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LNER Azuma (Class 800/801)

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800001

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5 car Azuma (vice 10) on the 06:40 Leeds-King’s X this morning.

801112 was turned last night after being in reverse formation, it then could not couple back up due to software issue.
Based purely on reservations a 5 car is suffienet, however that doesn't allow for any additional walk on customers.
 
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modernrail

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Saw it depart this morning and had exactly the same thoughts.
Ot
Saw it depart this morning and had exactly the same thoughts.
If you have reserved seat on the portion that is cancelled are you entitled to a refund? It it is along distance train and so you should be. It is ridiculous to say 'just squeeze on the other bit'. Hitachi should be under a penalty of about average loading x refund at open ticket price for a failure to turn a unit out. Leeds services are generally relatively full all day at 9 cars. No doubt the DfT has them under a far less punative penalty that means they have not ordered enough to allow for contingency.

The peak flows on this route are often commuter light and 'off to or back from a meeting in London and will work all the way down/up' heavy. That crowd will be screaming about this very quickly indeed.
 

800001

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Ot

If you have reserved seat on the portion that is cancelled are you entitled to a refund? It it is along distance train and so you should be. It is ridiculous to say 'just squeeze on the other bit'. Hitachi should be under a penalty of about average loading x refund at open ticket price for a failure to turn a unit out. Leeds services are generally relatively full all day at 9 cars. No doubt the DfT has them under a far less punative penalty that means they have not ordered enough to allow for contingency.

The peak flows on this route are often commuter light and 'off to or back from a meeting in London and will work all the way down/up' heavy. That crowd will be screaming about this very quickly indeed.

If you have a reserved seat and are unable to get a seat then you can claim a refund under the seat guarantee
 
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ainsworth74

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Hitachi should be under a penalty of about average loading x refund at open ticket price for a failure to turn a unit out. Leeds services are generally relatively full all day at 9 cars. No doubt the DfT has them under a far less punative penalty that means they have not ordered enough to allow for contingency.

Hitachi are likely not to get paid for the entire diagram (i.e. not just the one short formed service) due the failure to provide the agreed service level...
 

Seehof

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Best never to reserve or use a train that is supposed to couple up en route! History has shown that coupling up in service often causes problems. I can remember an incident at Leeds when I could not couple up two units and neither could a Driver Team Manager or a fitter!!
 

Railperf

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Best never to reserve or use a train that is supposed to couple up en route! History has shown that coupling up in service often causes problems. I can remember an incident at Leeds when I could not couple up two units and neither could a Driver Team Manager or a fitter!!
So two years after introduction - there are still coupling and uncoupling issues with the 800's. This is crazy!
 

Master29

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So two years after introduction - there are still coupling and uncoupling issues with the 800's. This is crazy!
Which is why the IET can never be deemed a "worthy successor" to any of it`s predecessors even if they do last the projected 30 years which at the moment looks doubtful without a major rebuilding programme. They look a cheap but bloody far too expensive pfi programme built as people movers (which I can accept given the level of rail traffic increase over the years). A bean counter and profit driven malarkey at the taxpayers expense.
 

westv

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Apparently LNER celebrated their 1,000,000th Azuma customer today.
 

Failed Unit

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Apparently LNER celebrated their 1,000,000th Azuma customer today.
How do they know? Unless they have counter on the door technology my trips so far are on walk on tickets with no checks. As far as LNER are concerned they have no clue which train I used.
 

800001

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How do they know? Unless they have counter on the door technology my trips so far are on walk on tickets with no checks. As far as LNER are concerned they have no clue which train I used.

Sensors above each door, counts customers on/off.

How on earth they manage to identify the 1,000,000 I have no idea.
 

Failed Unit

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Sensors above each door, counts customers on/off.

How on earth they manage to identify the 1,000,000 I have no idea.
Thanks.
Smoke and mirrors. I am guessing they are going by seat reservations. But I suspect the number is inflated somewhat.
 

trebor79

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That`s a million sore bums then !
Have to admit, I watched the train to Glasgow pull in to Peterborough yesterday. As it departed I thought to myself "poor sods".
I really don't like the LNER livery either, there's too much white, could do with some more red on the body below the windows.
 

class26

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I wonder (in hope i suppose) how long it will take and how much public pressure will be needed before GW and LNER replace the seats on the 800`s for some a little more comfortable ? I can`t imagine they would go through their entire life with those seats !
Or can they ?
 
