Rolling stock › In serviceData updated
Class 801 Azuma
The all-electric version of Hitachi's Intercity Express Train, built for the East Coast Main Line.
Shown
Scale
427 ft (130.12 m) (the cars’ lengths added)
Class 801 Azuma · schematic drawing GB Trains · gbtrains.uk/stock/801/ · CC BY 4.0
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Liveries
Special liveries 6
- 'Gresley 150' (launched 19 Jun 2026) Replaced 'Century' on 801228 18 Jun 2026.
- 801204 'Our Planet' 22 Sep 2024; bio-based vinyl.
- 801205 'She's electric' 27 Mar 2025 (Oasis).
- 801207 'Darlington' 14 Jan 2025 (S&DR 200).
- 801224 Bradford 2025 City of Culture 19 May 2025.
- 801226 'Together' Pride Eight LGBTQ+ flags across all nine cars, from 1 Jun 2023; LNER says it stays permanently.
Former liveries 1
LNER'Century' (801228)Ran as LNERFormer15 May 2023 to 18 Jun 2026Not drawn yet
- Type
- Electric multiple unit
- Builder
- Hitachi Rail (assembled at Newton Aycliffe)
- Family
- Class 800 series, with Class 800, Class 802, Class 803, Class 805 Evero, Class 807 Evero, Class 810 Aurora
- Built
- 2017–2020
- In service
- since 2019
- Operators
- LNER
- Formation
- 5 cars (DPTS-MS-MS-MC-DPTF) or 9 cars (DPTS-MS-MS-TS-MS-TS-MC-MF-DPTF, as Hitachi designed them in 2014)
- Fleets
- LNER: 42
- Top speed
- 125 mph (201 km/h) in service; designed for 140 mph (225 km/h)
- Power
- 25 kV AC overhead; one diesel generator unit, as on the Class 800, for emergency traction and auxiliary power · how it works
- Bogies
- Hitachi bolsterless bogies; inner-frame trailer bogies under the 9-car trains' two TS cars · drawn with the same bogie component as Class 800, Class 802, Class 803, Class 805 Evero, Class 807 Evero
- Train length
- 427 ft (130.12 m) (the cars’ lengths added)
- Coupled
- 2 × 5 cars, about 854 ft (260 m) (the units’ lengths added)
- Car height
- 12 ft 3 in (3.725 m), to the body's roof edge; the roof covers stand about 11 in (0.27 m) higher
- Profile
- main-line
- Seats per train
- As designed (Hitachi, 2014): 5 cars 315 (45 first class, 270 standard); 9 cars 627 (101 first class, 526 standard)
- Status
- In service since September 2019: the first five-car 801s from 16 September 2019, the nine-car ones that November. Owned by Agility Trains East and maintained by Hitachi. An Azuma first ran under ETCS Level 2 cab signalling between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin overnight on 15-16 July 2026; LNER's services begin moving to ETCS from late 2026.
Car types
| Code | Car | Length | Doors per side |
|---|---|---|---|
| DPTS | Driving pantograph trailer, standard class | 85 ft 6 in26.06 m | 2 single |
| MS | Motor, standard class | 85 ft 4 in26.00 m | 2 single |
| MC | Motor, composite | 85 ft 4 in26.00 m | 2 single |
| DPTF | Driving pantograph trailer, first class, with kitchen | 85 ft 6 in26.06 m | 2 single |
Sources
How we source figures → · Spotted a mistake? Tell us → (opens in a new tab)
Show the 46 sources from Wikimedia Commons, LNER, Walter Baxter, via Geograph and Wikimedia Commons and 16 more
- Side of 801 226 Driving Pantograph (Car 1) (photograph, 31 July 2026, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Three76Five43Nine72), 31 July 2026the first-class driving car's three blanked window positions (layout only)
- Hitachi press release on the Intercity Express Programme (East Coast) Hitachi, 16 April 201412 five-car and 30 nine-car electric trains
- Class 800/801 trains for the Intercity Express Programme (Hitachi Review vol. 63 no. 10, archived) Hitachi, 2014design, lengths, speed; the 9-car formation and its inner-frame trailer bogies (Table 1, pp. 648-649); bolsterless bogies; one generator unit for emergency traction and auxiliary power (p. 650); design seats (Table 1, Fig. 2)
- East Coast Main Line Agility Trainsowner, availability-based contract
- Report 13/2020: incident at Neville Hill depot Rail Accident Investigation Branch, November 2020LNER's IETs (Class 800s first) in passenger service from 15 May 2019; 125 mph (201 km/h)
- ADPL-12-01-02 Rev 4: Class 800 LNER Azuma livery, sheets 1-3 Atlantic Design Projects for LNER (released under FOI: 'Class 800/801 Livery Designs'), 12 September 2018, pp. sheets 1-3side elevation of the driving and intermediate cars, livery colours (measured)
