British Rail Class 801

The British Rail Class 801 Azuma is a type of electric multiple unit (EMU) built by Hitachi Rail for London North Eastern Railway. The units have been built since 2017 at Hitachi'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 the Intercity Express Programme and are in the Hitachi AT300 product family, alongside the closely related Class 800 units.[8][9] LNER have branded the units as the Azuma, just like on their Class 800 units.[10]

British Rail Class 801
Azuma
Two LNER Class 801 units passing at Northallerton in August 2020
LNER Class 801 standard-class saloon
In service2019–present
ManufacturerHitachi Rail
Built at
Family nameA-train
ReplacedInterCity 225
Constructed2017–2020
Entered service16 September 2019
Number built42
(12 × 801/1, 30 × 801/2)
Number in service42
Formation
  • 5 cars per 801/1 unit:
  • DPTS-MS-MS-MC-DPTF
  • 9 cars per 801/2 unit:
  • DPTS-MS-MS-TS-MS-TS-MC-MF-DPTF[1]
Fleet numbers
  • 801/1: 801101–801112
  • 801/2: 801201–801230
Capacity
  • 801/1: 302 seats
    (48 first class, 254 standard)
  • 801/2: 611 seats
    (101 first class, 510 standard)
Owner(s)Agility Trains
Operator(s)London North Eastern Railway
Depot(s)
Line(s) servedEast Coast Main Line
Specifications
Car body constructionAluminium
Train length
  • 801/1: 129.7 m (425 ft 6 in)
  • 801/2: 233.7 m (766 ft 9 in)[1]
Car length
  • Driving vehicles:
    25.850 m (84 ft 9.7 in)
  • Intermediate vehicles:
    26.000 m (85 ft 3.6 in)[1]
Width2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Doors
  • Single-leaf pocket sliding
  • (2 per side per car)
Maximum speed
  • In service: 124 mph (200 km/h)[2]
  • Design: 140 mph (230 km/h)
Traction systemHitachi IGBT[1]
Prime mover(s)1 × MTU 12V 1600 R80L[3]
(emergency use only)
Engine typeV12 four-stroke turbo-diesel with SCR[4]
Displacement21 L (1,284 cu in)[4]
Power outputEngine: 560 kW (750 hp)[1]
Acceleration0.7 m/s2 (1.6 mph/s)[1]
Deceleration
  • Service:
  • 1.0 m/s2 (2.2 mph/s)
  • Emergency:
  • 1.2 m/s2 (2.7 mph/s)[1]
Electric system(s)25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead
Current collector(s)Pantograph
UIC classification
  • 5-car units: 2′2′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′
  • 9-car units: 2′2′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic (disc) and regenerative
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemDellner 10[7]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Background and design
Main article: Intercity Express Programme

As part of the UK Government's Intercity Express Programme, the Class 801 units were to be built as replacements for the InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 sets which were the main trains used for services on the Great Western Main Line (GWML) and the East Coast Main Line (ECML) at the time.[11] 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 both Great Western Railway and London North Eastern Railway but due to delays in the electrification 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.[12] As a consequence, all of these sets were re-classified as 800/3 units and the Class 801 units will 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.[13]

Operation
Class 801 at London King's Cross in February 2020

The Class 801 units first entered service on 16 September 2019 with LNER, which were two five-car 801/1 units that were doubled up to make a ten-car train. 801109 and 801110 were the units, having started and finished their diagram at Leeds.[14][15]

Following this shortly were the nine-car 801/2 sets, with two units (801205 and 801207) entering service on 18 November 2019 onto the London King's Cross - Edinburgh route.[16]

Fleet details
Class Operator Qty. Year built Cars per unit Unit nos.
Class 801/1 Azuma[17] London North Eastern Railway 12 2017–2020 5 801101–801112
Class 801/2 Azuma[17] 30 9 801201–801230
Illustration of a LNER Class 801/1 Azuma
Illustration of a LNER Class 801/2 Azuma

References
  1. Rogers, Andrew; Robinson, Chris; Agatsuma, Koji; Iwasaki, Mitsuo; Inarida, Satoru; Yamamoto, Takahisa; Konishi, Kenta; Mochida, Toshihiko (2014). "Development of Class 800/801 High-speed Rolling Stock for UK Intercity Express Programme" (PDF). Hitachi Review. 63 (10): 646.
  2. "Speed limiters for Hitachi fleets". Traction & Stock. The Railway Magazine. Vol. 168, no. 1457. August 2022. p. 92.
  3. MTU Rail Power for the UK & Ireland (PDF). MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH. September 2018. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  4. MTU Diesel Engine 12V 1600 for Railcar Applications (EU Stage IIIB) (PDF) (01/19 ed.). Friedrichshafen: Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG. 17 December 2020. 32310481. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  5. Barrow, Keith (15 January 2014). "Hitachi gains TSI certification for onboard ETCS". International Railway Journal. Simmons-Boardman Publishing. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  6. Clinnick, Richard (27 February 2019). "EXCLUSIVE: ECML go-ahead for Azumas, but modifications still needed". Rail Magazine. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  7. Pritchard, Robert (2021). British Railways Locomotives & Coaching Stock 2021. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. p. 390. ISBN 978-1-909431-86-7.
  8. Department for Transport; McLoughlin, Patrick (18 July 2013). "Government gives green light for more state-of-the-art intercity trains". GOV.UK (Press release). Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  9. "AT300 - Intercity High Speed". London: Hitachi Rail. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  10. "September 16 launch for Class 801 Azumas on London-Leeds route". www.railmagazine.com. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  11. "DfT Confirms Second Intercity Trains". Railnews. 18 July 2013.
  12. "Hitachi converts GWR '801s' to bi-mode operation". Rail. 8 June 2016.
  13. Preston-Ellis, Rom (18 July 2018). "GWR gives update on when we will get speedy new express trains". DevonLive. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  14. @lner (16 September 2019). "Our first 10-car Azuma has entered service today" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. September 16 launch for Class 801 Azumas on London-Leeds route RAIL; 1 August 2019
  16. Hub, The Railway (25 September 2020). "East Coast HST finale - The Railway Hub". Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  17. "EMU Formations". AbRail. AbRail. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
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