| British Rail Class 801Azuma | |
|---|---|
 LNER 9-car Class 801/2 unit in 2025 | |
 LNER Class 801 standard-class saloon | |
| Stock type | Electric multiple unit |
| In service | 16 September 2019–present |
| Manufacturer | Hitachi Rail |
| Built at |
|
| Family name | A-train |
| Replaced | InterCity 225 |
| Constructed | 2017–2020 |
| Number built |
|
| Number in service | 42 |
| Formation |
|
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Capacity |
|
| Owners | Agility Trains |
| Operators | London North Eastern Railway |
| Depots | |
| Lines served | East Coast Main Line |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminium |
| Train length |
|
| Car length |
|
| Width | 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) |
| Doors |
|
| Maximum speed | 125 mph (200 km/h)[3] |
| Weight |
|
| Traction system | HitachiIGBT[1] |
| Prime mover(s) | 1 ×MTU 12V 1600 R80L[5] (emergency use only) |
| Engine type | V12four-stroketurbo-dieselwithSCR[6] |
| Displacement | 21 L (1,284 cu in)[6] |
| Power output |
|
| Acceleration | 0.7 m/s2 (1.6 mph/s)[1] |
| Deceleration |
|
| Electric system(s) | 25 kV 50 Hz ACoverhead |
| Current collection | Pantograph |
| UIC classification |
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| Wheels driven |
|
| Braking system(s) | Electro-pneumatic (disc)andregenerative |
| Safety system(s) | |
| Coupling system | Dellner 10[9] |
| Multiple working | Within class and classes800 and802 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge |
TheBritish Rail Class 801Azuma is a class ofelectric multiple unit (EMU) built byHitachi Rail forLondon North Eastern Railway. The units have been built since 2017 atHitachi's Newton Aycliffe Manufacturing Facility and have been used on services on the East Coast Main Line since 16 September 2019. As part of its production, the Class 801 units were ordered as part of theIntercity Express Programme and are in theHitachi AT300 product family, alongside the closely relatedClass 800 units.[10][11] LNER have branded the units as theAzuma, just like on their Class 800 units.[12]
As part of the UK Government'sIntercity Express Programme, the Class 801 units were to be built as replacements for theInterCity 125 andInterCity 225 sets which were the main trains used for services on theGreat Western Main Line (GWML) and theEast Coast Main Line (ECML) at the time.[13] Differing from the Class 800 units, which they were built alongside, the Class 801 units were designed as purely electric multiple units, but with one diesel engine fitted to a single coach of each unit for emergency use. The Class 801 units were to enter service for bothGreat Western Railway andLondon North Eastern Railway but due to delays in theelectrification of the GWML, it was announced in June 2016 that 21 nine-car (801/0) sets that were going to enter service with GWR would instead be converted to bi-modal operation.[14] As a consequence, all of these sets were re-classified as 800/3 units and the Class 801 units only see operation on the ECML. However, GWR do have the option to convert all of their Class 800 units to electric-only operation by removal of the diesel engines should it be exercised, in which case they would be re-classified as a Class 801 unit.[15]
The first service to be operated with Class 801 units ran on 16 September 2019, with a pair of 801/1 five-car units operating several services betweenLeeds andLondon King's Cross, as well as one return trip between King's Cross andNewark Northgate.[16] Three further pairs of five-car units entered service through the rest of September.[17]
The nine-car Class 801/2 units were introduced on 18 November 2019, between King's Cross andEdinburgh. This allowed a cascade of Class 800/1 units onto services between King's Cross andAberdeen, which in turn allowed LNER to withdraw itsInterCity 125 sets from that route.[18]
| Subclass | Operator | Qty. | Year built | Cars per unit | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 801/1Azuma[19] | London North Eastern Railway | 12 | 2017–2020 | 5 | 801101–801112 |
| 801/2Azuma | 30 | 9 | 801201–801230 |
| Unit number | Date | Name | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 801204 | 22 September 2024 | Our Planet | Named after the company's commitment to more sustainable transport. Livery has been applied with a partially biologically-based material, the first of its kind in the UK. | [20] |
| 801205 | 27 March 2025 | She's electric | [21][22] | |
| 801207 | 14 January 2025 | Darlington | Unveiled to mark 200 years since the first passenger journey on the world-famousStockton and Darlington Railway. | [23] |
| 801224 | 19 May 2025 | Bradford 2025 - UK City of Culture | Unveiled to mark the official opening of Platform 0 atBradford Forster Square and to celebrateBradford becoming theUK City of Culture. | [24] |
| 801225 | 13 February 2024 | Eleanor | Named after the company's new mascot as part of an advertising campaign. | [25] |
| 801226 | 1 June 2023 | Together | Pride livery | [26] |
| 801228 | 15 May 2023 | Century | Unveiled to mark 100 years since the creation of theLondon and North Eastern Railway | [27] |
