Arriva Group is announcing today that it will lease nine new battery hybrid trains costing about £300 million to replace its existing Grand Central fleet.

The 45 Hitachi tri-mode vehicles will be owned by Angel Trains and the lease will run for 10 years. The fleet will be built by Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham and should be delivered in 2028.

The trains will be able to generate electricity using diesel engines, or draw their power directly from the overhead or batteries.

Arriva said the order follows Office of Rail and Road approval for Grand Central’s track access rights to be extended to 2038, and that the battery element of the order provides ‘a new advanced manufacturing opportunity’ for the factory and the wider supply chain.

The new trains will increase seat numbers by 20 per cent, which means another 400,000 seats will be available over a year. The trains could be used on other routes in the future, because of their multiple traction modes. They are also expected to reduce noise and emissions.

Arriva UK Trains managing director Amanda Furlong said: ‘This major investment underscores our commitment to the UK market. We are proud to connect under-served communities with regional and national centres, helping make sustainable train travel the easy choice.

‘These best-in-class, greener trains will deliver more comfortable journeys and a step-change in capacity on our popular Grand Central services. We look forward to announcing further rolling stock orders, providing jobs and wider economic benefits, as and when our network grows.’

The order has come as private sector train operators continue to push for more open access routes as the former franchises are progressively renationalised, although the Department for Transport has declined to support all the outstanding open access applications except one from Alstom for London to Wrexham. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has also indicated that she may change the formal guidance she gives to the ORR about open access operation.

She said: ‘Just four months since the Prime Minister and I welcomed a significant deal for Hitachi and its workforce in Newton Aycliffe, this new £300 million investment marks yet another step forward in securing the future of rail manufacturing in the North East.

‘Not only will this new battery technology deliver greener journeys for passengers, but it will also boost skills for the workforce and futureproof jobs here in Newton Aycliffe as we continue to deliver a railway fit for the 21st century.’

Arriva is awaiting a decision from the Office of Rail and Road after it applied in March for new track access rights for direct services between Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Habrough, Scunthorpe and London.

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