Bombardier and Hitachi joint bid for HS2 rolling stock contract

[Domh245]

I heard on the radio this morning that Hitachi and bombardier are bidding for the HS2 fleet as a joint venture now.

 

[XCTurbostar]

Not sure if this is the most appropriate thread, but I heard on the radio this morning that Hitachi and bombardier are bidding for the HS2 fleet as a joint venture now.

https://www.globalrailnews.com/2018...-to-submit-joint-bid-for-hs2-trains-contract/

Bombardier Transportation and Hitachi Rail aim to deliver a “Spitfire for the British railway” as they joins forces to make a bid for HS2 Phase One’s £2.75 billion rolling stock contract.

A shortlist to build at least 54 conventional compatible trains for Britain’s new high-speed line was released in November. Hitachi and Bombardier are joined by Alstom, Siemens, and Talgo on this shortlist.

A formal tendering process is due to start later in 2018, with the contract awarded in late 2019.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

If Siemens and Alstom submit a joint bid as part of their merger process, we will be down to 3 bidders - Bombardier/Hitachi, Siemens/Alstom, and Talgo.
That increases the likelihood of UK assembly for the trains, while most of the major components will be non-UK.
The Bombardier/Hitachi announcement specifically mentions their cooperation in Italy, where Frecciarossa 1000 trains with significant Bombardier content are built at Hitachi's Pistoia plant (formerly Ansaldo).
We also have the current example of UK class 800s being assembled at Pistoia.
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...re-to-bid-for-hs2-rolling-stock-contract.html

Bombardier and Hitachi said the proposed partnership would build on their co-operation when supplying ETR1000 Frecciarossa high speed trainsets to Italy’s Trenitalia, and draw on their UK manufacturing plants in Derby and Newton Aycliffe, their UK supply chains and their networks of maintenance facilities.

 

[DanNCL]

Bombardier Transportation and Hitachi Rail aim to deliver a “Spitfire for the British railway” as they joins forces to make a bid for HS2 Phase One’s £2.75 billion rolling stock contract.

A shortlist to build at least 54 conventional compatible trains for Britain’s new high-speed line was released in November. Hitachi and Bombardier were joined by Alstom, Siemens, and Talgo on this shortlist but CAF have since been added to the shortlist as a result of the Bombardier-Hitachi joint venture.

A formal tendering process is due to start later in 2018, with the contract awarded in late 2019.

These trains will run on a new high-speed network that will connect eight out of 10 of Britain’s largest cities, increasing capacity, delivering faster journeys and contributing to prosperity and growth.

Hitachi Rail managing director Karen Boswell said the two aim to deliver a new British icon that will be recognised around the world.

She added: “By joining together in partnership with Bombardier, we will draw on a huge wealth of UK experience and the best in modern technology – including our pioneering ‘bullet train’ experience.”

Both businesses have experience of manufacturing high-speed trains.

Hitachi built the original Shinkansen bullet train in Japan in 1964 and it also built and now maintains the country’s only domestic high speed fleet, the Class 395 Javelins.

Bombardier has built more than 3,000 high-speed train carriages for China, including the most recent Zefiro 380.

In Europe, Bombardier has enabled some of the most prestigious very high-speed developments across the continent, including four TGV series in France, the AVE S-102 and AVE S-130 in Spain, the ICE family in Germany and the ETR 500 in Italy.

Hitachi and Bombardier previously delivered one of Europe’s fastest trains in Italy the ETR 1000 for Trenitalia – also known as the ‘Red Arrow’ (Frecciarossa) – which has a top speed of 398km/h.

Bombardier and Hitachi’s combined UK operations include train factories in Derby and Newton Aycliffe, extensive UK supply chains, together with a network of maintenance facilities across England, Scotland and Wales. They have a combined base of more than 5,000 members of staff in Great Britain.

https://www.globalrailnews.com/2018...-to-submit-joint-bid-for-hs2-trains-contract/

Interesting article on Global Rail News.

I'm personally surprised that Bombardier and Hitachi are working together on another major contract bid considering they didn't win the Deep Tube contract that they were bidding jointly for.

Hitachi and Bombardier joining forces on this has also led to CAF being added to the shortlist.

 

[edwin_m]

Bombardier Transportation and Hitachi Rail aim to deliver a “Spitfire for the British railway”

I suppose that's a better slogan than "a Zero for the British railway".

 

[GreatAuk]

I did find that 'spitfire' thing a bit odd I have to say... Are they trying to find echos of ww2 in brexit?! Or maybe it's a hint that the train will be a bi-mode with an internal combustion engine?

Funny how we've got a 'bullet train' IEP, and may have a 'spitfire' high speed train. Maybe the common factor is that both will travel significantly slower than the things they're named after!

I suppose that's a better slogan than "a Zero for the British railway".

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Best not to invoke WW2 spirit when it's a German/Japanese bid...