Grand Central order Hitachi Tri-Modes - confirmed

[357]

Arriva Group invests in new battery hybrid train fleet in boost to UK rail industry

Order worth around £300 million for fleet of new trains, which will increase seats by 20 per cent, improving capacity and connectivity. 45 rail cars to be manufactured at Hitachi Rail in the North East and financed by Angel Trains, helping secure highly skilled jobs and unlocking a new...

news.arriva.co.uk

• Order worth around £300 million for fleet of new trains, which will increase seats by 20 per cent, improving capacity and connectivity.
• 45 rail cars to be manufactured at Hitachi Rail in the North East and financed by Angel Trains

I've been waiting for this!

 

[The Middle]

I await Heidi Alexander once again taking the credit for this order whilst at the same time continuing to bash open access.

What a stunner by the way

 

[Snow1964]

45 vehicles (9 x 5car) with 20% more seats per announcement

£300m order, so each vehicle is costing hefty £6.66m along with its 10 year maintenance contract

Fleet to be delivered in 2028

Arriva Group announced today an order for nine cutting-edge battery hybrid trains to replace its entire Grand Central fleet, providing a major boost to regional economies and offering passengers more comfortable, greener travel options.

The order for 45 Hitachi Rail 'tri-mode' cars, which have the flexibility to run on electrified and non-electrified tracks, along with a 10-year maintenance contract, represents an investment of around £300 million. Tri-mode means the trains can be powered using electricity, battery or diesel.

It follows approval by the rail regulator for extended track access rights for Grand Central's existing services through to 2038, with the investment underpinning Arriva's long-term commitment to UK rail and to delivering sustainable public transport solutions to communities up and down the country and across Europe.

The trains will be manufactured at Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe factory, helping to protect jobs and skills at their UK manufacturing base. Meanwhile, the battery element of the order unlocks a new advanced manufacturing opportunity for the factory, and wider supply chain. The order supports both the UK Government's Industrial Strategy and mission for economic growth, cementing the North East's role as UK battery hub.

The new trains will increase seat numbers by 20 per cent which means 400,000 additional seats per year will be available to passengers travelling between the North East, Yorkshire and London. Because of their tri-mode capability the trains could be used on other routes in the future. They are also expected to reduce both emissions and noise.

The trains will be delivered in 2028 under a 10-year leasing arrangement, in partnership and financed by Angel Trains.

https://www.publicnow.com/view/8EF057EE1152CCCC8437C699FA61BBEFD351A8AF?1743637629

 

[GW43125]

Is 9 going to be enough to replace 10x180 plus the voyagers?

 

[357]

Is 9 going to be enough to replace 10x180 plus the voyagers?

If reliability is where it should be - I'd say so. It would leave two spare each day.

I would also think there is an option for more units if the service expansions applied for such as extra West Riding and Cleethorpes get approved.

 

[GW43125]

If reliability is where it should be - I'd say so. It would leave two spare each day.

Only 7? No wonder they want shot of the 180s if they can't manage 7 from 10!

 

[Driver068]

I would also think there is an option for more units if the service expansions applied for such as extra West Riding and Cleethorpes get apapproved.

This was my thoughts as I don't feel 9 sets would be enough to cover current and future routes.

Will also be interested to see when in 2028 as it was originally quoted Jan 2028 - Slightly ambitious or still possible??

 

[800001]

Grand Central order Hitachi Tri-Modes - confirmed

https://news.arriva.co.uk/news/arriva-group-invests-in-new-battery-hybrid-train-fleet-in-boost-to-uk-rail-industry Order worth around £300 million for fleet of new trains, which will increase seats by 20 per cent, improving capacity and connectivity. 45 rail cars to be manufactured at Hitachi...

www.railforums.co.uk

Order now confirmed to be 9 Hitachi Tri-Modes. Unsure if it needs a new thread or not but I'm sure the mods will take the appropriate action.

View attachment 177715

Fantastic news and may mark a good turn around in GC performance and quality of journeys.

But 9 trains does not seem many if they are wanting to increase there services etc?

 

[Iskra]

Tri-mode seems an interesting choice. Surely it would have been quicker and cheaper to use an existing bi-mode design, plus the trains would be lighter and more spacious. It seems a bit over complicated.

 

[800001]

Tri-mode seems an interesting choice. Surely it would have been quicker and cheaper to use an existing bi-mode design, plus the trains would be lighter and more spacious. It seems a bit over complicated.

No difference in weight by being trimode, the batteries replace one of the generator units.

Basically the unit will be like the battery test unit that hitachi trialled 802207.

How would not being trimode be more spacious? That has nothing to do with the passenger interior.

 

[JonathanH]

Tri-mode seems an interesting choice. Surely it would have been quicker and cheaper to use an existing bi-mode design, plus the trains would be lighter and more spacious. It seems a bit over complicated.

