LNER announce CAF fleet (Class 897)

[Trainbike46]

The seats are still Sophias, though (presumably for commonality of parts?). Will be interesting to see if the cushion design is such that the metal bar can't be felt, TfW seem to have achieved this but we don't know how it will go over time, and these cushions look thinner than the TfW one.

That's unfortunate, the metal bar is a massive design flaw. I do hope they managed to resolve it.

Even smaller fleet than the Adelantes. *Raises eyebrow*

For now, I could see these or something very similar being ordered in the future

 

[Russel]

The seats are still Sophias, though (presumably for commonality of parts?). Will be interesting to see if the cushion design is such that the metal bar can't be felt, TfW seem to have achieved this but we don't know how it will go over time, and these cushions look thinner than the TfW one.

I was wondering this too, after a few long journeys on GWR 800s in early January, the issue with the seating is very obvious, so I'd like to think that we will see improvements here...

I won't hold my breath though.

 

[ac6000cw]

Re. the 'Serenza' name, from the LNER web page:

To help them stand apart from the existing Azuma fleet, the new Class 897 trains will be named ‘Serenza’*. The name is a hybrid of ‘serene’ and the Spanish-style suffix ‘-enza’, evoking a feeling of peacefulness and calm, combined with energy, movement, and modernity.

 

[800001]

Where is the name "Serenza" coming from? Does it actually have a meaning behind it like in another language? I recall that "Azuma" means something in the Japanese language? Or is this just a word made up by some marketing agency?

It's states in the post they made what the name means

The name is a hybrid of ‘serene’ and the Spanish-style suffix ‘-enza’, evoking a feeling of peacefulness and calm, combined with energy, movement, and modernity.

 

[D365]

Next to zero chance in reality as the target market is the non-electrified more southerly branches with very low non-electric line speeds.

Would those routes 'need' 10 car trains? Or given that the they [as per their immediate predecessors] will be based at Neville Hill, is it not the case that Class 897s may operate beyond Leeds.

 

[rattyben]

So they’ve released this which has an LNER colour scheme but also stated that…

“While most of the design of the fleet’s interior has been agreed, some minor changes may still be made until the project reaches design freeze.”

Which suggests this design is almost set in stone but also that….

“The trains will be operated under Great British Railways - the new nationalised organisation to run the country's railway - and will be branded as such on their interior and exterior.”

Both those statements taken together suggest this is going to be the GBR interior design choice.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Feb 2026 ==

Would those routes 'need' 10 car trains? Or given that the they [as per their immediate predecessors] will be based at Neville Hill, is it not the case that Class 897s may operate beyond Leeds.

What are all their non electrified routes? Bradford, Harrogate, Skipton, Middlesbrough, Inverness, Lincoln?

Which of those needs 10 carriages?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Bradford, Harrogate, Skipton, Middlesbrough, Inverness, Lincoln?

Bradford and Skipton are electrified.
Aberdeen is not, and if diverting via Carlisle or other routes.

 

[hwl]

Would those routes 'need' 10 car trains? Or given that the they [as per their immediate predecessors] will be based at Neville Hill, is it not the case that Class 897s may operate beyond Leeds.

I include Harrogate, Hull and Lincoln in the non electrified southern branches definition and Bradford in the electrified southern branches definition.

One of the reason for 10car is to reduce train capex per vehicle compared to 5 car with fewer cabs, proportionally less space allocated to non-standard class seating (e.g. buffet, bikes, overall numbers of disabled toilets) as is it much easier to avoid duplication in 10car units (e.g. 1x buffet counter) and also reduced diesel/battery power requirements in a longer trains (redundancy and lower traction power requirements off the wires e.g. the southern non electrified branches often max out at 70mph line speed e.g. 2 fewer engines vs a 10car Azuma and significantly lighter).

