Bombardier to supply 'state-of-the-art' trains for British rail franchise in £895m deal

Canadian manufacturing giant Bombardier has signed a nine-figure contract to provide new vehicles for operation on the South Western rail franchise in the UK.

The £895m deal will see the company’s rail technology arm, Bombardier Transportation, supply and maintain 750 Aventra trains for British transport firms FirstGroup and MTR.

The procurement, which Bombardier said is the largest ever signed for its Aventra vehicles, will be financed by UK-based rolling stock investment consortium Rock Rail.

FirstGroup and MTR are set to take over the South Western franchise on August 20 this year.

The Aventra trains, which will be supplied in both five- and ten-car configurations, will operate on the Reading, Windsor and West London suburban routes.

Steve Montgomery, managing director of First Rail, said: “We have exciting plans for the South Western rail franchise and these new trains are an important step on the way to delivering an improved journey experience for our passengers.

“We know from listening to passengers and stakeholders that alongside improved performance, what they want to see is additional seats and we will deliver this via these state-of-the-art trains.”

Bombardier Transportation’s UK managing director, Richard Hunter, commented: “We are thrilled to have won this important contract. It demonstrates further confidence placed in this market leading rolling stock, designed and built in Britain.

“Aventra offers enhanced performance and increased passenger capacity, which will play an important part in helping First/MTR satisfy continued levels of passenger growth on the South Western network.”

He continued: “The contract builds upon our strong credentials, following the selection of Aventra for Crossrail and LOTRAIN in London, as well as for the East Anglia franchise.

“We look forward to deepening our collaborative relationship with First/MTR.”

The new trains will start coming into service from mid-2019, with all due to be operating by December 2020.