British Rail Class 807
AT300
Artist's impression of Hitachi A-train units for Avanti West Coast
In servicePlanned for 2024[1]
ManufacturerHitachi Rail
Built at
Family nameA-train
ReplacedClass 221
Number under construction10
Formation7 cars per unit
Fleet numbers807001–807010[3]
Capacity453 seats[4]
OwnersRock Rail West Coast
OperatorsAvanti West Coast
DepotsOxley (Wolverhampton)[4]
Lines served
Specifications
Car body constructionAluminium[2]
Car length26 m (85 ft 4 in)[5]
Maximum speed125 mph (200 km/h)[6]
Electric system(s)25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead
Current collector(s)Pantograph
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 807 AT300 is a type of electric multiple unit being built by Hitachi Rail for train operator Avanti West Coast. Based on the Hitachi A-train design, a total of 10 seven-car units will be produced.

History

In December 2019, Avanti West Coast placed an order for 10 seven-car electric units which will replace its Class 221 fleet, along with 13 Class 805 bi-mode units as part of £350 million contract with Hitachi Rail.[7] All units were scheduled to be in service by 2023 but have since been pushed back to 2024. The trains are financed by rolling stock company Rock Rail West Coast, a joint venture between Rock Rail and Standard Life Aberdeen.[8] The trains will be maintained by a joint team of Alstom and Hitachi staff, alongside the Class 805, at Oxley depot near Wolverhampton.

Customer service features promised include free Wi-Fi, at-seat wireless inductive charging for electronic devices, plug sockets and USB sockets, a catering offer and a real-time passenger information system that can advise of connecting rail services.[5]

Construction

Construction of the Class 807 in the UK commenced on 7 July 2020. The aluminium shells arrived after being shipped from Hitachi's Kasado plant in Japan. Final production commenced at Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe facility. Out of the 135 bodyshells, 56 are being manufactured in the UK.[2]

Static testing began in June 2022. The trains were planned to enter service in 2023, but this did not occur.[9]

Fleet details

Class Operator Qty. Year built Cars per unit Unit nos.
807 Avanti West Coast 10 2021–present 7 807001–807010

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Rail Class 807.
  1. ^ "Rolling Stock Special: New Trains on order". Today's Railways UK. No. 241. March 2022. p. 30.
  2. ^ a b c Wordsworth, Nigel (4 July 2020). "First bodyshells for Avanti West Coast's new trains arrive in the UK". Rail Insider. Rail Business Daily. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  3. ^ Clinnick, Richard (9 June 2020). "Avanti confirms class numbers for Hitachi train order". Rail Magazine. Bauer Consumer Media Ltd. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b Hewitt, Sam (7 January 2020). "Hitachi wins £350million order for new West Coast trains". The Railway Hub. Mortons Media Group. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b "First Trenitalia chooses Hitachi Rail to build new intercity trains for Avanti West Coast". Hitachi Rail UK. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Speed limiters for Hitachi fleets". Traction & Stock. The Railway Magazine. Vol. 168, no. 1457. August 2022. p. 92.
  7. ^ "Avanti West Coast - What's in Store". Avanti West Coast. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Rock Rail and ASI close latest UK rolling stock deal". Rock Infrastructure. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Static testing begins on Avanti West Coast's new train fleet". 13 June 2022.
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