Good acceleration on electric (compared to 225/800/801 e.g. matching 805/805 on electric or better) and ability to pick up as many intermediate stops as possible to take the passenger loads of some existing services - it isn't about passenger loadings at the end of the branches but improving service levels at intermediate stations too.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One of the reason for 10car is to reduce train capex per vehicle compared to 5 car with fewer cabs, proportionally less space allocated to non-standard class seating (e.g. buffet, bikes, overall numbers of disabled toilets) as is it much easier to avoid duplication in 10car units (e.g. 1x buffet counter) and also reduced diesel/battery power requirements in a longer trains (redundancy and lower traction power requirements off the wires e.g. the southern non electrified branches often max out at 70mph line speed e.g. 2 fewer engines vs a 10car Azuma and significantly lighter).

They're also shorter (24m) vehicles so a 9 car would have reduced capacity.

 

[Russel]

Both those statements taken together suggest this is going to be the GBR interior design choice.

Assuming this is the case, then it's not a bad design choice, certainly better than the sterile DFT spec GWR 800s or TL 700s.

 

[rattyben]

Bradford and Skipton are electrified.
Aberdeen is not, and if diverting via Carlisle or other routes.

Seems likely then these units will be spread out rather than a dedicated route?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Feb 2026 ==

Assuming this is the case, then it's not a bad design choice, certainly better than the sterile DFT spec GWR 800s or TL 700s.

Agreed, I think the darker / wood panelling effect is good at absorbing the light. I find Lumo interiors are just far too bright.

 

[The Foghorn]

With a 24m length you can have a slightly wider vehicle which would be welcome.

 

[Russel]

Agreed, I think the darker / wood panelling effect is good at absorbing the light. I find Lumo interiors are just far too bright.

The reds in the moquette and carpet makes these look much warmer I feel.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Agreed, I think the darker / wood panelling effect is good at absorbing the light. I find Lumo interiors are just far too bright.

Lumo is just aping Ryanair - low cost airlines usually go for basic, bright colour schemes.

I do like the LNER interior scheme though - it feels warm and welcoming as well as modern. I think arguably it's actually the Virgin Trains East Coast scheme, which unsurprisingly is a Best Impressions job?

 

[superalbs]

LNER have revealed mock up pictures of their new Class 897s and their new name.

Photos Credit: LNER

This interior makes such a huge mockery of the awful IEP, despite using some identical components and similar styling.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Feb 2026 ==

Where is the name "Serenza" coming from? Does it actually have a meaning behind it like in another language? I recall that "Azuma" means something in the Japanese language? Or is this just a word made up by some marketing agency?

It's an Italian female given name, which they claim is Spanish for the reason that it apparently sounds Spanish. Quality.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Feb 2026 ==

In Standard it looks the same as the 397, which is bright but OK in my view.

Agreed, the 397 lighting was fairly reasonable in my experiences.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Feb 2026 ==

That's unfortunate, the metal bar is a massive design flaw. I do hope they managed to resolve it.

For now, I could see these or something very similar being ordered in the future

The cushion appears to be massive, so if the base frame design is the same, it'd take decades for that to be an issue.


== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Feb 2026 ==

Lumo is just aping Ryanair - low cost airlines usually go for basic, bright colour schemes.

I do like the LNER interior scheme though - it feels warm and welcoming as well as modern. I think arguably it's actually the Virgin Trains East Coast scheme, which unsurprisingly is a Best Impressions job?

According to this post on Bluesky, the VTEC design is by Sam Jessup: https://bsky.app/profile/samjessupdesign.bsky.social/post/3mdsrggzigc2q

I knew the VTEC Mk3 interior I lead the design on was still alive and cruising the rails of Mexico, but I didn't realise they'd created Spanish translations of the signage I designed too - I love it when bits of my design work turn up in unexpected places!

 

[Goldfish62]

Shame they're still wedded to the Fainsa Sofia seating. Better contoured cushioning will help, but you can bet it'll still be rock hard and the seat backs unnaturally bolt upright.

An interesting point in the article is that the trains will be GBR-branded internally as well as externally. Wonder if this means that the LNER red-based interior will change on the final version.

If LNER/GBR wanted a really nice looking and comfortable interior they couldn't have gone wrong basing it on the ICE-L or ICE3 neo (updated interior version) or any SBB IC train!

