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Friday 11 Sep 2026

£1 billion fleet of new trains to offer more services and more seats for passengers across Transpennine route

Region & Route:

Eastern

A new £1 billion fleet of British-built, battery-electric trains will run on a faster, more reliable Transpennine railway, delivering more services and more seats for passengers across the North.

The 29 new Adessia Stream trains, ordered by TransPennine Express and built at Alstom's historic Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, will be among the first battery-electric trains to operate on a UK main line. They will enter service in winter 2034, as part of the wider improvements being delivered by the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU).

TRU is delivering an electric railway between York and Manchester, supporting more train services and new and improved stations to boost economic growth, job creation and skills development across the region. Thousands of passengers will benefit from faster, more frequent trains with more seats.

A major focus of the programme is accessibility and the new trains have been designed with level boarding at every doorway, helping passengers board and leave trains independently at the vast majority of stations on the network.

Each train will also include three dedicated wheelchair spaces, two accessible toilets, family-friendly areas and buggy spaces.

The Adessia Streams will ultimately operate under Great British Railways, bringing track and train together under one unified organisation. This mirrors the TRU approach of uniting partners across Network Rail, Northern Trains, TransPennine Express, the Department for Transport and DfT Operator, aligning infrastructure, operations and customer experience around shared outcomes for passengers and freight.

 

James Richardson, Managing Director at Transpennine Route Upgrade, said:

"TRU is transforming train travel across the north, and today’s announcement is a major step for the programme as we work to deliver a railway that better connects our communities. The £1 billion investment reflects a genuine commitment to transforming rail travel across the region and beyond.

"A stronger North depends on better connections, and TRU is bringing the north together and unlocking opportunities.”

 

Chris Jackson, Managing Director at TransPennine Express, said:

"This is a transformational £1 billion investment in the future of rail travel across the North, delivering new trains for our customers alongside new infrastructure, new jobs and long-term economic benefits. Our customers will benefit from more seats and better accessibility, including level boarding.

"Britain has a proud railway heritage, and this project puts the UK at the forefront of the next generation of cleaner rail technology."

 

Once complete, TRU will cut journey times by up to 10 minutes between Manchester and Leeds and up to 14 minutes between Manchester and York, while boosting capacity by 30% and improving accessibility at stations. The project's workforce currently stands at 5,000, with a target of 8,000 over its lifetime.

The £11 billion programme has already electrified 25% of the 70-mile route and has invested over £1 billion supporting local businesses so far.