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TheAlbanach_

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Had my first Azuma experience, got to admit I really like the seats (I was in first class). But I'm the odd one that I hated the seats on the HSTs and MKIVs. Only complaint is the lighting is just too bright, bit that's common on all new stock these days, not too good for headache sufferers. Not a bad train, to me anyway. Just need a wee bit more luggage space.
 

class26

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Had my first Azuma experience, got to admit I really like the seats (I was in first class). But I'm the odd one that I hated the seats on the HSTs and MKIVs. Only complaint is the lighting is just too bright, bit that's common on all new stock these days, not too good for headache sufferers. Not a bad train, to me anyway. Just need a wee bit more luggage space.

First class isn`t so bad as you can recline the seats so you are not so bolt upright. As for standard ............
 

gsnedders

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I wonder (in hope i suppose) how long it will take and how much public pressure will be needed before GW and LNER replace the seats on the 800`s for some a little more comfortable ? I can`t imagine they would go through their entire life with those seats !
Or can they ?
GWR/LNER can't; the trains are owned by Agility Trains (a subsidiary of Hitachi) and provided to the operators on a daily basis in a precise specification determined by a contract with the DfT. GWR/LNER can put pressure on the DfT to amend the contract with Agility Trains, but they can't directly do anything.
 

Marton

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I had my first Azuma experience this week too.

Seats in First not as bad as on GWR. Still not as good as Mallard though.

Very noisy from wheel noise and a poor ride; lots of up and down movement not just st junctions. I was at the end of the carriage though. On MkIV I tend to go for the middle.

Not enough paired facing seats on the single side. Not good for couples.

The final straw was the table top. It’s textured so using a mouse is disastrous. I’ve just bought a mouse mat for next time.
 

westv

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Watched a 2x5 leave from Kings X to Leeds 17:03? These have two catering crews?
 

387star

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Which is why the IET can never be deemed a "worthy successor" to any of it`s predecessors even if they do last the projected 30 years which at the moment looks doubtful without a major rebuilding programme. They look a cheap but bloody far too expensive pfi programme built as people movers (which I can accept given the level of rail traffic increase over the years). A bean counter and profit driven malarkey at the taxpayers expense.
Every new train or refurbished train seems to be way behind schedule and or suffer reliability problems in the last few years

Tax payers have also paid to keep operators like gtr propped up while the RMT strike 41 times and end up keeping a second person on the train anyway.
 

hooverboy

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Apparently LNER celebrated their 1,000,000th Azuma customer today.
damn, just missed it. I had a bash on one yesterday.

initial thoughts:
window alignment: decent 8/10
seat availability: 10/10
seat comfort 4/10.....have a big bugbear with this, not much padding and pitch way too upright..circa cl700.not impressed.
adequate for a 1 hour hop, but very uncomfortable for anything in excess..considering people are to use this as an alternative to flying london-edinburgh/glasgow, the seating is not satisfactory.they should consider 3 hrs as median journey time.
mk4 sets way superior in this regard.
acceleration/punctuality is very good 9/10

greater anglia seem to have a much better seat profile on their new stock. still cant beat the xc/ga 170's but it's a damn sight better for long distance travel

I would say precisely the same about an airline who didn't offer reclining seats etc on a flight over 3 hours(choose your poison...ryanair,easyjet etc etc all guilty as charged)

at the moment the mk4 sets offer a more pleasant experience. can be improved.
 
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route101

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I had my first Azuma experience this week too.

Seats in First not as bad as on GWR. Still not as good as Mallard though.

Very noisy from wheel noise and a poor ride; lots of up and down movement not just st junctions. I was at the end of the carriage though. On MkIV I tend to go for the middle.

Not enough paired facing seats on the single side. Not good for couples.

The final straw was the table top. It’s textured so using a mouse is disastrous. I’ve just bought a mouse mat for next time.

I find Virgin have too many of paired single seats IMO ,as i travel alone would rather a single .
 

Failed Unit

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They both have the balance wrong. Azuma from memory has a single pair of 2. The mk4s were about right. Hopefully this is easy to fix.
 

route101

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They both have the balance wrong. Azuma from memory has a single pair of 2. The mk4s were about right. Hopefully this is easy to fix.

Will try and try first class . Anybody like having a stranger opposite on the single pair of seats ?
 

trebor79

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Will try and try first class . Anybody like having a stranger opposite on the single pair of seats ?
No. It's awkward, particularly when eating. Had that experience on a Virgin train from Penrith to Euston.
 
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