Final tests take place ahead of launch of new GWR ‘800s’
AS this issue of RAIL went to press, 22 Hitachi Class 800/0 Intercity Express Programme (IEP) trains had been released for testing and commissioning ahead of their planned October introduction.
Great Western Railway was aiming for an October 16 launch using two pairs of five-car bi-mode Class 800s ( RAIL 836). The pairs were due to feature 800003/004/013 and a fourth train that will have been reliveried into GWR green.
GWR has 36 five-car ‘800/0s’ on order, with one train per week released on average. On September 22, 800024 left Newton Aycliffe for Doncaster depot, although it only reached Darlington before returning to the facility. Already delivered are 800001-006/008-023.
Trains are based at Swansea Maliphant, Stoke Gifford (near Bristol) and North Pole depots for testing and driver training. As well as diesel-powered testing, the ‘800s’ are also operating on AC power on the Great Western Main Line as far as Maidenhead.
Initially, the focus on assembly at Newton Aycliffe is on completion of the ‘800/0s’, although bodyshells for nine-car Class 800/3s are also being delivered to the County Durham site for assembly. Once the 36 Class 800/0s are completed, the 21 Class 800/3s will start to be delivered. Already 800303 is at Doncaster Carr depot, while all the vehicles for 800304 are now at Newton Aycliffe.
Hitachi is also testing its three Class 802 pre-series trains (five-car 802001/002 and nine-car 802101) on the Great Western Main Line. These are usually based at Stoke Gifford. The first ‘802’ built in Pistoia in Italy (802003) is expected to be in the UK before the end of the year ( RAIL 828).
Meanwhile, two Class 801/1s (801101/102) for Virgin Trains East Coast remain at Hitachi Rail Europe’s Doncaster Carr depot and are due to begin main line testing soon. They will likely be joined by nine-car 801201, which has been completed at Newton Aycliffe but which has yet to be released.
The Class 801s are electric multiple units fitted with a ‘donkey engine’ that provides hotel power in the event of a failure, to get the trains ‘home’.
VTEC has 12 five-car ‘801/1s’ on order and 30 nine-car ‘801/2s’ to be introduced. They will be used on trains from late 2018.
The operator is also taking delivery of 13 nine-car Class 800/1 bi-modes (of which 800101 has been delivered for testing) and ten five-car Class 800/2 bi-modes. Hitachi is building bodyshells for these fleets in Kasado (Japan), with assembly to be completed in Newton Aycliffe.
Testing of Class 800s has become increasingly common on the East Coast Main Line, with IEP trains now able to operate using infrastructure recently upgraded for their use.