Newton Aycliffe’s final GWR IET leaves factory
The final Intercity Express Train assembled by Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe for Great Western Railway was dispatched to Doncaster Carr depot on November 16.
Nine-car 800301 was the last of 21 bi-mode Class 800/3s ordered from Hitachi for GWR. Nineteen were assembled at the County Durham site (800301/304-321).
The north east site also assembled 32 of the 36 five-car Class 800/0 bi-modes used by GWR (800005-036). Pre-series trains 800001-004, 800302/303 were built at Kasado, in Japan.
At the Yorkshire depot, the final set joins 800321 (released from Newton Aycliffe on November 13) and 800320, which ran south on November 12.
Meanwhile, 800311 was sent to North Pole from Doncaster on November 13, following inspections and commissioning. It will enter traffic following mileage accumulation.
Classmate 800312 arrived at Arriva TrainCare’s Eastleigh Works the same day, for modifications before moving to GWR. It joins 800319 at the Hampshire depot.
GWR has 800302-310/313-318 in traffic, as well as 800003-036. The company also continues to put Class 802 IETs into service, with 802003-013 about to be joined in service by 802014/017-019 as this issue of RAIL went to press.