Alstom has signed a 15-year extension to its Train Services Agreement with Greater Anglia for the maintenance of the operator’s fleet of Class 720 Aventra electric trains. The contract is valued at approximately £800 million, equivalent to €947 million, and will provide a long-term framework for maintaining the fleet and supporting rail services across the region.
Under the agreement, Alstom will continue maintaining 133 five-car Class 720 electric multiple units at Greater Anglia’s Seven Kings Depot. The trains serve commuter and regional routes and are owned and financed by Angel Trains. They were manufactured at Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane Works in the United Kingdom.
The contract covers planned maintenance, major overhauls, unplanned maintenance, fault rectification and the supply of materials. It also includes reliability improvement programmes and measures to increase fleet availability in line with Greater Anglia’s operational requirements. The agreement supports approximately 100 roles at Alstom.
Steve Harvey, Services Director for the UK and Ireland at Alstom, said the extension would continue the company’s partnership with Greater Anglia and support the reliability and performance of the Class 720 fleet. He added that long-term cooperation between train owners, operators and manufacturers could help deliver better whole-life outcomes for passengers and taxpayers.
Martin Beable, Chief Operating Officer at GBR Anglia, said Greater Anglia looked forward to working with Alstom and Angel Trains to build on improvements in train performance and reliability. The Class 720 fleet has recorded more than 40,000 miles per technical incident in recent periods, exceeding contractual requirements, according to Alstom. In 2024, the trains received a Silver Spanner award at the Modern Railways Fourth Friday Club Golden Spanners Awards following a reported 98.4% year-on-year improvement in reliability.
The fleet was ordered in 2016, alongside the initial maintenance agreement, and the trains entered service progressively over five years. All 133 units are now operational, providing modern and accessible electric rail services across the Greater Anglia network. The maintenance extension comes as the UK rail sector prepares for the development of Great British Railways (GBR). The agreement provides continuity for the fleet and establishes a framework for cooperation between Alstom, Greater Anglia and future rail-sector arrangements.
Alstom has manufactured 2,660 Aventra cars at its Derby facility since 2015. The platform is used by several UK operators, including c2c, Greater Anglia, South Western Railway, Transport for London and West Midlands Trains. Aventra fleets have collectively recorded more than 18 billion passenger miles.
The contract adds to Alstom’s UK rail services business, which provides maintenance and lifecycle support for rolling stock. Globally, the company maintains more than 36,000 rail vehicles and offers services ranging from technical support and spare parts to fully outsourced maintenance programmes.