- LNER 100 Azuma livery, final design, version 2.0 (supply deck) LNER (released under FOI: 'Class 800 Azuma special liveries'), 2023, pp. pp. 2, 7, 8side elevations, bogies and skirts (measured)
- First Pantographs for New Class 800 Series IEP Trains Leave UK for Japan Hitachi Rail, 28 February 2014pantographs: Brecknell Willis twin-strip single-arm, two per train (one on each driving car, as drawn)
- Pantograph on a British Rail Class 800 'Azuma' of LNER seen from the main bridge at Leeds railway station (5th July 2019).jpg: a driving car's roof well from above, the pantograph folded (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Mtaylor848, via Wikimedia Commons, 5 July 2019the drawing's pantographs: folded in the well, the head inboard, the pan and the arms' end 0.63 and 0.97 of the way along the well (photograph, layout only)
- Penzance - GWR 802013 (DPTS 831013).JPG: a driving pantograph trailer's roof from above, the pantograph folded (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Geof Sheppard, via Wikimedia Commons, 27 November 2018the drawing's pantographs: the DPTS's well and its folded pantograph, the head inboard (photograph, layout only)
- 805 008 Mill Meece 180124.jpg: 805 008 at Mill Meece, its pantograph raised (photograph, CC BY 2.0) kitmasterbloke, via Wikimedia Commons, 18 January 2024the drawing's pantographs: raised, the arms coming up out of the lowered roof, the knee towards the cab (photograph, layout only)
- 805008 Mill Meece 180124.jpg: 805 008 at Mill Meece, near side on (photograph, CC BY 2.0) kitmasterbloke, via Wikimedia Commons, 18 January 2024the drawing's pantographs: the lowered roof's length and the folded pantograph's place along it, from the inner end (photograph, scaled by the car's doors and windows)
- GWR 802011 (835011 pantograph).JPG: the pantograph on an 802's first-class driving car (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Geof Sheppard, via Wikimedia Commons, 28 January 2023the drawing's pantographs: one on the first-class driving car too (photograph, layout only)
- Interim report IR1/2026: collision between two passenger trains at Elstow, near Bedford Rail Accident Investigation Branch, October 2026, p. 7 (figure 3)the drawing's pantographs: the lowered roof's depth and the folded height over it (the Class 810's, measured; taken as the same AT300 roof)
- LNER 800205 (photograph, 3 June 2026, CC BY 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (dunsphotos), 3 June 2026the yellow nose front: its extent and colour (lit, sampled)
- 800 203 LNER Azuma York-KX at Offord Cluny foot crossing (photograph, 5 August 2026, CC BY 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 5 August 2026the yellow nose front (layout only)
- LNER Azuma at Grantham (photograph of 800111, 19 June 2019, CC BY-SA 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (Chris Morgan, via Geograph), 19 June 2019the yellow nose front (layout only)
- 801227, Welham Green, December 15th 2024.jpg (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Southsea_Matt, via Wikimedia Commons, 15 December 2024the yellow nose front on an 801 (layout and colour)
- Bristol Temple Meads - GWR 802006+802020 (802014).JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Geof Sheppard), 9 March 2019the open noses of two coupled units, side on: the face, its height and the couplers and electrical heads between (set NZ re-measure; the AT300 front end, alike on the 800, 801, 802 and 805)
- Nose to nose - geograph.org.uk - 6966139.jpg (photograph, CC BY-SA 2.0) Wikimedia Commons, from Geograph (DS Pugh), 15 September 2021two coupled 801s side on: the open faces and the gap between them (set NZ re-measure)
- ADPL-12-01-02 Rev 4: Class 800 LNER Azuma livery, sheets 1-3 Atlantic Design Projects for LNER (released under FOI: 'Class 800/801 Livery Designs'), 12 September 2018, p. sheet 1 (side B)the cab front laid on the outline, with the cone's lower lip and the apron's facet (set CA, ca-at300; measured)
- ADPL-12-01-02 Rev 4: Class 800 LNER Azuma livery, sheets 1-3 Atlantic Design Projects for LNER (released under FOI: 'Class 800/801 Livery Designs'), 12 September 2018, pp. sheet 1 (side B), vectorsthe cab livery (red sweep, window surround and window, silver crescent, red lower nose), the headlamp and the cab door's grab rails (set L801, read off the sheet's vectors)