By tri-mode, all they seem to be talking about is replacing some of the diesel generating units with battery generating units, akin to what was done in 802207 and has been talked about for other 80x units.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Went from "they need new trains" to "we've ordered new trains" in 6 days (obviously behind the scenes negotiations have been going on longer).
Wish Northern could be that fast in selecting their new trains, we've already been waiting years!

 

[johntea]

It mentions that in the full press release…

It has two further outstanding applications currently under consideration, which if granted, would extend existing routes to bring direct rail services to under-served communities in the UK. The Group also has an option to buy more trains if applications are approved.

 

[Trainbike46]

Went from "they need new trains" to "we've ordered new trains" in 6 days (obviously behind the scenes negotiations have been going on longer).
Wish Northern could be that fast in selecting their new trains, we've already been waiting years!

They likely had an agreement in principle before they even submitted the open-access extension request, I would guess

 

[XCTurbostar]

I think these look better.. just saying..

[Images below show the new IETs with Orange yellow front respectively]

 

[Zomboid]

But 9 trains does not seem many if they are wanting to increase there services etc?

Presumably they'll have an option to order more if their expansion plans come to anything.

 

[mathstrains19]

Presumably being OA they probably also didn't have to put anything up for tender, they can just order something and buy it?

 

[DanNCL]

Can’t say I’m surprised that Hitachi have got this order. There’s a potential PR win for them choosing a ‘local’ supplier. I’m also not surprised that the order is for 5 car units. I am however surprised they’re only ordering 9 units instead of 10.

I see from the linked article in the opening post that both Heidi Alexander and Kim McGuinness appear to be taking credit for it despite neither of them actually having any influence over which private company another private company chooses to order from!

 

[Driver068]

They likely had an agreement in principle before they even submitted the open-access extension request, I would guess

The TAA and procurement worked hand in hand. One would not be given without the other. That's why 2 new announcements

 

[Mikey C]

Is this enough to fill the Hitachi production gap before the HS2 trains start production?

 

[FrontSideBus]

Great... more IET's.

 

[fgwrich]

Now, 80X with a reopened production line similar to the DfT / First Group ordered units or a roll on batch of 810s from the EMR order?

Hopefully they’ll have been wise to the criticism of the current IET interiors and learn from everyone else’s mistakes.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Now, 80X with a reopened production line similar to the DfT / First Group ordered units or a roll on batch of 810s from the EMR order?

They appear to be standard 800 series, not the shorter vehicles of the 810s. You wouldn't get the capacity uplift with 810s.

Hopefully they’ll have been wise to the criticism of the current IET interiors and learn from everyone else’s mistakes.

Avanti to be fair have fixed that. Though I expect GC will go for a higher density interior more like Lumo's than Avanti's low density one given that they are a budget operation.

 

[Iskra]

The order of 9 units seems far too little. They are going to need excellent reliability. The current GC unit requirement is 7 units which leaves two spare. GC do have ridiculously long turnaround times. Especially at London Kings Cross where some trains get around 60 to 120 minutes of just sitting there. But also at Bradford Forster Square and Sunderland too where the turnaround times are very generous. So i think GC could probably reduce their requirement from 7 to 5 by completely rewriting the timetable and cutting the turnaround times. That might be a solution. But then we have to remember the new Cleethorpes service. It is not clear how frequent the Cleethorpes service will be but that will require more units.

There is an option for an add-on order for additional units if the Cleethorpes access rights are secured.

 

[357]

The order of 9 units seems far too little. They are going to need excellent reliability. The current GC unit requirement is 7 units which leaves two spare. GC do have ridiculously long turnaround times. Especially at London Kings Cross where some trains get around 60 to 120 minutes of just sitting there. But also at Bradford Forster Square and Sunderland too where the turnaround times are very generous. So i think GC could probably reduce their requirement from 7 to 5 by completely rewriting the timetable and cutting the turnaround times. That might be a solution. But then we have to remember the new Cleethorpes service. It is not clear how frequent the Cleethorpes service will be but that will require more units.

How do you expect the crews to work this timetable? Unlike LNER etc there aren't hundreds of traincrew to play with.

 

[800001]

I think these look better.. just saying..

[Images below show the new IETs with Orange yellow front respectively]

Why is there an obsession of yellow/orange front ends?

 

[Cach17]

CrossCountry increasingly lonely in the No Hitachi Club.

 

[Iskra]

CrossCountry increasingly lonely in the No Hitachi Club.

You’d think they’d be next in line.

 

[denton]

Can not believe that hitachi are given a new order ,after the problems with the class 810 being years late.

 

[zwk500]

CrossCountry increasingly lonely in the No Hitachi Club.

You’d think they’d be next in line.

Who'd pay for it though?