The Department for Transport has announced government support for an around £1 billion investment in 29 new battery-electric TransPennine Express trains, to be built by Alstom in Derby. They will cut Manchester to Leeds journeys by up to 10 minutes and Manchester to York by up to 14 minutes, entering service from winter 2034.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED The Department for Transport has announced government support for an around £1 billion investment in 29 new battery-electric TransPennine Express trains, to be built by Alstom in Derby. They will cut Manchester to Leeds journeys by up to 10 minutes and Manchester to York by up to 14 minutes, entering service from winter 2034.
- The Department for Transport announced government support for an around £1 billion investment in 29 new battery-electric TransPennine Express trains on 11 September 2026.
- The trains will be built by Alstom at Litchurch Lane Works in Derby and are described as the UK's first battery-electric trains for long-distance main line services.
- Journey times will be up to 10 minutes faster between Manchester and Leeds and up to 14 minutes faster between Manchester and York.
- The trains are due to be built from 2028 and enter service from winter 2034 on routes including Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough, Manchester Airport to Saltburn, and Manchester Piccadilly to Hull.
KEY FACTS
- Investment: Around £1 billion
- Trains: 29 Alstom Adessia Stream battery-electric, built in Derby
- Journey time: Up to 10 min faster Manchester to Leeds, 14 min to York
- Capacity: Transpennine Route Upgrade target: +30%, thousands more seats a day
- Built from: 2028
- In service: Winter 2034
- Jobs: 350+ in Derby, 80 apprentices and students, ~6,000 supply chain
- Owner: Bought by Rock Rail, leased to TransPennine Express
What the Department for Transport announced
This article is built from a Department for Transport press release of 11 September 2026. The image is Crown copyright, reproduced under the Open Government Licence. Kael Tripton's analysis is labelled separately.
On 11 September 2026 the Department for Transport announced government support for an around £1 billion investment in 29 new battery-electric TransPennine Express trains. The trains will be built by Alstom at Litchurch Lane Works in Derby. They are described as the UK's first battery-electric trains for long-distance main line services and will run emission-free on non-electrified sections of track. The announcement sets out a fleet that is intended to replace diesel operation on long-distance services across the Pennines, using battery power where overhead wires are not available and electric power where they are.
The Department for Transport said the trains support the Transpennine Route Upgrade's ambition of 30 per cent more capacity, with thousands of extra seats a day across the Pennines by the early to mid-2030s. The trains are due to be built from 2028 and enter service from winter 2034. The routes named in the announcement are Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough, Manchester Airport to Saltburn, and Manchester Piccadilly to Hull. The government said the order forms part of a wider programme of investment in the route between the North West, Yorkshire and the North East.
Faster journeys: the times and the routes
The Department for Transport said journey times will be up to 10 minutes faster between Manchester and Leeds and up to 14 minutes faster between Manchester and York. Those figures are attributed to the new trains and the wider Transpennine Route Upgrade. The same announcement states that the upgrade aims for 30 per cent more capacity, with thousands of extra seats a day across the Pennines by the early to mid-2030s. The routes listed for the new fleet are Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough, Manchester Airport to Saltburn, and Manchester Piccadilly to Hull.
The trains are due to be built from 2028 and enter service from winter 2034. Until then, passengers on the same corridors will continue to travel on the existing diesel fleet while the Transpennine Route Upgrade continues. The Department for Transport has not said what the new trains will mean for fares. The announcement focuses on journey times, capacity, accessibility and the industrial impact of the order rather than on ticket prices. Passengers can still claim Delay Repay for disruption under the existing scheme, and engineering works should be checked before travelling.
What passengers will notice on board
The Department for Transport said passengers will experience quieter, smoother journeys on the new trains. Boarding will be step-free and level, with no platform gap, according to the announcement. Each train will have three wheelchair spaces and two accessible toilets. The trains will also include family areas, cycle and buggy storage, more luggage space, and onboard Wi-Fi. These features are described as part of the passenger offer on the 29 battery-electric trains, which are intended for long-distance main line services rather than short commuter runs.
The level boarding commitment is significant for passengers with reduced mobility, as it removes the need to step up or down between platform and train. The three wheelchair spaces and two accessible toilets per train are specified in the announcement. Family areas, cycle and buggy storage, and more luggage space are aimed at the longer-distance routes the trains will serve, including Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough, Manchester Airport to Saltburn, and Manchester Piccadilly to Hull. Onboard Wi-Fi is also listed. The trains will run emission-free on non-electrified sections, using battery power where overhead wires are absent.
Jobs in Derby and the supply chain
The Department for Transport said the order will support more than 350 skilled jobs in Derby, plus 40 apprentices and 40 students. Around 6,000 jobs across the UK supply chain are linked to the work, and around £360 million is expected for the wider economy. The trains will be built by Alstom at Litchurch Lane Works in Derby. The announcement presents the order as both a transport investment and an industrial one, tying the fleet to UK manufacturing capacity and skills.
The Transpennine Route Upgrade has already spent over £1 billion with local businesses, employs 5,000 people, and aims for 8,000 roles over its lifetime. Those figures are separate from the train order but form part of the same programme of work across the Pennines. The Department for Transport said the combination of the train order and the route upgrade supports jobs in Derby and across the supply chain. The 40 apprentices and 40 students are part of the Derby build programme, which is due to start in 2028.
Who pays and who owns the trains
The trains will be bought by rolling stock company Rock Rail and leased to TransPennine Express, which is publicly owned under Great British Railways. That structure means the public operator will pay lease charges rather than buying the trains outright. The Department for Transport announced government support for an around £1 billion investment, but the ownership and financing route runs through Rock Rail as the rolling stock company. TransPennine Express operates under Great British Railways, the public ownership body.
