The chosen company will design, build and maintain fleet of high-speed trains for HS2 network
The search has begun to award the £2.75 billion contract to a company who can design and build the new fleet of approximately 60 trains. The contract will also include the maintenance of the new fleet and will see seating created for more than 1,000 passengers.
This marks the latest in the HS2 development, with UK Transport Secretary Chris Grayling noting the contract as “a major step towards Britain getting a new railway”.
A total of 25,000 jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships are expected to be created during the construction phase of HS2. The government has made no secret of its commitment to create as many opportunities as possible for UK suppliers to win places on these landmark contracts.
The contract for the new fleet is expected to be awarded in 2019 and will aim to transport passengers across the country, providing connections between cities and benefiting the wider network.
“Starting from 2026, our trains will be used by tens of thousands of people every day, bringing the benefits of high-speed rail not only to the core network, but also onward to places like Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Preston and Wigan”, explained HS2 railway operations director Chris Rayner.
The winning bidder will also have the responsibility of maintaining other fleets. Future contracts to build upon this fleet are also expected to be announced during the second phase in 2033.
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