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Agility Trains
Company typePrivate
Founded2008 (2008)
Headquarters
London
,
England
Websitewww.agilitytrains.com

Agility Trains is a consortium that presently comprised the Japanese rolling stock manufacturer Hitachi, multinational insurance and investment company Axa UK, and the infrastructure fund GLIL Infrastructure.

The consortium, which originally comprised the Japanese rolling stock manufacturer Hitachi and the British infrastructure specialist John Laing, was created in June 2008 to collectively bid for the Department for Transport's Intercity Express Programme (IEP), which sought to procure a new fleet of high speed trains, initially to replace the aging InterCity 125. The consortium's bid was centered around the Class 800 and 801 high speed trains, which provided more seats, reduced journey times, and superior environmental performance than the Intercity 125 sets.

The bid submitted by the consortium was successful, leading to the finalising of a £4.5bn contract in mid 2012 to produce and sustain trains for both the Great Western Main Line (GWML) and East Coast Main Line (ECML). Infrastructure built to fulfil the contract included a new manufacturing site at Hitachi Newton Aycliffe and multiple new depots to maintain the fleet. In October 2017, the first train went into service on the GWML.

Activities

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Agility Trains was formed in response to the Intercity Express Programme (IEP), launched by the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2005 with the initial goal of procuring a replacement for the aging Intercity 125 fleet on both the Great Western Main Line and East Coast Main Line.[1][2][3]

During June 2008, three companies, these being the British infrastructure specialist John Laing Group, the Japanese rolling stock manufacturer Hitachi and the British investment firm Barclays Private Equity, created the Agility Trains consortium for the purpose of jointly bidding for the contract to design, manufacture, and maintain a fleet of long-distance trains for the IEP.[4][5][6] On 16 November 2007, the DfT issued an Invitation to Tender for the IEP to three shortlisted entities: Alstom-Barclays Rail Group; Express Rail Alliance (Bombardier, Siemens, Angel Trains and Babcock & Brown);[7][8] and Agility Trains.[9][10]

Shortly after Alstom's decision to withdraw from the bidding in February 2008,[11] British investment firm Barclays Private Equity opted to re-enter the IEP on 26 June 2008, four days before the end of the bidding process, as a partner of Hitachi and John Laing, in Agility Trains.[12] On 12 February 2009, the British Government announced that Agility Trains was the preferred bidder for the contract, with the Siemens-Bombardier consortia as reserve bidders – the value of the contract was then estimated at £7.5bn, including replacements for both Intercity 125 and Intercity 225 train sets.[13][14][15]

The finalised £4.5bn contract for trains for the GWML and ECML was announced in July 2012.[16][17] Assembly of most of the trains took place in the UK, using Japanese-built bodyshells,[13][18][19] with a new factory being established at Hitachi Newton Aycliffe.[20][21][22] Additionally, new depots to maintain the new train fleet were also developed.[23][24]

The first IEP train left the Kasado factory on 7 January 2015 for shipping via Kobe,[25] In October 2017, the first train went into service on the Great Western Main Line.[26] In May 2019, the first train entered service on the East Coast Main Line between London King's Cross and Leeds.[27]

Several ownership changes took place during the late 2010s and early 2020s.[28] in March 2018, Axa announced that it would purchase half of John Laing Group's shareholding in the consortium.[29] In September 2020, John Laing Group announced that it was selling its remaining stake in Agility Trains to AIP Management in exchange for £421 million in cash. In November 2021, GLIL Infrastructure purchased a 30% stake in Agility Trains from Hitachi; as a result, Hitachi's stake dropped to 40 percent while GLIL and AIP owning a 30% stake each.[28]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Foster 2010, p. 3, Executive Summary - Background and timeline.
  2. ^ "IEP - Intercity Express Programme". European Investment Bank. 21 January 2008.
  3. ^ "OJ/S S48 09/03/2007 59536-2007-EN, UK-London: passenger transport by railway 2007/S 48-059536" (PDF). Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union.
  4. ^ "New train fleet 'to boost jobs'". BBC News. 12 February 2009. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  5. ^ Department for Transport (12 February 2009). "Passengers and economy to benefit from biggest investment in trains for a generation". Central Office of Information. Retrieved 12 February 2009. [dead link]
  6. ^ "Agility Trains to supply Super Express fleet". Railway Gazette International. 12 February 2009.
  7. ^ "Intercity Express design unveiled". Railway Gazette International. London, UK. 11 September 2008.
  8. ^ "Bombardier and Siemens join forces for Intercity Express Programme bid" (Press release). Siemens. 21 June 2007.
  9. ^ "UK calls bids for Intercity Express". Railway Gazette International. London. 16 November 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  10. ^ "Department for Transport announces shortlist for Intercity Express Programme". Department for Transport. 16 August 2007. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010.
  11. ^ "Alstom withdraws from IEP". Railway Gazette International. London. 12 February 2008.
  12. ^ "Change to IEP short listed bidders". Department for Transport. 26 June 2008. Archived from the original on 31 July 2008.
  13. ^ a b "Agility Trains to supply Super Express fleet". Railway Gazette International. London. 12 February 2009. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012.
  14. ^ "Backlash against £7.5bn Hitachi contract". www.railnews.co.uk. Stevenage. 13 February 2009.
  15. ^ Jones, Alan; Woodman, Peter (12 February 2009). "Trains jobs boost queried as Japan factory confirmed". The Independent. London, UK. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009.
  16. ^ "Agility Trains signs Intercity Express Programme contract". Railway Gazette International. London, UK. 25 July 2012.
  17. ^ Odell, Mark; Pickard, Jim (25 July 2012). "Hitachi secures largest UK train order". Financial Times. London, UK.
  18. ^ "Agility Trains announced as preferred bidder for Intercity Express Programme (IEP)" (PDF) (Press release). Agility Trains. 12 February 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  19. ^ "Agility Trains Announced as Preferred Bidder for Intercity Express Programme" (Press release). Hitachi. 12 February 2009.
  20. ^ "Hitachi Announces Plans for the Establishment of UK Rolling Stock Assembly and Manufacturing Facility" (Press release). Hitachi. 12 February 2009.
  21. ^ Knowlson, Laura (1 November 2013). "Shepherd to build £82 million train factory". The Press. York.
  22. ^ Hitachi Rail Europe Manufacturing Plant - Start of Construction Phase Ceremony with Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP and Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP (Press release), Hitachi, 1 November 2013
  23. ^ "About East Coast Main Line", www.agilitytrains.com, retrieved 20 January 2016
  24. ^ "Spencer Group working on upgrades of the East Coast Mainline Light Maintenance Depots", thespencergroup.co.uk (press release), 26 May 2015
  25. ^ "First Hitachi IEP trainset sets off for the UK". Railway Gazette International. 7 January 2015.
  26. ^ "High-speed train delayed on first journey". BBC News. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  27. ^ "East Coast Main Line Azuma trains launch on London to Leeds route". BBC News. 15 May 2019.
  28. ^ a b "GLIL Infrastructure buys 30% stake in UK rolling stock fleet". realassets.ipe.com. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  29. ^ "John Laing sells Intercity Express Programme stake". Railway Gazette International. 19 March 2018.

Sources

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