Hitachi-Alstom joint venture and HS2 Ltd have signed the contract design, build, and maintain the HS2 train fleet for the Phase One between London, the West Midlands and Crewe.

GBP 1.9 billion (EUR 2.2 billion) is the value of the contract under which 54 eight-car trains will be manufactured at the facilities in County Durham, Derby and Crewe. The contract includes an initial 12-year train maintenance contract which could be extended in the future to cover the estimated 35-year life of the rolling stock.

The first train is expected to roll off the production line in 2027 and following testing and commissioning process, the first passengers are expected to be carried between 2029 and 2033.

The vehicle body assembly and initial fit-out will be done at Hitachi Rail’s facility at Newton Aycliffe (County Durham) where a GBP 8.5 million (EUR 10 million) investment in new welding and painting facilities was completed. The second stage of fit out and testing will be done at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane factory in Derby. Under the contract, the two companies will create 2,500 jobs across the UK.

Capable of speeds of up to 360km/h, each train will be around 200m long with a capacity of 500 passengers and with the option to couple two units together a 400m long train can be created with up to 1,100 seats.

Passengers will be able to access seamless, high capacity wireless internet, digital seat reservations and richer travel information delivered through multiple channels, with the trains future-proofed to accommodate technological advances.




Train designers will work with world renowned inclusive design experts to put empathy at the heart of the design, meeting the needs of passengers of all ages and abilities.

The new trains “will transform rail travel offering passengers unparalleled levels of reliability, speed and comfort and help in the fight to remove carbon from our transport system,” HS2 Ltd Chief Executive Mark Thurston said.

The trains will be 15% lighter and offer 30% more seats than comparable high-speed trains in Europe, such as the Italian ETR1000 built by JV between Hitachi Rail and Alstom.

The lightweight and aerodynamic design, coupled with latest energy efficiency traction technology, ensures that the HS2 trains will be one of the world’s most energy efficient very high speed trains. The state of the art regenerative braking system improves energy efficiency even further by returning electricity back to the national grid.

The fleet will be maintained at a new maintenance depot being built at Washwood Heath on the outskirts of Birmingham, creating jobs and additional apprenticeship opportunities.

The trains will operate on the high-speed line between London and Birmingham as well as on the existing network to places such as Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and the North West.

The fully electric HS2 train fleet will have a major impact in reducing carbon emissions from transport by encouraging people away from fossil fuelled cars and planes, and onto rail.

Sursa: Railway PRO

O scurtă explicație despre cum a ajuns al doilea proiect de trenuri de mare viteză din UK să fie mult întârziat și coste £100 miliarde (dublu față de estimările inițiale):

Eu nu mai înțeleg absolut nimic din proiectul asta. A fost un mare talmes-balmes in presa de specialitate incat chiar nu mai inteleg.

Daca au vrut brexit s-au pricopsit cu probleme mai presante, astea sunt fineturi.

Se progresează la forarea tunelurilor de sub Londra (Northolt):

Istoricul foarte pe scurt al proiectului și care sunt provocările de viitor. Pe scurt, așteptăm să vedem dacă noul guvern va aproba bugetul pentru ca HS2 să atingă Euston și mai exact ce va face în Euston pentru a crește capacitatea și a permite intervalul de trenuri proiectat pentru HS2.

Update de pe șantierul stației "Interchange" (da, așa se cheamă stația). N-am ce TLDR să vă dau, videoclipul este unul pur tehnic, de privit și analizat. 🤪

Low Speed Too!

Au început lucrările la fundația stației HS2 "Birmingham Curzon Street".

In the first part of the video, I explore the options for HS2's London terminus.

It's looking likely that it will be Euston now rather than Old Oak Common.

But, if they are building a tunnel anyway, why not extend the tunnel just a kilometer to St Pancras, make that the terminus and link up with HS1?

And why not Paddington? Couldn't we link up HS2 and the Great Western main line at Oak Oak Common and forget about the expensive tunnel to Euston?

What about the Elizabeth Line? Run HS2 onto that line at Old Oak Common and every Lizzie Line station is a London terminus!

I look at all of these options and some ways - if it is to be Euston after all the discussion - to get people from there to St Pancras and HS1.

After the obligatory old map section, I do the walk from Euston to St Pancras via Somers Town.

Kings Cross St Pancras is southbound from Euston on the Northern line of the London Underground. Kings Cross St Pancras is northbound from Euston on the Victoria line of the London Underground. That's a bit of a quirk.

Update din noua stație "Old Oak Common" din Londra, ce va lega HS2 de Liz Line și de trenurile GWR. HS2 va opri la peroanele subterane, iar la suprafață vor opri trenurile Liz și GWR.

Se pune accent pe efortul logistic masiv de a reduce emisiile de carbon din timpul construcției și de a atinge obiectivul ca stația să fie "net zero" ca emisii, după deschidere.

Încă un update din Old Oak Common, unde peroanele subterane au început să fie montate (fiind alcătuite din prefabricate din beton):