Hitachi, Alstom win contract for Britain’s HS2 rail project
11:34 JST, December 16, 2021
LONDON — A joint venture between Hitachi, Ltd. and Alstom SA of France has won a £1.97 billion (about ¥300 billion) contract to supply next-generation high-speed trains for Britain’s High Speed Two (HS2) railway line project.
The companies announced on Dec. 9 that the venture will design, build and maintain 54 trains for the HS2 project, which will initially link London and England’s Midlands region.
They will “deliver Europe’s fastest operational train, capable of operating at maximum speeds of 360 kilometers per hour,” according to the Alstom website.
The high-speed railway will link London to Birmingham in Phase 1 of the project, and then to Manchester in Phase 2. Phase 1 is expected to be completed between 2029 and 2033.
According to Hitachi, the newly designed trains will be able to run on conventional lines all the way to northern Scotland.
Hitachi and Alstom received the order for Phase 1, which involves the manufacture of 54 eight-car, 200-meter-long high-speed trains. The contract also includes a 12-year maintenance deal.
In 2018, Hitachi and Canada’s Bombardier Inc. announced the submission of a joint bid to build high-speed trains for the HS2 project, claiming that it would create jobs in Britain and strengthen the skills and parts-supply network.
After the bidding, Bombardier’s railroad business was acquired by Alstom.
The British government has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, and is promoting the development of a rail network with high energy efficiency.
In expectation that new railroad lines and trains will be built and renewed globally, Hitachi built a new plant in Britain in 2015 to manufacture, maintain and inspect railcars.
The company is also putting a lot of effort into next-generation technologies, such as IT services for fleet management and ticket payment systems.
"Society" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
M6.0 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Tohoku Region; Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi Prefectures Observe 4 on Japanese Scale With No Risk of Tsunami
-
Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
-
U.S. 7th Fleet officer Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Sushi, Sashimi, Chicken at Kanagawa Shopping Mall; Suspect Caught Mid-Meal
-
Tsunami Advisory for Okinawa Lifted at Noon (UPDATE 2)
-
JAL Airplane Experiences Radio Malfunction During Flight, Lands Safely By Relying on Light Signals
JN ACCESS RANKING
- M6.0 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Tohoku Region; Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi Prefectures Observe 4 on Japanese Scale With No Risk of Tsunami
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- U.S. 7th Fleet officer Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Sushi, Sashimi, Chicken at Kanagawa Shopping Mall; Suspect Caught Mid-Meal
- UNRWA Director Describes Catastrophic Destruction in Gaza; Says Relief Trucks Robbed, ‘People’s Hearts Destroyed’