News

Arriva Group has announced an order of nine five-car battery hybrid trains (electricity, battery, diesel, EBDMU) by Hitachi Rail to replace its entire Grand Central fleet. 

Hitachi Rail on InnoTrans 2024 introduced the Frecciarossa 1000 unit (ETR 400 series according to the Italian scheme), specifically four cars from the Trenitalia’s ETR 400 061.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited on 6 December 2024 Newton Aycliffe to celebrate a significant agreement for the Hitachi Rail factory which has secured an order of around 500 million GBP to manufacture 14 new five-car class 80X trains for FirstGroup, including maintenance over a ten year lease period.

In early February 2025, HÜBNER Group signed a contract with Hitachi Rail to supply up to 280 gangway systems between 2025 and 2029 for the new ETR 1000 high-speed trains.

On 11 November 2024, Avanti West Coast’s 350 million GBP investment in its new Evero fleet reached an important milestone with their first run in service on the Liverpool to London route.

On 8 November 2024, Angel Trains, Hitachi Rail and TransPennine Express celebrated the successful completion of the UK’s first intercity battery trial in the North of England.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) shared first look at the interiors of their new Aurora fleet.

The UK’s pioneering intercity battery train began testing on the national network in late August. This key milestone will see the battery technology trialled on routes between York to Manchester Airport and Leeds to Liverpool Lime Street over the next eight weeks.

On 13 June 2024, a Frecciarossa 1000 from the production of the Italian Hitachi Rail arrived in Velim.

Milano’s subway system is gearing up for a green makeover with the integration of electric motors made in Austria. Following their success in buses and trams, Traktionssysteme Austria’s electric motors will now power the first batch of 21 new metro trains, worth 168 million EUR, serving lines M1 and M3.

On 16 March 2024, with the new timetable for Japan's rail network, the new Class E8 Shinkansen will enter commercial service on Tokyo - Yamagata route.

In early 2024, Hitachi Rail has successfully completed the first dynamic test of its digital signalling technology for the Paris - Lyon high speed line.

ZF will equip the metros built by Hitachi Rail for Italy's two largest cities of Milan and Rome with the latest generation of its two-stage spur gear drive.

The livery for Avanti West Coast’s new fleet has been revealed for the first time at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe works.

The high speed trains due to start running on the HS2 rail network within 10 years have been marked out as the most environmentally-friendly in the world.