operate on the traditional mainline network, serving destinations such as Stoke, Crewe, Manchester, Liverpool, Carlisle and Glasgow. When the British government announced the details of the integrated railway plan last month, it confirmed that it will scale back the HS2 east section from Birmingham to Leeds.

HS2Ltd said that compared with similar European high-speed trains, the weight of these trains will be reduced by 15% and the number of seats will be increased by 30%. The manufacturer stated that these trains will become one of the most energy-efficient high-speed trains in the world. The train will be equipped with sensors that can detect potential failures and support a predictive maintenance system. They will also be equipped with high-capacity passenger Wi-Fi, digital seat reservations and journey information delivered through multiple channels.

Hitachi and Alstom both have equal shares of contracts and are making new millions of pounds in their UK manufacturing facilities to support the contracts. Hitachi recently invested 8.5 million pounds in Newton Aycliffe for custom welding and painting facilities. Alstom will also introduce a new train production line in Derby and invest in Crewe to support bogie manufacturing. This is the first time the manufacturer has produced such parts in the UK in 17 years. The manufacturer also promised £5 million in research and development expenditures with British universities, and the contract will provide a starting platform for new education investments, based on partnerships with local schools. Keywords: engineering construction, engineering news

Mr. Mark Thurston, Chief Executive Officer of HS2Ltd, said: "The trains to be built in Derby, Newton Aycliffe and Crewe will transform rail travel-providing passengers with unparalleled reliability, speed and comfort, and helping to combat climate change. I would like to congratulate Alstom and Hitachi, and I look forward to working with them to provide these exciting new trains to passengers across the UK. "This is an evolving story. More responses from the industry will follow.Editor/XingWentao