British Rail Class 801

British Rail Class 801 *Azuma*
British Rail Class 801 Azuma
	Two LNER Class 801 units passing at Northallerton in August 2020
	LNER Class 801 standard-class saloon
Stock type	Electric multiple unit
In service	16 September 2019–present
Manufacturer	Hitachi Rail
Built at	Kasado Works, Kudamatsu, Japan; Newton Aycliffe Manufacturing Facility, England;
Family name	A-train
Replaced	InterCity 225
Constructed	2017–2020
Number built	42; (12 × 801/1, 30 × 801/2)
Number in service	42
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;
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);
Owners	Agility Trains
Operators	London North Eastern Railway
Depots	Bounds Green; Craigentinny; Doncaster Carr; Neville Hill;
Lines served	East Coast Main Line
Specifications
Car body construction	Aluminium
Train length	801/1: 129.7 m (425 ft 6 in); 801/2: 233.7 m (766 ft 9 in);
Car length	Driving vehicles:; 25.850 m (84 ft 9.7 in); Intermediate vehicles:; 26.000 m (85 ft 3.6 in);
Width	2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Doors	Single-leaf pocket sliding; (2 per side per car);
Maximum speed	125 mph (200 km/h)
Weight	5-car units: 243 tonnes (239 long tons; 268 short tons); 9-car units: 438 tonnes (431 long tons; 483 short tons);
Traction system	Hitachi IGBT
Prime mover(s)	1 × MTU 12V 1600 R80L; (emergency use only)
Engine type	V12 four-stroke turbo-diesel with SCR
Displacement	21 L (1,284 cu in)
Power output	Engine: 560 kW (750 hp); Electric: 226 kW (303 hp) per motor;
Acceleration	0.7 m/s2 (1.6 mph/s)
Deceleration	Service:; 1.0 m/s2 (2.2 mph/s); Emergency:; 1.2 m/s2 (2.7 mph/s);
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′;
Wheels driven	5-car unit: 12; 9-car unit: 20;
Braking system(s)	Electro-pneumatic (disc) and regenerative
Safety system(s)	AWS; ETCS; TPWS;
Coupling system	Dellner 10
Multiple working	Within class and classes 800 and 802
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 801 Azuma is a class 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.^[9]^[10] LNER have branded the units as the Azuma, just like on their Class 800 units.^[11]

Background and design

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.^[12] 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.^[13] 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.^[14]

Operations

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 between Leeds and London King's Cross, as well as one return trip between King's Cross and Newark Northgate.^[15] Three further pairs of five-car units entered service through the rest of September.^[16]

The nine-car Class 801/2 units were introduced on 18 November 2019, between King's Cross and Edinburgh. This allowed a cascade of Class 800/1 units onto services between King's Cross and Aberdeen, which in turn allowed LNER to withdraw its InterCity 125 sets from that route.^[17]

Fleet details

Subclass	Operator	Qty.	Year built	Cars per unit	Unit nos.
801/1 Azuma^{[citation needed]}	London North Eastern Railway	12	2017–2020	5	801101–801112
801/2 Azuma	London North Eastern Railway	30	2017–2020	9	801201–801230

Illustrations

Illustration of a LNER Class 801/1 Azuma

Illustration of a LNER Class 801/2 Azuma

Named units

Unit number	Date	Name	Notes	Ref.
801225	13 February 2024	Eleanor	Named after a V.I.P. (Very Important Puppet) star, who is the company's new mascot.	^[18]
801226	1 June 2023	Together	Pride livery	^[19]
801228	15 May 2023	Century	Unveiled to mark 100 years since the creation of the London and North Eastern Railway	^[20]

References

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