Rock Rail South West trains enter passenger service
12 January 2024
This week, South Western Railways (SWR) introduced the Class 701 unit into passenger service for the first time. The £1 billion fleet of Arterio trains was equity financed by Rock Rail South West, a GLIL Infrastructure investment partnering alongside infrastructure funds managed by abrdn plc and Rock Rail Limited.
This is the beginning of a phased introduction of a fleet of 750 new vehicles built at Alstom’s Derby factory, supporting thousands of UK jobs. The new trains will deliver added capacity and better performance and efficiency, and improve the passenger experience with accessible toilets, wi-fi, charging points, air conditioning and walk-through carriages.
Dan Hobson, investment director, GLIL Infrastructure, said:
“This is the start of an exciting transformation on the South Western Railways network and GLIL is delighted to have been a part of it. This is a great demonstration of how patient, pension fund capital can support the construction of vital UK infrastructure and create growth and jobs in the wider UK economy.”