Class 801

[absolutelymilk]

When are the 801s due into service? According to the article pictured here:

https://twitter.com/DarrylMeades/status/946077765475950597

They were originally due into service in February 2019, but that may have slipped.

 

[D365]

Think we’ve got a recent discussion on this? I need to dig up the link.

 

[jimm]

Unless it has changed in the past couple of months, the official target for East Coast operations is still December next year. But not sure whether this is meant to be 800s or 801s.

Virgin Trains East Coast Managing Director David Horne has confirmed to RAIL that the first passenger services to be operated by its new Azuma fleet will commence in December 2018.

https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/vtec-confirms-december-2018-start-date-for-azumas

 

[D365]

800s were always the plan, to replace the HSTs first.

 

[jimm]

If it's 800s in December, then a February start for 801s seems plausible then - 801101 and 102 (five-car) arrived from Japan this spring, plus 802201 (nine-car) so will have done plenty of testing well before then.

 

[absolutelymilk]

https://twitter.com/Clinnick1/status/958253338809786373

The first 801 has run on the UK network, from Richard Clinnick on Twitter:

The first @HitachiRailEU Class 801 to run on the national network. 801101 at Darlington, having worked a Doncaster Carr IEP-Darlington test run last night. These 5-car EMUs will be used by VTEC. GARETH JONES.

 

[td97]

Just seen a IEP train heading northbound on the ECML just south of Durham. Was 5-car, plain white livery and had it's pantograph up - so I'm assuming 801 testing?

Edit:
Would appear to be heading to Edinburgh and back today
Outbound: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K13242/2018/02/16/advanced
Inbound: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K13243/2018/02/16/advanced
I'm confused as to why it would be pathed for a DMU though?

 

[Darandio]

Should be 801101 that I saw at Darlington yesterday, it's been running the same (similar) diagram all week and has certainly been running under electric (be hard not to ) power. Haven't all the test runs been pathed like that though?

 

[TheDavibob]

For some reason, I hadn't quite clocked that there would be 5-car Class 801s. Can they/are there plans for them to run in multiple with Class 800s, eg. to Aberdeen or Inverness, dividing at Edinburgh? Or would these more likely simply be pairs of Class 800s?

 

[themiller]

First 80x due to start in December to Yorkshire (from Rail 846 P30) so it's possible that they'll be 801s.