TRENITALIA and First Group have joined forces to bid for two British passenger rail franchises - East Midlands and West Coast Partnership - which are due to be awarded in 2018.

PRODUCTION of the first of 66 bodyshells for the new fleet of Mk 5A locomotive-hauled coaches for British train operator TransPennine Express (TPE) began at CAF’s plant at Bessain in northern Spain on October 27.

BRITISH train operator TransPennine Express (TPE) has selected CAF, Spain, to supply and maintain a fleet of 200km/h inter-city EMUs as well as coaches to be hauled by class 68 locomotives under a total investment worth £230m.