Faster Manchester to Leeds Trains in £1bn Deal

A £1bn government-backed order for 29 British-built battery-electric trains will cut trans-Pennine journey times, in one of the first big fleet deals of the Great British Railways era

Faster journeys for rail passengers on the Manchester to Leeds route under a £1bn investment in a new fleet of British-built trains. The government is backing the purchase of 29 battery-electric TransPennine Express trains, which it says will cut the Leeds journey by up to 10 minutes and the Manchester to York trip by up to 14 minutes. Procured through Great British Railways, the publicly owned body being created to run the railways, the fleet is part of the wider Transpennine Route Upgrade, which aims to boost capacity across the Pennines by 30%. The trains will be built in Derby and enter service from winter 2034.

Why This Matters For Leeds

Fast, reliable links between Leeds and Manchester matter enormously to the Leeds economy, connecting two of the North’s biggest business centres and their labour markets. Quicker, more frequent trains widen the pool of talent and clients Leeds firms can reach and strengthen the case for investing in the city. Committing the money now signals long-term intent.

What the Manchester to Leeds Upgrade Delivers

The 29 new trains are battery-electric, able to run emission-free on stretches of track that are not electrified, which the government says makes them the first of their kind on a UK main line. For passengers that means quieter, smoother journeys, better accessibility with level boarding, more luggage and cycle space and onboard Wi-Fi. The wider Transpennine Route Upgrade is targeting thousands of extra seats with the trains bought by rolling stock financier Rock Rail and leased to TransPennine Express, they are due to be built from 2028 before entering service from winter 2034.

“These 29 new trains will bring faster, more reliable journeys to the North, and thousands of British jobs for the next generation.”

— Andy Burnham, Prime Minister

British-Built, Under a New Railway Model

The deal is framed as a boost for British industry as much as for passengers. The trains will be built at Alstom’s historic Litchurch Lane works in Derby, supporting more than 350 skilled jobs there plus apprentices and students, and a further 6,000 roles across a UK supply chain, generating around £360m for the wider economy. The order is also one of the first major fleet investments under Great British Railways, the body the government is setting up to bring track, trains and stations back together under public ownership for the first time since the 1990s. A national reform that mirrors the shift to public control now under way on West Yorkshire’s buses. For Leeds, the practical prize remains a faster, cleaner Manchester to Leeds corridor at the heart of the northern economy.