British Rail Class 801

British Rail Class 801 Azuma
An LNER Class 801 unit passing Spittal, outside Berwick-upon-Tweed in August 2020
LNER Class 801 standard-class saloon
Stock typeElectric multiple unit
In service16 September 2019–present
ManufacturerHitachi Rail
Built at
Family nameA-train
ReplacedInterCity 225
Constructed2017–2020
Number built42
(12 × 801/1, 30 × 801/2)
Number in service42
Formation
  • 5 cars per 801/1 unit:
  • DPTS-MS-MS-MC-DPTF
  • 9 cars per 801/2 unit:
  • DPTS-MS-MS-TS-MS-TS-MC-MF-DPTF[1]
Fleet numbers
  • 801/1: 801101–801112
  • 801/2: 801201–801230
Capacity
  • 801/1: 302 seats
    (48 first class, 254 standard)
  • 801/2: 611 seats
    (101 first class, 510 standard)
OwnersAgility Trains
OperatorsLondon North Eastern Railway
Depots
Lines servedEast Coast Main Line
Specifications
Car body constructionAluminium
Train length
  • 801/1: 129.7 m (425 ft 6 in)
  • 801/2: 233.7 m (766 ft 9 in)[1]
Car length
  • Driving vehicles:
    25.850 m (84 ft 9.7 in)
  • Intermediate vehicles:
    26.000 m (85 ft 3.6 in)[1]
Width2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Doors
  • Single-leaf pocket sliding
  • (2 per side per car)
Maximum speed125 mph (200 km/h)[2]
Weight
  • 5-car units: 243 tonnes (239 long tons; 268 short tons)
  • 9-car units: 438 tonnes (431 long tons; 483 short tons)[3]
Traction systemHitachi IGBT[1]
Prime mover(s)1 × MTU 12V 1600 R80L[4]
(emergency use only)
Engine typeV12 four-stroke turbo-diesel with SCR[5]
Displacement21 L (1,284 cu in)[5]
Power output
  • Engine: 560 kW (750 hp)[1]
  • Electric: 226 kW (303 hp) per motor
Acceleration0.7 m/s2 (1.6 mph/s)[1]
Deceleration
  • Service:
  • 1.0 m/s2 (2.2 mph/s)
  • Emergency:
  • 1.2 m/s2 (2.7 mph/s)[1]
Electric system(s)25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead
Current collector(s)Pantograph
UIC classification
  • 5-car units: 2′2′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′
  • 9-car units: 2′2′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′
Wheels driven
  • 5-car unit: 12
  • 9-car unit: 20
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic (disc) and regenerative
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemDellner 10[8]
Multiple workingWithin class and classes 800 and 802
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 801 Azuma is a class of electric multiple unit (EMU) built by Hitachi Rail for London North Eastern Railway. The units have been built since 2017 at Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe Manufacturing Facility and have been used on services on the East Coast Main Line since 16 September 2019. As part of its production, the Class 801 units were ordered as part of the Intercity Express Programme and are in the Hitachi AT300 product family, alongside the closely related Class 800 units.[9][10] LNER have branded the units as the Azuma, just like on their Class 800 units.[11]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Rogers, Andrew; Robinson, Chris; Agatsuma, Koji; Iwasaki, Mitsuo; Inarida, Satoru; Yamamoto, Takahisa; Konishi, Kenta; Mochida, Toshihiko (2014). "Development of Class 800/801 High-speed Rolling Stock for UK Intercity Express Programme" (PDF). Hitachi Review. 63 (10): 646.
  2. ^ "Speed limiters for Hitachi fleets". Traction & Stock. The Railway Magazine. Vol. 168, no. 1457. August 2022. p. 92.
  3. ^ "Table 1: Inter City Express classes 800, 801 and 802" (PDF). RailEngineer. October 2017.
  4. ^ MTU Rail Power for the UK & Ireland (PDF). MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH. September 2018. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  5. ^ a b MTU Diesel Engine 12V 1600 for Railcar Applications (EU Stage IIIB) (PDF) (01/19 ed.). Friedrichshafen: Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG. 17 December 2020. 32310481. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  6. ^ Barrow, Keith (15 January 2014). "Hitachi gains TSI certification for onboard ETCS". International Railway Journal. Simmons-Boardman Publishing. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  7. ^ Clinnick, Richard (27 February 2019). "EXCLUSIVE: ECML go-ahead for Azumas, but modifications still needed". Rail Magazine. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  8. ^ Pritchard, Robert (2021). British Railways Locomotives & Coaching Stock 2021. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. p. 390. ISBN 978-1-909431-86-7.
  9. ^ Department for Transport; McLoughlin, Patrick (18 July 2013). "Government gives green light for more state-of-the-art intercity trains". GOV.UK (Press release). Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  10. ^ "AT300 - Intercity High Speed". London: Hitachi Rail. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  11. ^ "September 16 launch for Class 801 Azumas on London-Leeds route". www.railmagazine.com. Retrieved 11 November 2020.