Upon its instatement, TransPennine Express (TPE) services were particularly heavily trafficked; prior to 2018, the operator reportedly operated the busiest trains in the country, and it was common for some passengers to be unable to be seated during rush hour. Reportedly, the franchise also aimed to reorientation its operations towards intercity services over its inter-urban routes, although it shall continue to transport large numbers of commuters regardless. As a means of addressing these factors, TPE launched "Project Nova", under which the vast majority of their existing rolling stock would be replaced by new-build trainsets with greater capacity. During 2016, TPE signed contracts valued at £500 million with Spanish rolling stock manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) to produce the majority of its Nova rolling stock. The Nova fleet is divided into three distinct categories; the "Nova 1" being () BMU sets derived from the Hitachi A-train family, the "Nova 2" trainsets being CAF-built Civity EMUs, and the "Nova 3" sets consisting of locomotive-hauled CAF-built Mark 5A coaches.