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HS2 rolling stock
Proposed design of rolling stock by Hitachi and Alstom joint venture
Stock typeElectric multiple unit
ManufacturerHitachi–Alstom joint venture
Built atHitachi Newton Aycliffe and Alstom Derby and Crewe[1]
ConstructedPlanned from 2027
Number under construction54[2]
CapacityUp to 528[3]
DepotsWashwood Heath[4]
Lines servedHigh Speed 2, West Coast Main Line[5]
Specifications
Car body constructionAluminium[6]
Train length200 m (656 ft 2 in)[2]
Maximum speed360 km/h (225 mph)
Electric system(s)25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line
Current collector(s)Pantograph
Safety system(s)ETCS, AWS, TPWS
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The HS2 rolling stock are trains for the under-construction High Speed 2 (HS2) high-speed rail line in the United Kingdom.

The contract was awarded to a 50/50 joint venture between Hitachi Rail and Alstom, for 54 trains, which will be constructed in the United Kingdom.[7] The trains will be based on an evolution of the Zefiro V300 platform and able to run at the top operational speed of 360 km/h (225 mph) on the HS2 line.[8][9] The electric multiple units (EMUs) will be 200-metre (656 ft 2 in) long with the option to couple two units together to create a 400-metre (1,312 ft 4 in) train.[10]

The trains are designed to be 'conventional compatible', capable of leaving the dedicated high-speed sections to continue onto existing lines,[11] and will be gauge-compatible with its planned operational routes where the loading gauge would be more restricted.[9]

History

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A modelling of costs and risks in the project in 2012 estimated that captive trains may cost around £27 million per train and the conventional compatible trains, which will be built for the United Kingdom loading gauge, could have cost around £40 million.[12]

The order for rolling stock for HS2 is specified in the Train Technical Specification issued with the Invitation To Tender (ITT), which was initially published in July 2018, being revised in March 2019 following clarification questions from tendering companies.[9]

Five bids were shortlisted for the first HS2 rolling stock contract:[13]

In the previously planned phase 2b, a number of 'captive' trains (unable to use the existing rail network) may have been ordered to operate alongside the conventional compatible trains, with a similar loading gauge to existing European high speed trains.[11]

On 9 December 2021, the contract was awarded to the Hitachi Rail-Alstom joint venture.[18]

A legal challenge by Talgo was settled out of court.[19] Siemens sought an injunction to stop the contract being awarded, claiming Hitachi and Alstom were only able to make the lowest offer because they had not kept to the tender conditions, and later sought damages.[20] It has been reported that this is to help it secure contracts for other elements of the HS2 project.[21] The case brought by Siemens was dismissed by the High Court, and judged it was "not entitled to any damages".[22]

The contract was to be awarded in spring 2020, but was delayed due to delays to the start of HS2 construction.[23] The contract was then scheduled for October 2021 but was not awarded until December 2021 as it awaited government approval.[23]

Design

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An ETR1000 operated by Trenitalia, an example of the Zefiro series of trains

The contract to build the trains for the 54 conventional compatible trains is worth £1.97 billion, which includes an initial 12-year maintenance contract for the trains, with the option to extend this to the design life of the trains (of 35 years).[24]

Vehicle body assembly and initial fitting out of the trains will take place at the Hitachi Newton Aycliffe factory, the bogies will be manufactured at the Alstom factory in Crewe, and final assembly and fit-out, including the interiors, electronics and bogies, will take place at Alstom's factory in Derby.[25][26]

The trains will feature regenerative braking and Hitachi Rail's low noise pantograph, whilst also being 15% lighter and feature 30% more seats than comparable high speed trains in Europe.[27][23] The trains will also be the fastest trains in the United Kingdom and in Europe.[28]

Standard class seats will have 87 cm (34 inches) of leg room, and seats will recline without encroaching on other passengers' space. Each seat will have a fold-down table, a shelf for small items, a reading light with three brightness settings, a coat hook, a USB-C and three-pin power sockets. The glass used for overhead luggage racks will be frosted, unlike recent British trains.[29] Trains will have slightly more headroom than on current British trains, with mechanical equipment taking up less space. Each train will have four bookable bicycle spaces.[30]

The interior layout will be decided following a two and a half year design process involving HS2 Ltd, the Department for Transport and the West Coast Partnership.[31]

