Hitachi wins order of 70 EMUs for Abellio Scotrail

[43074]

http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...ed-for-scottish-emu-contract.html?channel=542

THE operator of the new ScotRail franchise Abellio confirmed on October 9 that it has selected Hitachi for a contract to supply at least 70 EMUs for use on regional services in central Scotland.

The order – the first for Hitachi's recently-unveiled AT200 range of multiple units – comprises a total of 234 vehicles which will be formed into 46 three-car and 24 four-car sets. Abellio says it will order 10 additional trains if Transport Scotland exercises an option for a three-year franchise extension.

The 160km/h 25kV ac trains will enter service from December 2017 on the newly-electrified lines from Edinburgh to Glasgow (via Falkirk), Stirling, and Dunblane. Abellio says the trains will also be used on other routes.

Hitachi will assemble the trains at its Newton Aycliffe facility in northeast England.

Good news for the North East, although I'm surprised they're not opting for more 380s.

Any thoughts on the train's front end design? I quite like it myself but I guess I will be in a minority!

 

[jopsuk]

I like them too! They won't work with the 380s- I can see the Dunbar and North Berwick services going over to these leaving the 380s operating out of Glasgow Central

 

[ScotGG]

They look good. This is what happens when you have devolution, local control and the Barnett formula. Unlucky to many in the north of England, south west etc rattling around on busy services on clapped out diesel stock as Westminster & Whitehall dictate what you get.

 

[samuelmorris]

I much prefer the version without the front end gangway!

Good to see Hitachi see a second order though, makes it seem less likely that Newton Aycliffe would be a one-shot affair for IEP - livens up the rolling stock scene in the UK a little as well. One wonders how many of the features being touted for the AT200 will make it into active service!

 

[59CosG95]

Any thoughts on the train's front end design? I quite like it myself but I guess I will be in a minority!

It's like the original plan for the 150/2 fleet again- and I LIKE it! No more intrusive yellow spoiling the navy blue!

 

[Topgun333]

Presumably a bad hit for the likes of Bombardier though.

 

[Olaf]

Is that front-end the final design, or an artists impression?

The rake of windscreen and the end-gangway together look like they will impare the driver's viability.

 

[anthony263]

Presumably a bad hit for the likes of Bombardier though.

Maybe it will be a good thing and keep the other manufacturers on their toes.

Dont forget Bombardier have recently had large contracts for London Underground, Overground & Crossrail while Seimens have Thameslink.

 

[47802]

Presumably a bad hit for the likes of Bombardier though.

Indeed and Hitachi now basing themselves here with the assembly plant is going to make things more difficult for Bombardier going forward but of course if the new Aventra proves to be a good product they can still win more orders and Bombardier may still get the final proposed orders for Electrostars.

 

[tbtc]

I like them too! They won't work with the 380s- I can see the Dunbar and North Berwick services going over to these leaving the 380s operating out of Glasgow Central

I've not done the maths, but am wondering if this will mean that the Ayr/Glasgow Central - Edinburgh/ North Berwick services will be split at some stage.

A minor detail in the grand scheme of things, admittedly (EGIP electrification means any Glasgow service to East Lothian could be from Queen Street, after all)

This is what happens when you have devolution, local control and the Barnett formula. Unlucky to many in the north of England, south west etc rattling around on busy services on clapped out diesel stock as Westminster & Whitehall dictate what you get.

Wheesht with the trolling

It's like the original plan for the 150/2 fleet again- and I LIKE it! No more intrusive yellow spoiling the navy blue!

I like the lack of yellow too - makes for a much more attractive front end

Presumably a bad hit for the likes of Bombardier though.

True - if Hitachi get the IEP right then they could be entering the UK market at a really good time (with several EMU orders potentially up for grabs over the next decade).

 

[61653 HTAFC]

So far I seem to be in the minority, but I'd prefer more yellow on the front. Having just the gangway door looks odd, and I'd guess they'd look really untidy by 6pm each evening.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

What an ugly looking thing.

 

[tjlrailblue]

what will these trains be replacing? 170s?

