TransPennine Express (TPE) has today, Monday 12 November 2018, announced that the first of the brand-new Nova 3 trains will now enter service slightly later than planned.
CAF, the train manufacturer, recently made TPE aware of a technical issue with a key on board system and they are working hard to ensure this is addressed as soon as possible prior to delivery of the trains to TPE.
TPE are confident that customers will start to see new trains in service by spring next year and the issue does not affect the other two new Nova fleets, Nova 2 and 1, which customers will also experience next year. All three fleets of new trains plus an extra 13 million seats are still on track to be delivered by 2020.
Leo Goodwin, TPE Managing Director, said: “While we are keen to start the roll out of the Nova 3s as soon as possible, it is important that we allow CAF to address the issue identified during the train testing process. It was hoped that our customers would start to experience these new trains before the end of the year, but we will all now have to wait until the New Year.
“This issue does not affect the other Nova fleets, we will start to see new trains in service by spring next year, and we are still on track to complete the roll out of all three fleets of trains by 2020. This is a hugely exciting and ambitious project that will provide our customers with extra seats, extra space and a whole new experience when travelling with us.
“We will continue to work with CAF to ensure that we can get the trains onto our network as soon as possible. It may be a short delay to the programme, but it will definitely be worth the wait.”
Richard Garner, UK Director for CAF, said: “We are working closely with TPE to resolve the technical issue. Our trains undergo thorough, detailed testing in order to ensure that when they enter service, they provide the customer with a reliable, comfortable and high-quality service.
“When the Nova 3 trains enter service in the new year, we believe the customer will see a huge step change in their travelling experience.”
Once in service, the Nova 3 trains will operate on the route between Liverpool, Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, York, Scarborough and Middlesbrough.
TPE is delivering an investment of £500million in the next two years in more services, extra seats and brand-new trains for customers across the North and into Scotland.