- An LNER Azuma train on the East Coast Main Line (geograph 7347905): 801226's leading driving car side on, long lens, level, the nose closed (photograph, CC BY-SA 2.0) Walter Baxter, via Geograph and Wikimedia Commons, 21 November 2022the driving cars' cab-end bogie position (set C800B: the wheel centres read side on against the cab door and the first passenger door)
- Allerford - GWR 802111 (839111) at speed.JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 14 May 2022the bogies' wheelbase and the driving cars' inner bogie position (set C800B3: the axle-end covers read side on against the cab door and the passenger doors)
- Allerford - GWR 802111 (831111) at speed.JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 14 May 2022the driving cars' inner bogie position (set C800B3: the same unit's other end, which fixes the axle-end covers' depth behind the bodyside)
- GWR 802102 (831102) coupling detail.JPG and GWR 802006 (831006) coupling detail.JPG (photographs, CC BY-SA 4.0); Taunton - GWR 800003+800004 coupled.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Geof Sheppard), 2017-2022the Dellner coupler behind the nose's doors, which open to couple (set BC10, 20 October 2026; layout only)
- Allerford - GWR 802111 (839111) at speed.JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 14 May 2022the driving car's underframe side on: skirt panels, latches, grilles, recess and heights (set UFAT300)
- Allerford - GWR 802111 (831111) at speed.JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 14 May 2022the standard driving car's grilles and notches (set UFAT300)
- An LNER Azuma train on the East Coast Main Line (geograph 7347905): 801226's leading driving car side on, long lens, level, the nose closed (photograph, CC BY-SA 2.0) Walter Baxter, via Geograph and Wikimedia Commons, 21 November 2022the 801's driving car's skirt panels and latches over its cab end (set UFAT300)
- Allerford - GWR 802111 (839111) at speed.JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 14 May 2022the inner gangway, side on: end frames, bellows, cables and their heights (set JN807)
- GWR 800020 (814020 and 815020) bogies.JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 31 July 2021the inner gangway close and level: the bellows' colour, folds and seam, the cables and brackets (set JN807)
- 807006 passes 350261 at Stafford 31 03 25 (photograph, CC BY-SA 2.0) Foulger Rail Photos, via Wikimedia Commons (Flickr 54424000277), 31 March 2025the 807's inner gangway, three-quarter: the same end frames, brackets and bellows (set JN807)
- An LNER Azuma train on the East Coast Main Line (geograph 7347905): 801226's leading driving car side on, long lens, level, the nose closed (photograph, CC BY-SA 2.0) Walter Baxter, via Geograph and Wikimedia Commons, 21 November 2022the door-leaf windows (measured on the leaf) and the display panel by the first window (set T8)
- An LNER Azuma on the East Coast Main Line (geograph 8128257): 801204's driving car side on, long lens (photograph, CC BY-SA 2.0) Walter Baxter, via Geograph and Wikimedia Commons, 10 August 2025the door-leaf windows and both display panels, by the first window and ahead of door 2 (sets T8, T9; rectified on the doors)
- LNER Azuma passing Cupar with a KX-Aberdeen service.jpg (photograph, CC BY 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 5 June 2026LNER's door leaves in the body colour (set T8; colour only)
- September 16 launch for Class 801 Azumas on London-Leeds route Rail, 1 August 2019the first 801/1s into passenger service on 16 September 2019, a pair on King's Cross-Leeds (announced 1 August 2019)
- LNER completes first live ETCS Level 2 Azuma digital signalling trial Global Railway Review, 21 July 2026the first live ETCS Level 2 running, Welwyn Garden City-Hitchin, 15-16 July 2026; migration from late 2026
- Taunton - GWR 800003+800004 coupled.JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Geof Sheppard), 31 July 2017the open space under the couplers between two coupled units' noses (set BCT11b)
- LNER unveils 'Century' Azuma train Business Traveller, 16 May 2023the livery and its unit, 801228, unveiled May 2023
- British Rail Class 801 Wikipedia, read 13 October 2026the livery, its unit and its dates
