Hull Trains is delighted to reveal the first artist’s impression of the new trains set to hit the tracks as part of a major £60m investment.
From December 2019 onwards, customers will benefit from more seating capacity, enhanced interiors and faster speeds as part of a major £60million investment.
Hull Trains will be replacing its current fleet with new hi-tech Hitachi trains, operating on both diesel and electric traction – giving customers access to the benefits of the East Coast Main Line’s electrified track.
On top of extra seating capacity and extra features, customers will still be able to enjoy free Wi-Fi for the entire journey whether in standard or first class as Hull Trains remains currently the only train operator on the East Coast Main Line to offer this service. Hitachi is making great progress on the five new trains, with the fleet still set to be on the track for the end of 2019. Hull Trains has had significant input into designing the new fleet with decisions on features focused on making a difference to customers.
Phil Cameron, Project Director for New Trains, explains progress made so far on the development of the new units: “We’ve reached the end of the engineering and design phase and have now completed final sign off for production.
“Decisions have now been made on the new interiors which will be brighter and much more spacious and streamlined.
“Our industry partners have also commented on how luxurious and aesthetically-appealing the interiors are and so we are very excited to show this to our customers in due course.
“The next phase is to focus on our people and commence the relevant training plans in readiness for the launch of the trains now that the engineering plans and processes have been finalised.”
Hull Trains’ investment in its new fleet comes during a great period of modernisation on Britain’s railways as the company looks to provide a service that ultimately gives more to customers, while operating in a more environmentally-friendly manner.
As well as the additional capacity on services, more first-class seats will be available. Since Hull Trains launched in 2000, it has seen continual growth in demand for first-class tickets.
The technology involved in the trains will also mean that Hull Trains can continue to run trains where overhead wires have been damaged and have affected services in the past.
Louise Cheeseman, Director of Service Delivery, said: “The investment in these new trains highlights Hull Trains’ commitment to high levels of customer satisfaction – something which we focus on from the service our team provides, through to the facilities experienced by everyone who uses our services.
“We want every single experience of Hull Trains to be a positive one and the new fleet will further enhance our customer experience for all who use these facilities.
Louise added: “Most importantly, these trains are designed with the customer at heart – this allows us to provide facilities which ensure that customers receive a service above and beyond what they would expect from a train operator.”
- Hull Trains operates seven trains a day between Hull and London each weekday and five on a Saturday and Sunday
- Formed in 2000, the company was one of the UK’s first non-franchised operators delivering services that were not of interest to the franchised operators at that time
- Although Hull Trains offers a public service it does not receive any money from the ‘public purse’ – the company operates on a wholly commercial basis and does not receive subsidy or incentives from the Government
- Despite this, Hull Trains offers some of the best value fares between Hull and London
- Increased usage from Hull and the creation of new markets in Brough, Howden and Selby (and the surrounding areas) are the main reasons for Hull Trains’ year on year growth and popularity
- Today the organisation carries around one million passengers each year
- 120 people work for the company, mostly living in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire
- In 2016, Hull Trains was named the UK’s best train operator and has always scored very highly in the National Passenger Survey since 2000 – regularly ranked in the UK’s top three of 22 train operating companies
- In 2019, Hull Trains will invest £60m in new trains which will see the company operating some of the most technologically advanced, fastest and most comfortable trains on the UK rail network
Features of the new trains include:
- More seats – 327 seats in total
- Greater comfort – new interiors, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, power sockets
- Quieter and more environmentally friendly – electric power is quieter with lower emissions
- Reduced journey time possible – the new trains will have faster acceleration and a higher top speed of 225km/h