 

[gingerheid]

I believe that Hitachi quoted a price for additional units that was seen as being something of a mickey-take hence the frustrating micro-fleet from CAF instead...

Urgh... Capitalism eating itself when it comes to public services . It's almost as if there needs to be a GBREL Ltd.

Shame it didn't go to Stadler, so that there'd at least have been *something* else the same.

 

[Goldfish62]

Shame it didn't go to Stadler, so that there'd at least have been *something* else the same.

We could have had a scaled down version of the lovely SBB Giruno.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Still a case of bring your own cushions then. I quite like the luggage area.

 

[Bletchleyite]

We could have had a scaled down version of the lovely SBB Giruno.

It'd be the FLIRT200 if it had gone to Stadler, no need to be speccing high speed for a unit that will never exceed 200km/h.

 

[Martin222002]

The cushion appears to be massive, so if the base frame design is the same, it'd take decades for that to be an issue.
View attachment 197226

To me the seat base looks no bigger than that of the existing Azuma Fainsa Sophia seats. Whether the seats will prove to be better comfort wise time will tell, but for LNERs sake they better be or their will be egg on face if they are worse than those fitted on the Avanti 805s/807s and those fitted to the EMR 810s.

Photo from this Flight & Times article. https://flightsandtimes.co.uk/2019/05/22/azuma-is-here/

 

[superalbs]

View attachment 197231To me the seat base looks no bigger than that of the existing Azuma Fainsa Sophia seats. Whether the seats will prove to be better comfort wise time will tell, but for LNERs sake they better be or their will be egg on face if they are worse than those fitted on the Avanti 805s/807s and those fitted to the EMR 810s.

Photo from this Flight & Times article. https://flightsandtimes.co.uk/2019/05/22/azuma-is-here/

It is clearly a good 1-2 inches thicker than that interior, evident by the base cushion being a totally different shape.

 

[Martin222002]

It'd be the FLIRT200 if it had gone to Stadler, no need to be speccing high speed for a unit that will never exceed 200km/h.

Off topic I know but Stadler did bid for the EMR contract with a version of the SMILE, but that's as much as is known about it.

 

[Brubulus]

A Fainsa Sophia with a good cushion and no metal bar is a decent seat. Also they have 569 seats, so exactly the same as the 9 car 80x.

 

[Clansman]

Confirmed as a mock up and not an actual carriage.

In any case they look poor. Behind the bespoke seat coverings with fancy leather headrest overlays, and colours scheme - it’s still the same bog standard modular Civity.

More of the same…

 

[Russel]

It is clearly a good 1-2 inches thicker than that interior, evident by the base cushion being a totally different shape.

I'm not seeing much of a difference but it's worth remembering that comparing a CGI to a real world photo isn't going to be all that accurate.

A Fainsa Sophia with a good cushion and no metal bar is a decent seat. Also they have 569 seats, so exactly the same as the 9 car 80x.

Indeed, they seem fine on the TFW 197s.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm not seeing much of a difference but it's worth remembering that comparing a CGI to a real world photo isn't going to be all that accurate.

It's not a CGI, it's a real physical mock-up in a tin shed somewhere. If it was CGI you wouldn't see another part of the mockup, nor the framework of said tin shed, through the window of one of the coaches.

 

[LucyP]

They seem to have reverted to leather seats for 1st Class, which is good. They have put the power and USB sockets in a convenient position in Standard Class, but where are they in 1st? Still hidden between the seats as with the Azuma stock, which is very inconvenient.

The nicest interiors were the GNER ones. The 225s are the nicest current trains.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I include Harrogate, Hull and Lincoln in the non electrified southern branches definition and Bradford in the electrified southern branches definition.

Lincoln services currently lay over in the Great Northern Terrace siding (the rump of the direct line to Boston) which can only take 5 cars.

 

[Russel]

It's not a CGI, it's a real physical mock-up in a tin shed somewhere. If it was CGI you wouldn't see another part of the mockup, nor the framework of said tin shed, through the window of one of the coaches.

The photos do have quite a CGI look to them, must be a combination of the lighting used during the photoshoot and editing.