At Newton Aycliffe factory in County Durham, Hitachi Rail Europe started the construction of Azuma fleet for London North Eastern Railway (LNER) which will be put into commercial operation on East Coast main line.
This milestone for Newton Aycliffe follows Azuma trains built in Japan testing on the route.
Azuma is due to begin carrying passengers later this year along the East Coast main line, connecting London and Yorkshire, and from 2019 running in Scotland.
Hitachi has designed the trains using their Japanese bullet train technology, with the front of the train using a sleek aerodynamic design. With much faster acceleration passengers can expect their journey times to be cut once the fleet is fully introduced. The name Azuma means “east” in Japanese, an acknowledgement of Hitachi’s roots and Japan’s advanced railways.
“Our customers can expect a fleet of high-tech, modern trains that will deliver more seats and space, as well as faster journeys. Azuma will play a key role in revolutionising travel on the east coast mainline, delivering first-class service as well as extra services for Bradford, Lincoln, Harrogate and Edinburgh,” David Horne, Managing Director of LNER said.
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