FirstGroup advances its plans for open access expansion

Order for new trains at Newton Aycliffe is welcome, but where are the ambitions for new stock with low floors to promote greater accessibility? asks PHILIP HAIGH

Philip Haigh Transport writer

“I made a promise to the workforce of the Newton Aycliffe factory and today, I’m delivering on that promise.” So said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on a visit to Hitachi’s factory on December 6. He was celebrating Hitachi winning a deal to build 14 five-car trains - great news for a factory that’s been facing an uncertain future, as its order book dwindled to nothing. Yet Starmer’s claim stands little scrutiny when faced with the reality that this welcome order comes from a private open access operator ordering trains with funding from a private rolling stock company. The only slight claim his government has is that it’s not wiped open access operators from the rail map while it extinguishes private operators working to government contracts (what we once called…

You're reading a preview of

RAIL (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 1025

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.