The British-led Agility Trains consortium, comprising John Laing, Hitachi and Barclays Private Equity was today announced as the preferred bidder for the UK Department for Transport's Intercity Express Programme.

The programme represents a substantial investment in the UK Railway Industry, and Agility Trains is committed to spending 70% of the contract value in the UK. Agility Trains is delighted to confirm that Hitachi and John Laing expect this programme to deliver 2,500 skilled engineering jobs in the UK, in train manufacturing, construction and maintenance. Specifically, the consortium is in active discussions with 20 carefully selected high-quality UK suppliers, which will have a knock-on effect of safeguarding jobs in the UK. In addition this long-term programme will help secure up to 12,500 direct and indirect jobs in the local supply and services industry and local supporting communities.

For the Intercity Express Programme, Agility Trains will provide a new fleet of Hitachi Super Express Trains that will provide more seats and are three times more reliable than existing fleets. This will allow the Train Operating Companies, in partnership with Agility Trains, to deliver significantly improved capacity to the travelling public in the response to the strategic future growth of the UK rail market.

Agility Trains has gone to great lengths to ensure that the Super Express Train is able to respond to changing demands over the contract life. The design provides pre-defined interior flexibility that will allow Train Operating Companies to customise trains to meet their customers' requirements. The Super Express Train is also designed to facilitate changes in the traction power source, thus supporting progressive electrification of the UK rail network.

Agility Trains is delighted to announce that these trains will be substantially manufactured in the UK. Hitachi, Agility Trains' principal supplier, is today announcing that as part of its long-term commitment to the UK, and in anticipation of further demand in the UK and other European rail markets, it will establish a world class rolling stock manufacturing facility in the UK. From feasibility studies to date, a shortlist of three suitable sites, located in Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire, Sheffield and Gateshead in the North East, has been drawn up, with all locations under active consideration. Hitachi is currently conducting more detailed analysis to identify the optimum site location based on a range of assessment criteria.

Trains will be serviced, maintained and cleaned around the UK at five new state-of-the-art train maintenance centres and several upgraded existing facilities. These facilities will be staffed with a skilled workforce, dedicated to ensuring that a consistently dependable fleet of trains will be delivered day-in-day-out to train operators, and to working in partnership to deliver improved services to customers.