LNER announces new Azuma trains will enter service in May

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has announced new Azuma trains will enter service on 15 May 2019.

The trains have been through rigorous testing with engineers and technical staff from Hitachi Rail, Network Rail and the Department for Transport, ensuring they will meet the standards LNER sets for customer service.

LNER Managing Director, David Horne, said: “I am delighted to confirm that LNER will run the first Azuma train on the service between London and Leeds, commencing from 15 May. This is what customers up and down the country have been waiting for and represents a monumental milestone for rail travel.

“We’ve worked very hard alongside our partners and suppliers to reach this point and I look forward to giving all our customers an excellent experience every time they travel with us.”

LNER customers will witness more seats and more services across the network as Azuma trains are introduced, with the total fleet increasing from 45 to 65 trains.

The Azuma trains are being manufactured in Britain by Hitachi Rail, at its purpose-built factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

Karen Boswell, Managing Director of Hitachi Rail, said: “Passengers on the East Coast Main Line will soon be able to enjoy a fleet built in the northeast of England harnessing Japanese bullet-train technology.

“Our British train factory has sourced parts from across the country to build the Azuma trains, which herald a new era for this famous route.”

The introduction of the new trains has required substantial work across the network to update equipment and technology used to run the Azumas.

Rob McIntosh, Route Managing Director for Network Rail, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that passengers will soon be able to travel on the new Azuma trains and we look forward to them reaping the benefits. A huge amount of work has gone into reaching this significant step and we have worked extremely closely with both LNER and Hitachi on this.”