Intercity Express Programme

The Intercity Express Programme is an initiative of the Department for Transport (DfT) in the United Kingdom to procure new trains to replace the InterCity 125 fleet on the East Coast Main Line and Great Western Main Line, as well as replacing other trainsets on long distance services from London to places including Cambridge, Oxford, Hull and Weston-super-Mare.

On 12 February 2009, the DfT announced that Agility Trains, a consortium led by Hitachi, was the preferred bidder, with a train named the Hitachi Super Express.

The final decision on the award of contract, and its value and composition, originally expected by early 2009, was delayed by several years: a delay to 2010 was caused by the preparation of plans to electrify part of the rail network, which would affect the final order; in 2010 the decision was delayed until after the 2010 general election, and by an independent 'value for money' report published in July 2010; and in November 2010 the decision was delayed pending a decision on the electrification of part of the rail network. Finally the decision was taken in March 2011 to proceed with the procurement and to electrify the Great Western Main Line.

The order for 596 carriages for use on the East Coast and Great Western main lines was announced in July 2012; financial close on the first phase, for trains to run on the Great Western routes, was reached at the same time. Financial close on further trains to run on the East Coast Main Line, bringing the value of the order to £4.5bn, is expected in 2013. It is planned that trains will be built in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham and will enter service from 2017 on the Great Western Main Line and 2018 on the East Coast Main Line.