Government orders "cleaner, greener, quieter" trains

New hybrid engines, light-weight aluminium shells and longer carriages promise to slash carbon emissions per passenger from the expanded fleet of Intercity trains announced by the government yesterday.

The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed yesterday that it has selected Agility Trains - a consortium comprising John Laing, Hitachi and Barclays - as the preferred bidder for a £7.5bn contract to build and maintain up to 1,400 new Super Express engines and carriages that promise to be faster, cleaner and quieter than the 20- to 30-year-old trains they will replace.

The DfT said that despite being three metres longer than the British Rail IC225 trains they will replace, the use of lightweight materials meant that the new trains will boast faster acceleration, lower carbon emissions and better fuel efficiency.

A spokeswoman for Hitachi said that the trains will feature a lightweight aluminium shell that has been pioneered in Japan as well as lighter engine technologies that mean they should up to 17 per cent lighter than the trains they replace.

The new trains will also be able to carry up to 21 per cent more passengers, and as a result energy consumption per seat will be cut from 0.035kwh to 0.030kwh. Faster journey times that cut the time it takes to get from London to Leeds by 10 minutes will also allow operators to run more services, hopefully encouraging more people to use the rail network.

Alec McTavish, director of policy and operations at the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), said that the new trains, which should be rolled out from 2013, would help make rail travel increasingly attractive to long-distance travellers.

"The fleet will provide long-distance operators with the trains they need to meet the needs of a growing market and passengers with an attractive, cost-effective travel choice, which is essential if rail's potential to reduce the UK's carbon footprint and transport congestion is to be realised," he said.

The government has ordered three versions of the new trains – an electric, diesel and bi-mode variant capable of running on both electric and non-electric lines.

It said that all three versions would make use of the latest energy harvesting technologies to help cut fuel bills. The electric and bi-mode versions incorporate regenerative braking systems capable of recycling power back through the overhead wires when the driver applies the brakes, while the diesel and bi-mode versions will use hybrid power technology similar to that found in hybrid cars, which will reduce fuel consumption by up to 15 per cent.

Transport secretary Geoff Hoon welcomed the move, arguing that the project would create 12,500 jobs and underline the government's willingness to invest in enhancing infrastructure despite "difficult economic times". However, unions immediately questioned the government's projections for job creation, arguing that some of the work on the project would be done overseas.