British Rail Class 897
| British Rail Class 897 Serenza | |
|---|---|
 Artist's impression of the Class 897 | |
| In service | 2028 (planned)[1] |
| Manufacturer | CAF |
| Built at |
|
| Family name | Civity |
| Replaced | InterCity 225 |
| Number under construction | 10 |
| Formation | 10 cars per unit |
| Capacity | 569 (seated) |
| Owners | Porterbrook |
| Operators | London North Eastern Railway |
| Depots | Neville Hill |
| Lines served | East Coast Main Line |
| Specifications | |
| Electric system(s) | 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead |
| Current collection | Pantograph |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The British Rail Class 897 Serenza is a type of tri-mode electro-diesel multiple unit to be manufactured by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) for London North Eastern Railway. Ten ten-car units will be built, powered by 25 kV 50 Hz electrification, as well as battery and diesel power.
History
[edit]In 2013, the Department for Transport ordered 30 Class 801s to replace the same number of InterCity 225s on East Coast Main Line services.[2] 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.[3][4][5]
In October 2020, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) issued a tender for 10 electro-diesel multiple units to replace its remaining InterCity 225s.[6] 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.[7][8] The trains will be able to run on 25 kV 50 Hz electrification, battery and diesel power.[8][9] They will be maintained at Neville Hill TMD.[8]
In January 2026, LNER showed off the proposed interior design of the train, and announced that they plan to brand the fleet as Serenza, a portmanteau of the word "Serene" and the "Spanish-style suffix '-enza'".[10]
See also
[edit]- British Rail Class 195 – A diesel multiple unit variant of the CAF Civity UK platform built for Northern.
- British Rail Class 196 – A diesel multiple unit variant of the CAF Civity UK platform built for West Midlands Trains.
- British Rail Class 197 – A diesel multiple unit variant of the CAF Civity UK platform built for Transport for Wales Rail.
- British Rail Class 331 – An electric multiple unit variant of the CAF Civity UK platform built for Northern.
- British Rail Class 397 - An electric multiple unit variant of the CAF Civity UK platform built for TransPennine Express.
References
[edit]- ^ "Enter "Serenza": @LNER has released the first interior images of its ten new 10-car tri-mode CAF 897s - due to enter service in 2028. It has also christened the trains "Serenza" and LNER says they will be the first new trains introduced as part of GBR and will be branded as such". X. @TodaysRailways. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ "IEP order to replace Mark 4s". Today's Railways UK. No. 141. September 2013. p. 8.
- ^ "Stagecoach/Virgin bid wins East Coast franchise". The Railway Magazine. No. 1366. January 2015. p. 6.
- ^ "VTEC's first HST in vinyl-based red enters traffic". Rail Magazine. No. 778. 8 July 2015. p. 30.
- ^ "VTEC and FirstGroup granted East Coast Main Line access". Railway Gazette International. 12 May 2016.
- ^ Ford, Roger (February 2021). "LNER Procurement - Welcome to the '80s". Informed Sources. Modern Railways. Vol. 78, no. 869. p. 26.
- ^ "LNER orders 10 tri-mode trains from CAF". International Railway Journal. 9 November 2023.
- ^ a b c "LNER CAF fleet to be Class 897". Rail Express. No. 340. September 2024. p. 14.
- ^ "First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line". London North Eastern Railway. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ Smith, Ian (2 February 2026). "First look at LNER's new fleet for the East Coast Main Line - and their new name". Northumberland Gazette. Retrieved 2 February 2026.