Northern has revealed that it is planning to buy up to 450 trains, but it has not confirmed how they will paid for. The acquisition is set to be managed in three phases, the first of which will include about 130 trains. Northern invited final tenders from manufacturers in November, and these must be lodged next month. Northern said it is aiming to award the contracts by early 2027, with the first trains arriving in 2030.

An agreement signed by central government ministers and the Mayor of Greater Manchester has paved the way for a new railway between Manchester and Liverpool as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail. But there have been protests about the lack of any plan to electrify the line to Hull.