The joint venture of Bombardier and Hitachi has submitted its ‘Great British’ train proposal to High Speed Two (HS2) to design, build and maintain at least 54 trains for Phase One in a contract worth £2.75 billion.
Hitachi has pioneered Japan’s world-renowned Shinkansen ‘bullet trains’ while Bombardier offers a depth of international experience from its high speed trains operating in Europe and on the world’s largest network in China.
Working together, the two companies together delivered in 2015 the Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) ETR1000 for Trenitalia , which is the fastest yet quietest in-service high speed train in Europe. Operating at speeds up to 225 mph, it has transformed passenger experience and connectivity across Italy.
The success of this partnership, and train design, was recognised by Trenitalia which placed a further order for 14 new trains in June 2019.
Alongside London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, HS2 services will also serve destinations beyond the core HS2 network, including York, Newcastle, Liverpool, the North West, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
A decision on rolling stock supply is expected in Spring 2020.
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