Hull Trains invited the media to Hitachi Rail’s Doncaster depot to see the types of trains coming to Hull later this year
Media from across the region got a first glimpse at the trains set to revolutionise Hull Trains’ services to the capital later this year.
From December 2019 onwards, customers will benefit from more seating capacity, enhanced interiors and faster speeds as part of a major £60million investment.
Hull Trains will be replacing its current fleet of 180s with a set of five hi-tech Hitachi trains, based on Japanese bullet train technology.
An example of how First Class could look
Hitachi is making great progress on the trains, which have been built in Japan and prepared for service in Italy before they come to the UK ready for staff training.
The regional media, including BBC Look North, BBC Radio Humberside, Hull Daily Mail, KCFM and ITV Calendar, all had the opportunity to understand the significant investment that Hull Trains and its parent company, FirstGroup, is making to benefit the Hull and East Yorkshire region with their own eyes.
Hull Trains M.D. Louise Cheeseman in the driver's cab
The livery and the interiors will look different to the train shown, with the Hull Trains team having a significant input to shape the look for the new trains. The images shown do not reflect the final interiors for the Hull Trains services.
On top of extra seating capacity and extra features, customers will still be able to enjoy free Wi-Fi for the entire journey whether in standard or first class.
Louise Cheeseman, Managing Director for Hull Trains, said: “Everyone that is involved with Hull Trains, from customers, key stakeholders and our team, is getting very excited about the arrival of our new trains.
“We’ve worked very closely with Hitachi to make our vision for these trains a reality and we can already see the amazing changes that they will make to our customers’ journeys.
“These trains will transform travel between London and Hull and we cannot wait until they are here.”