TPE says the Hitachi-built trains mark a “major milestone for rail customers across the North and Scotland”.
The bullet train-style, five-carriage trains will bring additional capacity on services between Manchester, Leeds, York, Newcastle, Morpeth and Edinburgh.
All the new trains will offer free wifi access in both first and standard class, plus plug sockets and USB points and access to complimentary Exstream entertainment.
Testing of Nova 2 and Nova 3 trains continues, with the latter entering service towards the end of the summer. A date for Nova 1 trains entering service is still to be confirmed.
“The acceptance of the first Nova 1 train is a key step towards the introduction of more trains and more carriages for customers,” says Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express.
“Together with our partners, we are working hard to get each of our Nova fleets into service as soon as possible. By the end of this year, trains from all three fleets will be operating across the North and into Scotland, providing 13 million extra seats.”
Karen Boswell, Managing Director, Hitachi Rail, adds: “This is another fantastic milestone which will soon see the Northern Powerhouse connected with modern reliable trains. They will double the number of seats for TransPennine passengers on intercity services between major cities across the North.”