The announcement does not set out the lease terms, the length of the lease, or the level of lease charges. It also does not say what the trains will mean for fares. The government has described the investment as support for the fleet, with the trains bought by Rock Rail and leased to the publicly owned operator. Mark Swindell, founder of Rock Rail, said the deal would deliver a step-change in experience and journey times. The Department for Transport said the trains will run emission-free on non-electrified sections and will be the UK's first battery-electric trains for long-distance main line services.
What ministers and operators said
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the trains would bring faster, more reliable journeys to the North and thousands of British jobs, and that Great British Railways is about taking back control of the basics. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said passengers could wave goodbye to overcrowded, delayed diesel trains. Chris Jackson, managing director of TransPennine Express, called it a transformational £1 billion investment with more seats and level boarding. Rob Whyte, Alstom UK managing director, called it a landmark for British engineering. Mark Swindell, founder of Rock Rail, said it would deliver a step-change in experience and journey times.
The quotes were issued as part of the Department for Transport announcement on 11 September 2026. They cover the passenger offer, the industrial impact, and the ownership model. The Prime Minister's comment links the fleet to Great British Railways and to public control of the basics. The Transport Secretary's comment contrasts the new trains with the existing diesel fleet. The TransPennine Express managing director highlights more seats and level boarding. The Alstom UK managing director frames the order as a milestone for British engineering, and the Rock Rail founder points to journey times and onboard experience.
Analysis Kael Tripton analysis: what this means for passengers between now and 2034The 2034 entry date means current TransPennine passengers wait eight years for the benefit while the Transpennine Route Upgrade continues to bring weekend closures and diversions. The trains are due to be built from 2028 and enter service from winter 2034, so the passenger experience on the routes named in the announcement will not change until the new fleet arrives. In the meantime, the route upgrade work will continue to affect journeys, with engineering closures and diversions on the corridors between Manchester, Leeds, York, Hull, Liverpool and the North East. Passengers today can still claim Delay Repay for disruption and should check engineering works before travelling. Battery-electric operation removes the need to electrify every mile, which is why it can be cheaper and quicker than full wiring but depends on charging on the electrified sections. The trains will run emission-free on non-electrified sections, using battery power where overhead wires are absent. That approach avoids the cost and disruption of wiring the entire route, but it places a dependency on the electrified parts of the network to charge the batteries. A Rock Rail lease means the public operator pays lease charges from fare and subsidy income rather than buying outright. The government has not said what the trains mean for fares. The Department for Transport announcement sets out journey times, capacity, accessibility and jobs, but it does not address ticket prices or the level of lease charges that TransPennine Express will pay. |
Related coverage on Kael Tripton: Train delayed in the heat? How Delay Repay works and what you can claim, Wigan and Manchester Train Chaos: How to Claim Delay Repay, 16-17 Saver Railcard: Full-Year Rules and 16-25 Compared, Disabled Persons Railcard: How to Apply and How Much You Save.
For press offices Kael Tripton reports releases from UK public bodies, operators, regulators and consumer brands, with your images credited and a link to your newsroom. Publication is an editorial decision and is never sold. |
RELATED GUIDES
DISCLAIMER
Based on a Department for Transport press release of 11 September 2026 and statements quoted in it. Journey-time and capacity figures are the government's and TransPennine Express's projections for the early to mid-2030s. This is general information, not travel or financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
When will the new TransPennine Express trains enter service?
The Department for Transport said the 29 battery-electric trains are due to be built from 2028 and enter service from winter 2034. That means passengers on the routes named in the announcement will continue to travel on the existing fleet until the new trains arrive. The build will take place at Alstom's Litchurch Lane Works in Derby. The announcement did not give a more precise date within winter 2034.
Which routes will the new trains serve?
The Department for Transport listed three routes for the new fleet: Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough, Manchester Airport to Saltburn, and Manchester Piccadilly to Hull. These are long-distance main line services across the Pennines and beyond. The trains are described as the UK's first battery-electric trains for long-distance main line services and will run emission-free on non-electrified sections. The announcement did not list any other routes for the 29 trains.
How much faster will journeys be?
The Department for Transport said journey times will be up to 10 minutes faster between Manchester and Leeds and up to 14 minutes faster between Manchester and York. The trains also support the Transpennine Route Upgrade's ambition of 30 per cent more capacity, with thousands of extra seats a day across the Pennines by the early to mid-2030s. The figures are attributed to the new trains and the wider route upgrade.
Who owns the new trains and who pays for them?
The trains will be bought by rolling stock company Rock Rail and leased to TransPennine Express, which is publicly owned under Great British Railways. That means the public operator pays lease charges rather than buying the trains outright. The Department for Transport announced government support for an around £1 billion investment. The announcement did not set out the lease terms or the level of lease charges, and it did not say what the trains mean for fares.
What does the investment mean for jobs?
The Department for Transport said the order supports more than 350 skilled jobs in Derby, plus 40 apprentices and 40 students. Around 6,000 jobs across the UK supply chain are linked to the work, and around £360 million is expected for the wider economy. Separately, the Transpennine Route Upgrade has already spent over £1 billion with local businesses, employs 5,000 people, and aims for 8,000 roles over its lifetime.
SOURCES
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-british-built-trains-to-transform-railways-and-reindustrialise-britain - accessed 11 September 2026
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport - accessed 11 September 2026
