Whilst High Speed 2 (HS2) causes more than a few political headaches, manufacturers are getting on with the process of unveiling designs for new trains.
Alstom has revealed theirs today, as part of the Avelia high speed family of trains
Alstom Avelia HS2 Train – Image, Alstom
The design for the HS2 trains have some limitations – this design being the “Classic compatible” trains that will allow them to use HS2, as well as the current rail infrastructure (such as the West Coast Main Line, East Coast Main Line and Midland Main Line).
The Avelia family can trace its routes to the TGV family, Eurostar e300 (the original Eurostar trains), Amtrak’s Acela and so on.
Alstom calls this design “a world-class, modern and flexible train”.
The design is part of its HS2 rolling stock bid, which HS2 Ltd intends to award in 2020. No specifications about the interiors have been given.
In quotes
Nick Crossfield, Managing Director for Alstom in UK and Ireland says:
“Alstom’s vision is to make HS2 trains a timeless design classic, with a passenger experience that is as smooth, calm and spacious as it is high speed. Alstom is excited to unveil this proposed train for HS2, which is the most important economic regeneration project in Britain for decades. It will knit together the great cities of the midlands and the north as never before, and turbo-charge our regional economies.”
This proposed train for HS2 Ltd builds on Alstom’s unmatched experience in high speed rolling stock which includes being:
Time for others to show their hands?
There’s not a lot of time before 2020 – and it will be interesting to see what other manufacturers come up with (such as Bombardier and Siemens) come up with in terms of trains for both the “classic compatible” and “HS2 network” only routes
With 60 trainsets needed in the first phase – a lot of money is riding on this.
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