Alstom secures £84m deal to maintain Class 180 trains in UK

Alstom will provide the materials, parts, technical and engineering support needed to maintain the fleet of Class 180s

Alstom has been awarded a 10-year, €100 million (£84 million) contract to provide maintenance support for the Class 180 trains operated by Grand Central Railway Company. The contract will run from January 2017 until December 2026.

Grand Central Railway operates five Class 180 trains between London Kings Cross and Yorkshire and the North East, but in 2017 will expand its fleet to 10 trains.

Alstom will provide Grand Central with the specialised materials, parts, technical and engineering support needed to maintain its fleet of 10 Class 180s. The support team for the fleet will be based initially at Alstom's Chester Traincare Centre and will then co-locate with the Grand Central fleet operations team at its East Coast mainline maintenance location later in 2018.

Nick Crossfield, managing director at Alstom in UK & Ireland, said: "We're delighted to be extending our contract with Grand Central and even happier that our support for the Class 180 trains is set to continue. It's important that they are well maintained so that passengers can continue to enjoy the benefits the trains offer. That is why we've extended our commitment and look forward to doing so for the foreseeable future."

The Class 180 fleet was built by Alstom at Washwood Heath, Birmingham between 2000 and 2001. Part of Alstom's Coradia range, the Class 180 is one of the few diesel multiple-unit trains that can reach speeds of up to 200km per hour.