LNER has celebrated five years since its world-class Azuma trains entered service across its East Coast route between the Scottish Highlands, Yorkshire and London King’s Cross.
Azuma services launched on 15th May 2019 with the inaugural journey from London King’s Cross to Leeds. Since then, tens of millions of customers have travelled on the trains which continue to set new, higher standards in comfort, reliability and customer experience.
During the five years, LNER’s fleet of 65 Azuma trains have clocked up more than 58-million miles – equivalent to travelling the circumference of Earth over 2,000 times. LNER’s annual carbon emissions from its train services have reduced by over half – 51 per cent, while annual diesel consumption has reduced by more than 25 million litres – an 84 per cent reduction.
LNER has introduced several named liveried trains to the fleet. The first, named ‘Century’, celebrates LNER’s people and pioneering approach, marking the centenary of the LNER brand in 2023. ‘Century’ was soon joined by ‘Together’ celebrating LNER’s support of Pride activities on its route, and ‘You Belong’ which marked the train operator’s five-year partnership with suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). The latest named train ‘Eleanor’, inspired by LNER’s new advertising campaign and mascot, launched earlier this year. All the special liveried trains are proving popular, capturing the attention of customers – young and old – as they travel the route.
Linda Wain, Engineering Director at LNER, said: “The launch of Azuma five years ago was a monumental milestone for LNER, and a monumental moment for rail travel and rail engineering. Our Azuma trains are one of the most sustainable ways to travel. We are proud to have taken tens of millions of passengers to their destinations over the last five years. Whether their journey is for business, a trip to see friends and family, a holiday, or a day trip to remember, we help connect our towns, cities, and communities.”
“We continue to work closely with our maintainer, Hitachi, to ensure our customers enjoy the best possible experience while travelling onboard.”
Customers will also be able to join the celebrations with special limited-edition packs of birthday jellybeans being shared onboard on 15th May 2024 to mark the occasion.