 

[David Goddard]

Well at least we now have some movement on what will be procured for the Central Belt.
Will be interesting to see whether the four cars get concentrated on EGIP or used on all routes.
This will of course start another DMU cascade, and along with the transfer in of HSTs I would expect a good number of 158s or 170s to move South of the border.

 

[RichmondCommu]

What an ugly looking thing.

I wouldn't worry as rail users are unlikely to notice. To most people it will just be another train.

 

[David Goddard]

Sadly a train is a train and a bus is a bus to most users

 

[WatcherZero]

I presume these will still be 23m rather than average 20m EMU, as was a specific tender requirement due to not wanting to lose space compared to 170's yet needing to keep to existing platform lengths?

 

[RichmondCommu]

Sadly a train is a train and a bus is a bus to most users

I concur but I don't see any harm in that.

 

[92002]

Well at least we now have some movement on what will be procured for the Central Belt.
Will be interesting to see whether the four cars get concentrated on EGIP or used on all routes.
This will of course start another DMU cascade, and along with the transfer in of HSTs I would expect a good number of 158s or 170s to move South of the border.

Looking like the 3 car sets will do Glasgow/Edinburgh to Dunblane and Alloa, as well as Airdrie to Bathgate and Edinburgh. With 334s going back to South Glasgow services. Whilst 4 cars will concentrate on the electrified Glasgow to Edinburgh. Eventually seeing 314s going for scrap.

Presumably the 4 car version needs to be the first to be produced.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Any thoughts on the train's front end design?

I can see the nickname now.... "Daleks".

 

[fgwrich]

Looking like the 3 car sets will do Glasgow/Edinburgh to Dunblane and Alloa, as well as Airdrie to Bathgate and Edinburgh. With 334s going back to South Glasgow services. Whilst 4 cars will concentrate on the electrified Glasgow to Edinburgh. Eventually seeing 314s going for scrap.

Presumably the 4 car version needs to be the first to be produced.

I've got a feeling that wont be the case - Apart from being interlinked with the Helensburgh Lower - Airdrie 'SPT' services, IIRC I thought the other reason why the 380s didn't work the route was because of their 23M Car length? Having said that though the Caledonian Sleeper is routed via that line which does have 23M length Mk3s.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Could we eventually see Scotrail ordering a load more of them and the 380s moving away to replace really old stock somewhere else?

 

[NotATrainspott]

Could we eventually see Scotrail ordering a load more of them and the 380s moving away to replace really old stock somewhere else?

Transport Scotland have a Section 54 agreement with Eversholt about their continued use up to a date so it wouldn't be fantastically easy.

 

[jopsuk]

It'll be interesting to see what the internal layout is for these. If the four cars have 1st class and the 3 cars don't, then that all but confirms the 4-car fleet as a dedicated E-G trains.

 

[MCR247]

Will they have some sort of buffet since they're replacing the HSTs on E-G?

 

[Altnabreac]

Could we eventually see Scotrail ordering a load more of them and the 380s moving away to replace really old stock somewhere else?

Also this order runs until 2025 by which point the Class 318s will be getting on for 40 years old and the 320s will be 35 years old. Any additional EMU orders in the mid 2020s are likely to be focussing on replacing the 318s and 320s rather than displacing 380s.

 

[clc]

Will the E-G trains have those full width gangways shown in some of the photos?

 

[sprinterguy]

Will they have some sort of buffet since they're replacing the HSTs on E-G?

I don't follow. Edinburgh to Glasgow is, and will continue to be, worked by 170s until electrification.

 

[59CosG95]

I don't follow. Edinburgh to Glasgow is, and will continue to be, worked by 170s until electrification.

I think MCR247 might be referring to the East Coast/Crosscountry HST/225 sets, which have buffet cars.

 

[sprinterguy]

I think MCR247 might be referring to the East Coast/Crosscountry HST/225 sets, which have buffet cars.

There's only a couple of those between the two cities each day, though, and not even on the route(s) that the new Hitachi trains are going to serve (Save for a handful of through North Berwick trains via Carstairs (if they are retained and are worked by the new units), which don't have buffet facilities at present anyway!).