Press Release: NI Railways Rolls into the Future - Translink
20 February 2002
The Northern Ireland public got their first glimpse of the future for Northern Ireland’s railways today, as Translink announced that CAF, a Spanish company, had been awarded the contract to provide 23 new trains for the network.
Announcing this major contract, Chairman of NITHC and N I Railways, Dr Joan Smyth CBE, said that the new trains would greatly benefit all rail users.
“This is another very exciting step towards the renaissance of railways in Northern Ireland. We have spent many months in coming to this decision having fully investigated the options. This contract represents a significant investment in Northern Ireland’s public transport system and it is imperative that public money is spent in the most efficient way possible.
“The contract has been awarded to CAF because of their ability to meet our strict criteria for a high quality, reliable product and to do so within budget. The trains that are soon to be on our railways will be truly state of the art in terms of passenger comfort. The new trains are being manufactured specifically to our requirements and those of our customers. Capable of travelling at speeds of up to 90mph, each train will be fully air conditioned and have seating for over 200 passengers with additional space for wheelchairs and bicycles.
“We are grateful for the input made by many members of the public, in a questionnaire completed last year. It has helped us to determine the features which really matter to today’s passengers and potential passengers. Areas such as accessibility, interior design, seating layout, non smoking policy, toilets and colour schemes have all been influenced by their recommendations.
“We will start taking delivery of the new trains in December 2003 phased over a twelve month period. The new trains will be ready to enter service in 2004/2005, after completing full commissioning and all necessary training for staff.
“The support and vision of the Minister for Regional Development has been key in enabling us to make this investment, and credit is due to the Department for Regional Development and all their staff, however, this would not have been possible without the confidence and support of the NI Assembly and the Regional Development Committee”.
Ted Hesketh, Translink’s Managing Director also welcomed the announcement adding, “These trains will come with a comprehensive reliability guarantee for which CAF will be responsible. This is a crucial part of the total £80m package as reliability and punctuality are key to providing an excellent service to our passengers”
Ends
Issued by Leanne Hyslop
Public Relations Officer
Tel 028 90 899455
Notes to the Editor
CAF based in Beasain and Zaragoza in Northern Spain will be building the new trains in Zaragoza.
CAF have been responsible for the supply of Heathrow Express rolling stock (along with Siemens) which is recognised as one of the most successful recent rolling stock introductions in Great Britain.
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