UK orders Europe’s fastest train in massive deal

PARIS: Britain will get Europe’s “fastest operational train” for its new high-speed rail line under a huge deal with a Franco-Japanese joint venture, the companies said in a statement on Thursday.

French firm Alstom and Japan’s Hitachi Rail will build 54 trains under contracts worth nearly £2 billion ($2.6 billion, 2.3 billion euros) signed with HS2, a government-funded company, they said in a joint statement.

The manufacturers “will deliver Europe’s fastest operational train”, capable of running at maximum speeds of 225 miles per hour (360 kilometres/hour), the statement said.

The fully electric trains will run on the new HS2 railway being built between London, the West Midlands and Crewe.

They will also operate on the existing rail network to places, including Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester.

“Today’s announcement places Britain firmly at the forefront of the high-speed rail revolution with these state-of-the-art trains serving communities right across the country from London to Glasgow,” Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement.