Final GWR ‘800/0’ leaves production line

Hitachi Rail Europe has completed the manufacture of 36 five-car Class 800/0 Intercity Express Trains (IET) for Great Western Railway.

The final IET to leave Newton Aycliffe following assembly was 800007. It ran to Doncaster Carr for testing and commissioning on April 23, and is the 32nd and final set from the County Durham site. The first four trains (800001800004) were built in Kasado (Japan).

The five-car bi-modes form 36 of the 57 IETs ordered by the Department for Transport to replace High Speed Trains on the Great Western network. As of April 23, 29 of the trains were in passenger traffic (800005/006/008-018/020-035).

The latest to be released from Doncaster Carr for mileage accumulation and final testing was 800019 on April 20, and this ran to North Pole. It will be followed by 800001/002, which were being wrapped in GWR colours at Doncaster Carr the same week ( RAIL 851).

This will leave 800007/036 from the UK-assembled batch to enter traffic, plus 800003/004 which have been used by HRE for testing signalling on the East Coast Main Line.

Meanwhile, deliveries of nine-car Class 800/3s destined for GWR continue at Newton Aycliffe.

The latest set to leave Hitachi Rail Europe’s County Durham facility was 800305, which ran to Doncaster Carr on April 20.

Currently at Newton Aycliffe undergoing tests are 800306800310, while the bodyshells for 800313-800317 are also on site.

Meanwhile, bodyshells for 800318 are being delivered to the UK from Kasado (Japan), ahead of movement to Newton Aycliffe. Currently at Tees Docks are 800311/312, although one vehicle from each has moved to Doncaster Carr.

The nine-car bi-mode Intercity Express Trains are due to enter traffic from June, with 800302800305 so far delivered for main line testing and commissioning.

GWR has 21 nine-car ‘800/3s’ on order, with all due to be in traffic by the end of the year.