Alstom to Build UK’s First Battery-Electric Main Line Train Fleet

Alstom will build 29 battery-electric Adessia Stream trains at its Litchurch Lane factory in Derby, with work due to begin in 2028 and the fleet expected to enter service in 2034, according to BBC. The Department for Transport said the almost £1bn investment will support more than 350 jobs at Alstom and 6,000 more across the UK supply chain. The trains will be bought by Rock Rail and leased to TransPennine Express, and are intended to help deliver the Transpennine Route Upgrade’s goal of boosting capacity by 30%. The DfT said the new fleet will run on routes including Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough, Manchester Airport to Saltburn, and Manchester Piccadilly to Hull, with journey times cut by up to 10 minutes between Manchester and Leeds and up to 14 minutes between Manchester and York.