Intercity Express Programme

The Intercity Express Programme (IEP) was an initiative of the Department for Transport (DfT) in the United Kingdom to procure new trains to replace the InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 fleets on the East Coast Main Line and Great Western Main Line. These new trains were designed and produced by Hitachi as part of their A-train family, classified as Class 800 electro-diesel units and Class 801 electric multiple units. Hitachi categorises the units as a part of the AT300 family and has referred to them as the Hitachi Super Express Train.^[1]

The IEP was launched by the DfT in 2005, at which point it was focused on procuring a replacement for the Intercity 125. In November 2007, an invitation to tender was sent to three shortlisted entities: Alstom-Barclays Rail Group; Express Rail Alliance (Bombardier, Siemens, Angel Trains and Babcock & Brown); and Hitachi Europe. On 12 February 2009, the British Government announced that Agility Trains had been selected the preferred bidder for the contract; at this point, the pending contract, which including replacements for both Intercity 125 and 225 trains, had an estimated value of £7.5bn.^[2] The final decision on the contact's awarding, as well as its value and composition, which was originally expected by early 2009, was delayed by several years. One key cause of delays was the preparation of plans to electrify parts of the railway network, which would affect the final order. Other factors include the 2010 general election and by an independent 'value for money' report published in July 2010.

During March 2011, the final decision was taken to proceed with the IEP and to electrify the Great Western Main Line. An initial £4.5 billion order for 596 carriages for use on the East Coast and Great Western main lines was announced in July 2012. One year later, a £1.2bn option for a further 30 nine-car electric trains to replace the Intercity 225 on the East Coast Main Line was also taken up. During May 2016, it was confirmed by the DfT that, because of the late delivery of the Great Western electrification project, 21 "Class 801" trains would be converted to bi-mode operation and thus an increased number of trains would be diesel-equipped instead. Assembly of the majority of the trains took place at Hitachi's new train manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe, the construction of which taking place between 2013 and 2015.^[3][4] Furthermore, several new maintenance depots were constructed to support the IEP, these being the Doncaster Carr depot, Filton Triangle (Stoke Gifford), Maliphant Sidings (Swansea), and at the former Eurostar North Pole depot.

During January 2015, the first IEP train departed Hitachi's Kasado factory; post-delivery testing commenced at Old Dalby Test Track shortly after its arrival in the UK. The planned introduction of the IEP, more specifically its lack of guards and reduced catering facilities, led to industrial action being taken by members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). In October 2017, the first train went into service on the Great Western Mainline. In addition to those units ordered under the IEP initiative, numerous follow-on orders were received from First Great Western, Hull Trains, TransPennine Express, Lumo, East Midlands Railway, and Avanti West Coast. These newer units often feature various changes and improvements, including larger fuel tanks, more powerful engine arrangements, and shortened vehicles; they have been used to increase capacity or replace other train sets, such as the Class 180 and Class 221 Super Voyagers.