Teesside MPs have welcomed a £1bn government investment that will fund the construction of 29 new trains, which will travel between Redcar, Middlesbrough and the north west. The new rolling stock is due to be built from 2028 and enter service from winter 2034.
The new British-built fleet of battery-electric Transpennine Express trains are set to shave up to 14 minutes off of journeys between Manchester and York, meaning quicker journeys for those travelling from Teesside to the other side of the pennies.
The government has said that the new trains will help deliver Transpennine Route Upgrade’s ambition to boost capacity by 30% with thousands of additional seats a day across the Pennines by the early to mid-2030s.
Middlesbrough and Thornaby East Labour MP Andy McDonald described the news as a “huge step forward”, saying: “I have long called for improved connectivity of our rail services through Thornaby and Middlesbrough and all points to Saltburn and these state of the art battery-powered trains will deliver that.”
He said that alongside improvements to Middlesbrough railway station, including the new third platform – which is scheduled for 2028 completion – “Teesside will see increasingly improved connectivity”, highlighting more direct London to Middlesbrough services.
McDonald added: “The new trains will operate under the new Great British Railways, established by this Labour Government. This is exactly what I had in mind when I wrote GB Rail White Paper as Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary. I always envisioned a public national rail body being the guiding mind for our railway network and this is what this Labour Government and Great British Railways will deliver.”
Redcar’s Labour MP Anna Turley posted on social media, saying: “These are the first battery-electric trains of their kind on a UK main line, and here’s the bit I’m most excited about: they’ll run zero-emission on the stretch of track into Saltburn that isn’t electrified. That means electric trains reaching our coast for the first time ever, cleaner, quieter and smoother than anything we’ve had before.”
Luke Myer, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, also commented on social media, saying: “Love the look of these new Great British Railways trains”, adding: “They’ve got more seats and better accessibility, and will mean cleaner, smoother journeys. Plus supporting thousands of British jobs! And lots more fleet upgrades on the way, including on the current Northern route.”
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