Mayor backs £1bn battery-electric train project

11 hours ago

Grace McGroryEast Yorkshire & Lincolnshire

News image — The new battery-electric TransPennine Express trains, depicted in this artist's impression, are set to enter service in 2034

Alstom Artist's impression of one of the new Adessia Stream trains at a station — The new battery-electric TransPennine Express trains, depicted in this artist's impression, are set to enter service in 2034

Local politicians have welcomed a £1bn project to build the UK's first battery-electric train fleet for long distance mainline services.

The Department for Transport (DfT) announced plans to upgrade TransPennine trains that run between northern cities, including Hull. They will be powered by overhead electric wires and batteries.

Hull was not included in the £45bn Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) scheme announced in January, which will see lines electrified between Leeds, York and Sheffield.

Hull and East Yorkshire Mayor Luke Campbell said the new electric trains were a "better option" than rail electrification and Hull West and Haltemprice MP Emma Hardy said they would be "brilliant".

Campbell added: "With the new technology that's coming out, I don't think we need to press for 70 miles of electrification if these new battery-powered trains and [the] technology that comes with it can do the same job.

"Hull's been overlooked for a long time and now we've got a voice. We're starting to get included into new roll-outs and new opportunities for travel."

BBC/Sarah Sanderson The photo shows a man smiling at the camera. He's wearing a cream blazer and white top underneath. The background behind him is blurred but there is a black curtain with two white boards in front of it. — Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire Luke Campbell said the new fleet were a "better option" than rail electrification

The 29 new Adessia Stream trains are expected to enter service in 2034 and will be built at Alstom's Litchurch Lane factory in Derby.

The DfT said the trains would help deliver the TransPennine Route Upgrade's aim to boost capacity by 30%, with thousands of additional seats a day across the Pennines by the early to mid-2030s.

On sections of the railway that are not electrified, where trains currently use diesel engines, the new electric models would be able to run without emissions, the government said.

Emma Gibbs/BBC Exterior shot of Hull's Paragon Interchange. The stone building has large arched windows and a canopy. There are people walking along in the image. — The trains will run between key destinations across the north including Hull

Hull West and Haltemprice MP Emma Hardy said the rollout of new electric trains "means we don't have to spend huge amounts of money electrifying the line".

"What they will do is be powered when they're under the electric lines and when they come into Hull, they'll run on battery," she added.

"[They will] charge up at Hull Station and off they go again and they'll be more reliable, they'll be cleaner, quieter."

Last week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the new trains would deliver "faster, more reliable journeys to the north and thousands of British jobs for the next generation".

He added: "I've lost count of the number of times someone has stopped me to tell me about the train that never came, and when that happens, it means missed shifts, missed appointments, and missed opportunities. Today, that starts to change."

Listen to highlights fromHull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North.

Download the BBC News app from the App Storefor iPhone and iPad orGoogle Play for Android devices