The trains became the first in the world to achieve the BSI's PAS 2080 global accreditation for meeting environmental targets to reduce carbon emissions, such as by improving aerodynamics, using energy-efficient traction systems and lightweight, recycled content.[32]

Beginning in 2024, market research with user groups was undertaken, including with wooden mock-ups of the trains. Trains will begin production in 2027.[33]

References

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  1. ^ Roberts, Matt (9 December 2021). "HS2 Ltd awards Hitachi-Alstom JV landmark rolling stock contracts". Rail Technology Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b "HS2 agrees £2bn deal to build UK's fastest trains". BBC News. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
  3. ^ "High Speed 2 Line: Rolling Stock. Question for Department for Transport. UIN HL7194, tabled on 18 April 2023". UK Parliament - Written questions, answers and statements. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Washwood Heath train depot and control centre". hs2.org. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Integrated Rail Plan". gov.uk. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022.
  6. ^ "New HS2 fleet details set out". Modern Railways. No. April 2022. p. 12.
  7. ^ "HS2 agrees £2bn deal to build UK's fastest trains". BBC News. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Case M.9779 - ALSTOM / BOMBARDIER TRANSPORTATION" (PDF). ec.europa.eu. 31 July 2020. pp. 61, 237, 276. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. To the contrary, the technicalities of the platform presented by the consortium in the context of the HS2 tender differs significantly and its related assets, IP rights and documentation do not fully exist yet.
  9. ^ a b c "HS2 Train Technical Specification" (PDF). gov.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 March 2021.
  10. ^ Wilkinson, Tom (9 December 2021). "HS2 signs £2bn deal for UK's fastest trains". The independent. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  11. ^ a b Smale, Katherine (23 April 2017). "Classic compatible fleet for first round of HS2". New Civil Engineer. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  12. ^ "HS2 Cost and Risk Model Report" (PDF). gov.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 March 2021.
  13. ^ a b c RailEngineer (11 June 2019). "The 5 bidders for HS2 train order reveal their designs – Rail Engineer". Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Alstom unveils proposed HS2 train design". Alstom. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  15. ^ "Alstom completes acquisition of Bombardier Transportation". www.railway-technology.com. 29 January 2021. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Talgo confirms AVRIL as the basis of its HS2 bid – Talgo". Talgo. 7 June 2019. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  17. ^ "Velaro Novo - Expert interview with Jo Hensher and Nigel Broughton on high-speed transportation in the UK" (PDF). Siemens Mobility. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 May 2024.
  18. ^ "HS2 Ltd awards landmark rolling stock contracts to Hitachi-Alstom joint venture". hs2.org. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  19. ^ Kennedy, Catherine (28 June 2021). "HS2 reaches out of court settlement with Talgo in train procurement dispute". New Civil Engineer. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  20. ^ "Siemens scraps legal challenge to British train order". Reuters. 10 December 2021. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  21. ^ Gill, Oliver (9 December 2021). "Germany's Siemens abandons HS2 contract battle". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  22. ^ "Siemens Mobility Ltd v High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd [2023] EWHC 2768 (TCC)" (PDF). BAILII. 6 November 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2024.
  23. ^ a b c Kennedy, Catherine (9 December 2021). "HS2's £2bn train contracts finally awarded after Covid delays and legal wrangling". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  24. ^ "Hitachi and Alstom win order to build and maintain High Speed Two trains in Britain". Alstom. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  25. ^ "Hitachi and Alstom win order to build and maintain High Speed Two trains in Britain". Mynewsdesk. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  26. ^ "HS2 trains to be built in County Durham bringing jobs to the region". ITV News. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  27. ^ Sapién, Josephine Cordero (9 December 2021). "BREAKING: Alstom and Hitachi Win HS2 Rolling Stock Contract". Railway-News. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  28. ^ "Hitachi and Alstom win order to build and maintain High Speed Two trains in Britain". Hitachi. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024.
  29. ^ Torr, George (19 October 2024). "HS2 interiors to be built by Derby train-maker Alstom unveiled". BBC News. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  30. ^ Topham, Gwyn (18 October 2024). "'Best-in-class' seats and no bog-standard loos: first look at HS2 train interiors". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  31. ^ "Government awards HS2 rolling stock contract". GOV.UK. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  32. ^ "HS2 trains gain global recognition for reduced carbon impacts". Rail Technology Magazine. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  33. ^ "Trains". HS2. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
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