New Azuma trains launch on the East Coast Main Line

15 May 2019

Today (Wednesday 15 May 2019), the first Azuma train launched by LNER will enter passenger service on the East Coast Main Line between Leeds and London Kings Cross. 

The Azuma train will be the first of 65 new trains to replace the existing fleet of 45 trains operated by LNER on the East Coast route which connects destinations in Scotland, North East England, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and London.

Commenting on the launch, Cllr Judith Blake, West Yorkshire Combined Authority Lead on Transport and Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “I am delighted to see the launch of the new Azuma trains on the East Coast Main Line between Leeds and London. The new fleet will help deliver economic benefits across the country with faster trains, improving resilience and increasing capacity.

“We need significant investment in the rail network to deliver our economic ambitions, including at Leeds Station which is already the busiest in the North and sits at the heart of the northern economy. Together, HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail with a Bradford city centre station, an upgraded trans-Pennine route and the East Coast Main Line can deliver substantial benefits to communities across the region and it is only by having all of these that true transformational change and opportunity can be created."     

Cllr Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “The East Coast Main Line is a key transport link for the region’s businesses and tourism industry and we look forward to the improvements to passenger journeys that these new trains will bring.

“We need to see improvements for passengers across the rail network that deliver greater reliability and punctuality and investment in infrastructure, including HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, that provides the extra capacity we urgently need.”