Labour MP Justin Madders has welcomed plans for Britain’s first long-distance mainline battery-electric train fleet, describing the investment as “excellent news supporting British business”.
TransPennine Express has signed contracts worth more than €1.2 billion with Alstom for 29 new five-car battery-electric trains, alongside maintenance, depot and charging infrastructure. The new fleet will be designed and built in Britain and is expected to transform services across northern England.
The trains will be manufactured at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane factory in Derby, with production expected to begin in 2028 and deliveries starting from 2032.
Madders said:
“Excellent news supporting British business.”
Thousands of British jobs supported
The project is expected to support more than 350 skilled jobs in Derby and thousands more across Alstom’s UK supply chain.
Alstom says more than 5,500 supply-chain roles will be supported by the programme, while Government estimates put the wider employment impact at around 6,000 jobs.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the investment would deliver:
“Faster, more reliable journeys to the north and thousands of British jobs for the next generation.”
The project also represents a significant vote of confidence in Britain’s advanced manufacturing sector at a time when the Labour Government is seeking to increase domestic investment and strengthen industrial supply chains.
First mainline battery-electric fleet
The 29 trains will be the first UK deployment of Alstom’s Adessia Stream platform and are being described as Britain’s first mainline battery-electric train fleet.
They will operate across key northern routes linking destinations including Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York, Hull, Scarborough and Saltburn.
Battery technology will allow the trains to operate without diesel even on sections of track that are not fully electrified, supported by new charging infrastructure.
The new fleet is expected to replace part of TransPennine Express’s existing Class 185 trains.
Faster and more reliable journeys
The investment forms part of the wider Transpennine Route Upgrade and is expected to increase capacity while reducing journey times.
Government plans indicate journeys between Manchester and Leeds could become around 10 minutes quicker, with Manchester to York potentially reduced by up to 14 minutes.
The new trains will also feature level-access boarding, wheelchair spaces, accessible toilets, family areas and onboard Wi-Fi.
Labour backing British manufacturing
For Madders, the announcement is significant not only because of the improvements it promises for rail passengers, but because much of the economic benefit will remain in Britain.
Alstom UK managing director Rob Whyte said the company was proud that the country’s first mainline battery-electric trains would be “designed and built in Britain”, describing the investment as a showcase for British engineering and advanced manufacturing.
The announcement gives Labour another opportunity to link investment in greener transport with its wider economic strategy — supporting British manufacturing, creating skilled jobs and improving rail connections between some of the North’s biggest cities.
