ANGEL TRAINS AND ALSTOM SIGN ORDER FOR NEW PENDOLINO HIGH SPEED TILTING TRAIN SETS AND EXTRA CARRIAGES TO LENGTHEN EXISTING TRAINS
19 September 2008
Leading train lessor, Angel Trains has signed contracts with train manufacturer, Alstom for the supply of new Pendolino rolling stock and a 10-year maintenance regime worth a total of £1.5 billion.
Angel Trains already owns 52 Pendolino tilting train sets on the West Coast Main Line, which are all in operational service with Virgin Trains.
The new rolling stock contract includes four new 11-car Pendolino trains and the lengthening by two cars each of 31 of the existing trains. The additional rolling stock (106 vehicles) will create a total of 7,420 extra seats on the fleet. There is an option to extend the remaining 21 existing trains at a future date.
The four new Pendolino trains and the cars required to lengthen the existing trains will be manufactured at Alstom's centre of excellence for high-speed trains in Savigliano, Italy where work on the new trains will start in January 2009.
Commissioning of the tenth and eleventh cars into the existing 9-car trains will take place at Alstom's Traincare Centre at Edge Hill in Liverpool. The site will now undergo significant rebuilding work in order to accommodate a new depot to integrate the extra cars and the trainsets. Investment will also be made at the four other Alstom Traincare Centres on the West Coast route, enhancing the facilities in order to accommodate the longer trainsets.The contract which has been approved by the Department for Transport includes a full service provision for the Pendolino fleet and will extend Alstom’s current contract by ten years, beginning on 1 April 2012, the date on which the contract with private operator Virgin Trains expires.
Rob Verrion, CEO of Angel Trains Ltd said:
“Angel Trains has been supportive of extending its Pendolino fleet to increase capacity and is therefore delighted that this deal has come to fruition. This move will reduce overcrowding and significantly improve the travel experience for passengers on the West Coast Main Line.”
Paul Robinson, Managing Director of Alstom Transport UK and Ireland added:
“The finalisation of these contracts today is a significant milestone. The contracts enable us to provide much needed extra capacity on the West Coast Main Line and underpin the reliability and availability of the Pendolino fleet through a well proven service regime that we have been providing for Virgin Trains since 2003.”
The new trains and the lengthened train sets will all be in service by December 2012. The introduction of the new vehicles will be overseen by Angel Trains with support from Virgin Rail Projects Limited.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
About Angel Trains
Angel Trains Ltd is a leading lessor of railway rolling stock in the UK. Angel Trains has invested nearly £3 billion in both new trains and the refurbishment of existing trains and is one of the largest private sector investors in the UK rail industry.
About Alstom
With sustainable transport in mind, Alstom Transport develops and offers the most complete range of systems, equipment and services on the rail market. Alstom Transport is capable of managing an entire transport system, from rolling stock to signalling and infrastructure, as well as offering turnkey solutions
Alstom Transport is a long-standing provider to the UK rail industry and today employs approximately 2000 people over more than 20 locations. Activities in the UK are concentrated in the maintenance, electrical renovation, parts and signalling markets. Alstom Transport also provides for new rolling stock, combining local project management and engineering skills with its European centres of manufacturing excellence.
Contact Details:
Jane Vincent, Head of Corporate Communications, Angel Trains Ltd
Direct Line: +44 (0)20 7592 0525
Mobile: +44 (0)7767 642930
Email: jane.vincent@angeltrains.co.uk
Helen Connolly, Head of Communications, Alstom Transport UK
Direct Line: +44 (0)1788 545602
Mobile: +44 (0)7801 776884
Email: Helen.connolly@transport.alstom.com