East Midlands Railway has released a documentary that offers an insight into the ongoing project of building a brand new train fleet for the region
Filmmakers have captured behind-the-scenes footage at Hitachi Rail's factory at Newton Aycliffe which reveals how the new Intercity fleet, which is made up of 33 five-carriage trains, are being manufactured.
The documentary also features interviews with Hitachi engineers who discuss the processes of welding, assembling, and painting the Class 810 units alongside what working on such a special project means to them.
EMR staff also discuss how the business is readying itself to operate the brand new trains such as the multi-million new investment at Derby's Etches Park train depot which will eventually home the Auroras.
The film also looks at the challenges faced by the ambitious project and the complex nature of bringing new trains to the region, the benefits of using local suppliers and the exciting new features customers can enjoy once the fleet enters service.
The Aurora fleet will bring substantial advances when compared to the current fleet and passengers will no doubt enjoy the extra seating and modern interiors. Further features on the new Aurora fleet will see air conditioning, free WiFi throughout, plug sockets and improved passenger information screens.
You can view the documentary below:
Rachel Turner, Head of New Trains at East Midlands Railway, said: “We hope our customers enjoy watching this documentary which clearly highlights the passion, expertise and commitment of the people involved in bringing our new fleet of trains to our region.”
Amy Webb, Head of EMR Programme at Hitachi Rail said: “This behind-the-scenes documentary unveils the effort and collaboration required to manufacture brand new trains for EMR passengers. It's also fantastic that the factory team gets the chance to show the talent and heart that goes into Hitachi's British built trains.”
I hope that Hitachi can sort out the ongoing problems with the Class 800 and Class 802 IETs that have experienced fatigue cracks that were first discovered on Great Western Railway and LNER Azuma rolling stocks. And with Avanti West Coast that have ordered the Class 805 and Class 807 AT300s.
That’s great, but will they ride as well or be as comfortable as the HST’s? Sadly I suspect not.