11 September 2026
Luke Myer MP has welcomed a new £1 billion investment in new British-built trains which will bring faster, cleaner and more accessible rail services to Teesside.
The Labour Government confirmed today that 29 new battery-electric trains will be built for Great British Railways, including services running between Manchester Airport and Saltburn through Teesside.
The new five-carriage trains will have 300 seats and level boarding at the vast majority of stations, alongside more space for wheelchairs, families, bicycles and luggage. Battery technology will allow the trains to run without diesel on sections of the route which are not electrified, with a new charging point installed at Saltburn.
The £1 billion deal will also support more than 350 skilled manufacturing jobs at Alstom’s historic Derby works and thousands more jobs throughout the British supply chain.
Luke backed legislation to create Great British Railways last year, bringing track and train together under a single publicly owned body. He argued that years of fragmentation had left passengers on Teesside dealing with unreliable services, poor timetabling and a railway which too often failed to put passengers first.
The new fleet is one of the first major investments from the Labour Government, demonstrating how the new system can bring together improvements to trains and railway infrastructure. Manufacturing is expected to begin in 2028, with the new trains entering passenger service in the 2030s.
Luke Myer MP said:
“This is a huge investment in rail services for Teesside. We’re getting new British-built trains running right through to Saltburn, with more seats, better accessibility and cleaner and smoother journeys.
“I backed Great British Railways because I want a railway which puts passengers first and brings track and train together again. This is exactly the kind of long-term investment we need — better public transport for the North while backing skilled manufacturing jobs here in Britain.”
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:
“This significant investment embodies how GBR will deliver better journeys for people while backing British business.
“Passengers will be able to wave goodbye to overcrowded, delayed diesel trains and step onboard faster electric trains which are fit for the future.”
Chris Jackson, Managing Director at TransPennine Express, said:
“This is a transformational £1 billion investment in the future of rail travel across the North, delivering new trains for our customers as well as new infrastructure, new jobs and long-term economic benefits. Our customers will benefit from more seats and better accessibility, including level boarding.
“Britain has a proud railway heritage, and this project puts the UK at the forefront of the next generation of cleaner rail technology.”