GWR and Eversholt Rail extended Hitachi Rail’s contract in a move that is expected to bring millions of pounds in investment in the UK supply chain and improve train service reliability for GWR customers.
Hitachi is to maintain a fleet of 36 Class 802 Intercity Express Trains until 2028.
According to Hitachi, the decision to extend the contract was based on its previous success, which has seen the fleet increase its reliability performance by over 94% since its introduction. This improvement in reliability is a result of continuous investment in digitally optimised maintenance since 2018.
Hitachi will also continue to invest in digital maintenance capabilities such as onboard digital monitoring, which is said to reduce bogie and wheelset maintenance downtime by 50%.
The partnership will help maintain more than 500 jobs at West of England depots, with most of the Class 802 maintenance taking place at Laira depot in Plymouth. Maintaining the trains closer to key stations like Penzance, Exeter, and Plymouth will help improve train availability and fleet optimisation.