Hitachi has delivered the latest Class 807 EMU for Avanti West Coast, which is company’s 300th train for UK passengers, a “a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of the UK railways, which began with the introduction of the iconic Class 395 Javelin train in June 2009,” Hitachi says.
Since June 2024, Avanti West Coast introduces its new Class 807 EMU and 805 fleet, named Evero to run on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). The operator has deployed 10 seven-car Class 807 electric multiple units and 13 five-car 805 bi-mode trains for transport services connecting London and the West Midlands, Liverpool, Chester and North Wales.
Awanti West Coast, a joint venture made between West Trenitalia and FirstGroup, awarded Hitachi Rail a contract in December 2019 for the supply and maintenance of 23 new intercity trains totalling 135 carriages serving West Coast Main Line and in North Wales rail routes. GBP 350 million (EUR 414.67, in current prices) is the value of the contract.
The electric trains were designated to run between London, the West Midlands and Liverpool while the bi-mode version of the trainsets to serve the London to North Wales route.
There are 453 seats on the seven-car service and 301 seats on the five-car service increasing compacity compared to the Class 221 Voyager trains they replace (which have 258 seats). The seven-carriage version of the electric trains have similar numbers of seats to a nine-carriage Pendolino, owing to the longer 26 metre carriages of the Hitachi trains.
The bi-mode trains run for most of the journey using electric power only, switching to diesel power for those parts of the network that are not electrified – for example, the North Wales Coast Line to/from Holyhead.
Over the past 15 years, Hitachi Rail has collaborated with partners across the rail industry, making it possible to travel from Penzance to the Scottish Highlands on Hitachi trains.
The diverse Hitachi Rail fleet includes Scotland’s fastest commuter train (Class 385) on Scotland’s Central Belt, the reliable intercity Class 800 on the East Coast Mainline, to the UK’s fastest passenger train (Class 395) on HS1, the high-speed line from St Pancras International.
Hitachi Rail trains have revolutionised rail travel in the UK, setting new standards for reliability and connectivity. Currently, Hitachi Rail trains operate across 10 fleets, which collectively achieve reliability rates three times higher than the industry average, whilst traveling far enough to journey to the moon and back over 100 times every year. This exceptional performance has been recognised with numerous industry awards for fleets including LNER Azuma, ScotRail’s Class 385, Hull Trains, and Lumo.
Consistently high levels of reliability have been achieved by Hitachi’s investment in maintenance infrastructure and skills, including the construction of brand-new maintenance centres in Ashford, Doncaster, and Bristol (Stoke Gifford). These modern facilities have become hubs for Hitachi to pioneer its digital maintenance and digital asset monitoring.
With 2,100 high-skilled maintenance employees across 16 sites, and leveraging an extensive UK supply chain, Hitachi’s maintenance operations contribute GBP 500 million (EUR 592.4 million) gross value add to UK economy every year.
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