‘800/2s’ in UK

Hitachi delivers first five-car bi-mode trains for Virgin Trains East Coast after journey from Kasado (Japan).

HITACHI Rail Europe has delivered the first five-car bi-mode Class 800/2s to the UK from Kasado (Japan).

The trains are destined for Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC). They arrived by ship at Teesport on March 20, and will initially be used for training on-board crew and drivers.

“Our comprehensive test programme is making great progress, with the new trains performing very well on the East Coast Main Line,” said Andy Rogers, Programme Director at Hitachi Rail Europe.

VTEC Azuma Director Aileen Jordan said: “We’re excited to have reached yet another milestone with the arrival of these two trains, and with them the opportunity for our drivers and onboard crews to use these for training ahead of Azuma coming into service from later this year.”

The operator plans to introduce Class 800/801 trains from November, with ten in traffic by March next year. Four are currently in the UK for testing, with nine-car bi-mode 800101 joined recently on the main line by five-car electric multiple units 801101/102.

Nine-car bi-mode 800103 and nine-car EMU 801201 are also at Doncaster, but have yet to be released onto the main line under their own power. HRE is also using 800003/004 for pantograph and signal testing on the East Coast Main Line, although these are eventually destined for Great Western Railway. All test trains on the main line are currently crewed by GB Railfreight, but VTEC staff training will start in the spring.

HRE said assembly of the ‘800s’ and ‘801s’ will begin at Newton Aycliffe in the summer, when the order for 57 Class 800s for GWR is complete.

VTEC has 800101-800113 (ninecar bi-mode), 800201-800210 (five-car bi-mode), 801101-801112 (five-car EMU) and 801201-801230 (nine-car EMU) on order. They will replace the operator’s Class 91/Mk 4 and HST fleets, with all set to go off-lease starting with the ‘91’/Mk 4 sets from next year.

Meanwhile, the first nine-car Class 800/3 assembled at Newton Aycliffe for GWR (800304) left the County Durham facility on March 23, running to HRE’s Doncaster Carr depot for further testing and commissioning. The set joins 800302/303, which have been delivered from Japan for testing.

Other sets at Newton Aycliffe undergoing testing are 800305800308, while 800309/310/313/ 317 are in various stages of assembly. One vehicle each from 800311/312/320/321 has been delivered to Doncaster, but the rest - along with all of 800318/319 - are at Teesport ready for delivery to Newton Aycliffe. The first nine-car GWR ‘800/3s’ enter traffic in June.

JAMES GARTHWAITE. On March 23, 800304 waits to leave Darlington for Doncaster Carr. This was the first Newton Aycliffeassembled Class 800/3 for Great Western Railway to operate on the main line.

HITACHI. A Class 800/2 driving vehicle is unloaded at Teesport on March 20. Ten five-car bi-mode ‘800/2s’ are on order from Hitachi Rail Europe for Virgin Trains East Coast. Two were built in Japan, with the remaining eight to be assembled in Newton Aycliffe.