- A moving legacy lner unveils gresley 150 azuma livery to celebrate life of railway pioneer LNER, read 13 October 2026the livery, its unit and its dates
- LNER introduces 'Our Planet': the named train championing sustainable travel LNER (press release), 22 September 2024the livery, its unit and its date (22 September 2024)
- LNER unveils 'Darlington' livery as it celebrates 200 years of the railway LNER (press release), 14 January 2025the livery, its unit and its date (14 January 2025)
- LNER Azuma unit given unique livery to celebrate Railway 200 Rail, 15 January 2025the nine-car 801207 in the Darlington livery
- Together for a Summer of Pride: LNER launches Azuma train celebrating Pride LNER (press release), 1 June 2023the livery, its eight flags on all nine cars, its date and that it stays
- A Guide to Overhead Electrification (132787-ALB-GUN-EOH-000001, rev 10) Network Rail (prepared by Alan Baxter), February 2015, p. 39the contact wire in the In operation drawing: 15 ft 5 in (4.7 m) above rail, Network Rail's normal height
unverified
- The generator unit's place in the train (which car) isn't given by Hitachi
- Build years: assembly at Newton Aycliffe from July 2018, with early bodyshells from Kasado, Japan; deliveries planned until February 2020
- Driving-car length: 83 ft 10 in (25.56 m) nose to body end on LNER's livery drawings, 83 ft 2 in (25.35 m) in Hitachi's 2014 paper
- Heights: measured above the bottoms of the drawn wheels, which are drawn 3 ft 6 in (1.06 m) across; no source gives the real wheel size
- The pantographs: placed from photographs (scaled by the driving car's doors and windows, to about 0.3 m); no drawing of this class's roof has been published; drawn with no roof well, as photographs show the roof line level over it from the side (set C800F, 13 October 2026), the folded pantograph standing about 240 mm above the roof edge, read off a close platform photograph of 811011 at Paddington scaled by its door: a lower bound, the camera being below the roof; a level, long-lens photograph would measure it
- The cab front: laid on ADPL's sheet 1 outline (side B), within 6 mm; compared with 802304 at Welton (three-quarter) for its shape only
- The driving cars' cab-end bogie: placed at 14 ft 7 in (4,455 mm) from the nose from three side-on photographs (801226, 800017, 801107; they agree within about 50 mm), not from a dimensioned drawing; the wheelbase is drawn 2,600, Beacon's figure for the 803 (set C800B3)
- The bogies: the wheelbase is drawn 8 ft 6 in (2,600 mm), Beacon's figure for the 803 (the photographs read 2,574-2,670); the driving cars' inner bogie centre is drawn at 70 ft 4 in (21,450 mm) from the nose, against about 21,510 (±30) on two long-lens photographs of 802111 and about 21,590 on Beacon's diagram fitted to the doors: not settled, so left as drawn
- The underframes (set UFAT300): from photographs only, no drawing of the AT300's underframe having been published; positions to about 150 mm on the level photographs and 1 ft 0 in to 2 ft 0 in (300-600 mm) on the three-quarter ones; intermediate cars without a side-on photograph of their own drawn with plain panels, or the 805's generator-unit group, as the record's underframe_checked says
- The inner gangway (set JN807): from photographs of 802 and 800 joins, and the 807's seen three-quarter; no drawing of the gangway has been published. The bellows' top is drawn 11 ft 1 in (3,390 mm; the photographs read 3,358 and 3,425), their foot 1,220 (839111; 800020, closer, reads about 1,330); the cables' loops and the brackets are placed from the photographs to about 100 mm
- The 801/1s' first day, 16 September 2019, is Rail's announcement of 1 August 2019, written before the launch; the nine-car 801/2s' start (November 2019) is from Wikipedia only
- Seats: Hitachi's 2014 design figures; LNER's current layout may differ (no LNER seat map was read)
- The car height: 12 ft 3 in (3.725 m) is the body's roof edge as LNER's livery drawings give it; no printed height has been found, and the grey roof covers stand about 0.27-0.3 m above it (801226, 801204)
- The years of the former liveries come from Wikipedia's class article and the other sources listed, and haven't been checked against a second source.
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