Hitachi train launches on Leeds to London route

London North Eastern Railway are launching its new Hitachi trains on the route between London and Leeds today (15 May).

LNER promised that the new trains would be more reliable, faster and have more seats for passengers on the East Coast line. It is aiming to have the fleet at 65 trains by 2020, with the first launchign today.

When in operation, the Azuma (meaning ‘East’ in Japanese) trains will deliver another 6,000 seats on the route every day.

The trains have been through testing with Network Rail, Hitachi Rail and the Department for Transport, and were built at Hitachi’s purpose-built factory in County Durham. They are bi-mode trains, and can run on both diesel and electrical power.

The new trains offer better wifi, more legroom and power sockets for every seat, said the company.

Plans to launch the trains in December had to be abandoned as they were found to interfere with signalling equipment, and the trains will likely run on diesel for the foreseeable future due to delays with the electrification of the East Coast line.

LNER Managing Director David Horne said: “This is what customers up and down the country have been waiting for and represents a monumental milestone for rail travel.

“We’ve worked very hard alongside our partners and suppliers to reach this point and I look forward to giving all our customers an excellent experience every time they travel with us.”

Karen Boswell, managing director of Hitachi Rail said: “Passengers on the East Coast mainline will soon be able to enjoy a fleet built in the North East of England harnessing Japanese bullet train technology. Our British train factory has sourced parts from across the country to build the Azuma trains, which herald a new era for this famous route.”

Cllr Kim Groves, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “The East Coast Main Line is a key transport link for the region’s businesses and tourism industry and we look forward to the improvements to passenger journeys that these new trains will bring.

“We need to see improvements for passengers across the rail network that deliver greater reliability and punctuality and investment in infrastructure, including HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, that provides the extra capacity we urgently need.”

Cllr Judith Blake, West Yorkshire Combined Authority lead on Transport and Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “I am delighted to see the launch of the new Azuma trains on the East Coast Main Line between Leeds and London.

“The new fleet will help deliver economic benefits across the country with faster trains, improving resilience and increasing capacity.

“We need significant investment in the rail network to deliver our economic ambitions, including at Leeds Station which is already the busiest in the North and sits at the heart of the northern economy.”