c2c passengers will benefit from thousands of extra seats within the next four years thanks to a £100m+ deal for new trains signed by Trenitalia c2c, Bombardier and Porterbrook and agreed with the Department for Transport.
The deal will see 60 Bombardier Aventra carriages delivered to c2c from summer 2021 – up to three years earlier than previously planned. The new fleet will add nearly 20% more seats and capacity for over 5,000 more passengers to c2c’s current fleet and meet the expected future local passenger growth across south Essex and east London.
The Aventra is one of the fastest-selling trains in the UK rail industry, and these new trains will be manufactured at Bombardier’s factory in Derby. Each new train will operate in a fixed set of 10-carriages, and will include over 900 seats, plus air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, plug sockets and three toilets onboard. Each new Aventra carriage will be five metres longer than c2c’s current Class 357 Electrostars, and each 10-carriage Aventra set will provide capacity for 15% more passengers onboard compared to a 12-carriage 357.
The delivery programme for new trains has been accelerated by c2c following its acquisition by Italian rail giants Trenitalia earlier this year. The entire new fleet is scheduled to be delivered from summer 2021, instead of c2c’s original franchise plan which included a phased delivery until 2024.
Trenitalia UK Managing Director Ernesto Sicilia said: “We are delighted to announce this deal, which demonstrates our focus on long-term investments in the UK market and our desire to constantly improve the standing of our trains and to deliver visible and valuable improvements on our services. Since our entrance in the UK market the original new trains’ investment plan, which included a phased delivery until 2024, has been accelerated overall and we are extremely proud that the new fleet will start to be delivered from summer 2021, 3 years earlier than what was originally planned.”
Rail Minister Paul Maynard said: “We are making the biggest investment in the railways since Victorian times to meet the growing demand for rail travel and improve both journey times and passenger comfort.”
“These British-built Bombardier trains, which are coming into service earlier than planned, will provide much needed extra capacity for thousands of passengers across London and Essex, and also come with facilities such as Wi-Fi, air-conditioning and plug sockets.”