British Rail Class 897

British Rail Class 897
Artist's impression of the Class 897
In service2027 (planned)
ManufacturerCAF
Built at
Family nameCivity
ReplacedInterCity 225
Number under construction10
Formation10 cars per unit
OwnersPorterbrook
OperatorsLondon North Eastern Railway
DepotsNeville Hill
Lines servedEast Coast Main Line
Specifications
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 897 is a type of tri-mode electro-diesel multiple unit to be manufactured by CAF for London North Eastern Railway. Ten ten-car units will be built.

History

In 2013, the Department for Transport ordered 30 Class 801s to replace the same number of InterCity 225s on East Coast Main Line services.[1] However after Virgin Trains East Coast was awarded the InterCity East Coast franchise in 2015 with a commitment to introduce extra services, some InterCity 225s were retained.[2][3][4]

In October 2020, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) issued a tender for 10 electro-diesel multiple units to replace its remaining InterCity 225s.[5] In November 2023, LNER placed an order with CAF for ten ten-carriage sets to be built on its Civity platform. The first two will be built in Spain, the other eight at Newport.[6][7]

The trains will be able to run on 25 kV 50 Hz electrification, battery and diesel power.[7][8] They will be maintained at Neville Hill TMD.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "IEP order to replace Mark 4s". Today's Railways UK. No. 141. September 2013. p. 8.
  2. ^ "Stagecoach/Virgin bid wins East Coast franchise". The Railway Magazine. No. 1366. January 2015. p. 6.
  3. ^ "VTEC's first HST in vinyl-based red enters traffic". Rail Magazine. No. 778. 8 July 2015. p. 30.
  4. ^ "VTEC and FirstGroup granted East Coast Main Line access". Railway Gazette International. 12 May 2016.
  5. ^ Ford, Roger (February 2021). "LNER Procurement
    Welcome to the '80s". Informed Sources. Modern Railways. Vol. 78, no. 869. p. 26.
  6. ^ "LNER orders 10 tri-mode trains from CAF". International Railway Journal. 9 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b c "LNER CAF fleet to be Class 897". Rail Express. No. 340. September 2024. p. 14.
  8. ^ "First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line". London North Eastern Railway. Retrieved 13 August 2024.