The Department for Transport announced that Alstom will manufacture 29 new battery-electric trains for northern England routes, marking a significant investment in the nation’s rail infrastructure. The Adessia Stream fleet is designed to support the TransPennine Route Upgrade and will operate on non-electrified sections of railway where diesel engines are currently used, enabling zero-emission service on those routes.
Construction of the trains is scheduled to commence in 2028, with entry into service projected for 2034. The project represents an investment of nearly £1 billion and is expected to generate substantial employment, with approximately 350 jobs supported directly at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane facility in Derby and an estimated 6,000 positions across the broader UK supply chain. The government indicated that 40 additional apprenticeships will be created as part of the initiative.
The new trains will serve key northern destinations including Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly, Scarborough, Saltburn, and Hull. Officials project that the fleet will reduce journey times by up to 10 minutes between Manchester and Leeds and up to 14 minutes between Manchester and York. The investment is intended to increase overall capacity on the TransPennine route by 30 percent, delivering thousands of additional daily seats by the early to mid-2030s.
Rolling stock company Rock Rail will procure the trains, which will then be leased to TransPennine Express for operation. The new fleet is designed with enhanced passenger amenities including step-free boarding, improved accessibility features, onboard wi-fi, expanded luggage space, and dedicated spaces for cycles and buggies. Alstom’s selection builds on its previous agreement in 2024 to produce 10 trains for the London Elizabeth line.
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