Alstom secures a contract extension from TransPennine Express to maintain Class 397 fleet

29 July 2024, Alstom has signed a 10.4 million GBP contract extension with TPE to maintain its Class 397 fleet. The contract will see Alstom continue to offer train maintenance, stabling, servicing and cleaning services for 12 five-car Class 397 EMUs, known as Nova 2s.

The work for TransPennine Express will continue to be carried out of Alstom’s Traincare Centres in Manchester and Glasgow; two of five similar facilities the company operates along the West Coast Main Line. The contract supports more than 50 roles across the two sites, including production managers, site operatives and train movement operators.

Alstom’s Manchester Traincare Centre at Longsight can accommodate almost 300 rail vehicles at one time - making it one of the biggest of its kind in the UK - and is the home depot for the Nova 2s. Meanwhile, Alstom’s Glasgow Traincare Centre at Polmadie typically welcomes 17 trains per day, including Class 397 units.

Built by CAF and owned by Eversholt Rail, the Class 397 EMUs originally entered service in November 2019. They carry passengers on TransPennine North West services between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport to Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central via Preston.

Since entering passenger service, the Class 397 fleet has travelled more than eight million miles – an average of 688,000 miles per unit. Under the contract extension, Alstom will continue to maintain the fleet until at least December 2025.