The 200km/h bi-mode (diesel and 25kV 50Hz ac) trains, dubbed Nova 1 by TPE, were ordered in March 2016 and are being procured through leasing company Angel Trains.

Each five-car set will seat 342 passengers compared with 181 on the three-car Siemens class 185 DMUs currently used by TPE.

TPE says the Nova 1 fleet will be introduced on Manchester - Leeds - Newcastle - Edinburgh services as planned by December.

TPE also plans to introduce its Nova 2 and 3 fleets into passenger service by the end of the year.

Testing and mileage accumulation of CAF class 397 ‘Nova 2’ EMUs is underway on the West Coast Main Line. However, TPE says further faults have emerged on the troubled ‘Nova 3’ fleet of Mk5 push-pull coaches, which will operate with class 68 diesel locomotives, and their entry into service will be further delayed beyond the end of the summer.

TransPennine Express Nova 3 Mk5A
Delayed again: the introduction of TPE's CAF Mk5A coaches has been pushed back beyond the end of the summer.

TransPennine Express says it is working closely with CAF to resolve the issues, but “the delay has had a significant impact on staff training and more time will now be required to complete this.”

So far only three Nova 3 sets have been accepted.