• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

LNER Azuma (Class 800/801)

Status
Not open for further replies.

Kite159

Veteran Member
Joined
27 Jan 2014
Messages
19,157
Location
West of Andover
I still think the sign on the dividing doors in the composite coach should say First class on (says standard class). I lost count of the passengers who walked through those doors thinking it was more standard class seating only to do an U-turn when they discovered it was first class.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Fuzzytop

Member
Joined
4 Jan 2017
Messages
293
Was in 801209 on Friday.

This unit seems to have new auto announcements - presumably because the old voice mispronounced some Scottish stations.

Oh dear. The recording is really bad quality, overamplified so you get ‘clipping’. And then there’s the tone: the announcer sounds like she’s talking to a puppy she’s not seen in years - so sickly sweet she makes the old Virgin branding seem subdued. Don’t get me started on the long pause between LN and ER on every station stop approach.

I had considered there were pros and cons of the 91/Mk4 fleet and these new Azumas. But if these announcements get rolled out more widely, I think I’ll be timing my journeys round the old stock for as long as I can. I suppose at least she’s not in the toilets. (Yet.)
 

hexagon789

Veteran Member
Joined
2 Sep 2016
Messages
15,715
Location
Glasgow
Ok, probably missed it but what is the electrical power output per vehicle? TIA

Assume you mean the power output of each motor car?

The traction motors are rated at 226kW continuous, so each motor car can produce 904kW continuously; approx 1,212hp.
 

samuelmorris

Established Member
Joined
18 Jul 2013
Messages
5,121
Location
Brentwood, Essex
Was in 801209 on Friday.

This unit seems to have new auto announcements - presumably because the old voice mispronounced some Scottish stations.

Oh dear. The recording is really bad quality, overamplified so you get ‘clipping’. And then there’s the tone: the announcer sounds like she’s talking to a puppy she’s not seen in years - so sickly sweet she makes the old Virgin branding seem subdued. Don’t get me started on the long pause between LN and ER on every station stop approach.

I had considered there were pros and cons of the 91/Mk4 fleet and these new Azumas. But if these announcements get rolled out more widely, I think I’ll be timing my journeys round the old stock for as long as I can. I suppose at least she’s not in the toilets. (Yet.)
Wow really? That's disappointing, I thought the original announcements on the Azumas were pretty good, though I haven't used them to Scotland of course.
 

hexagon789

Veteran Member
Joined
2 Sep 2016
Messages
15,715
Location
Glasgow
Wow really? That's disappointing, I thought the original announcements on the Azumas were pretty good, though I haven't used them to Scotland of course.

LNER were getting some serious stick for some 'dodgy' pronunciations of a few Scottish places :rolleyes::lol:
 

hexagon789

Veteran Member
Joined
2 Sep 2016
Messages
15,715
Location
Glasgow
Entirely fair if they were wrong, it's just a shame if fixing that has led to a downgrade in quality for the rest of the announcements.

I haven't heard the re-done ones, but how difficult is it to replace about three words in the entire system and keep the whole lot clear and crisp to hear?

Something wrong with the way the did the new recordings perhaps
 

samuelmorris

Established Member
Joined
18 Jul 2013
Messages
5,121
Location
Brentwood, Essex
I haven't heard the re-done ones, but how difficult is it to replace about three words in the entire system and keep the whole lot clear and crisp to hear?

Something wrong with the way the did the new recordings perhaps
A bit disjointed if you can't hire the same voice actor again...
 

800001

Established Member
Joined
24 Oct 2015
Messages
3,493
Was in 801209 on Friday.

This unit seems to have new auto announcements - presumably because the old voice mispronounced some Scottish stations.

Oh dear. The recording is really bad quality, overamplified so you get ‘clipping’. And then there’s the tone: the announcer sounds like she’s talking to a puppy she’s not seen in years - so sickly sweet she makes the old Virgin branding seem subdued. Don’t get me started on the long pause between LN and ER on every station stop approach.

I had considered there were pros and cons of the 91/Mk4 fleet and these new Azumas. But if these announcements get rolled out more widely, I think I’ll be timing my journeys round the old stock for as long as I can. I suppose at least she’s not in the toilets. (Yet.)

801209 does not have the rerecorded announcements, for some reason that has had a different voice since it entered service.

The incorrect pronunciations are I believe still to be rerecorded, due to trying to find time for the original lady to record them.
 

Clansman

Established Member
Joined
4 Jan 2016
Messages
2,571
Location
Hong Kong
Here’s a video -

I’m pretty sure that Kingussie is pronounced incorrectly.
It is. And it's a sign of the ignorance of LNER or the Dft (whoever was in chage of it) to bother to get names pronounced correctly. The automatic announcer mispronounces Kingussie (as Kin-goosee, rather than King-oosee) and also Kirkcaldy (as Kirk-all-dee, rather than Kirk-aw-dee).

Thankfully they're changing it, after receiving a right slagging off from a lot of top people in Scottish politics, as well as a lot of slate from regular passengers.
 
Last edited:

800001

Established Member
Joined
24 Oct 2015
Messages
3,493

JohnMcL7

Member
Joined
18 Apr 2018
Messages
862
What would be done if London-Inverness 800 failed near Inverness? Can the Dellner equipped 73 used for the sleeper haul it?
 

gsnedders

Established Member
Joined
6 Sep 2015
Messages
1,472
What would be done if London-Inverness 800 failed near Inverness? Can the Dellner equipped 73 used for the sleeper haul it?
They have emergency couplers on-board, as does most (all?) stock without buffer-and-chain couplers. The IEP spec required at least 30mph to be achievable with the emergency coupler, don't know what the actual 800 specification is. The 73 can't, because the Dellner on the Mk5 is at a non-standard height (v. the European TSI).
 

47271

Established Member
Joined
28 Apr 2015
Messages
2,983
It is. And it's a sign of the ignorance of LNER or the Dft (whoever was in chage of it) to bother to get names pronounced correctly. The automatic announcer mispronounces Kingussie (as Kin-goosee, rather than King-oosee) and also Kirkcaldy (as Kirk-all-dee, rather than Kirk-aw-dee).

Thankfully they're changing it, after receiving a right slagging off from a lot of top people in Scottish politics, as well as a lot of slate from regular passengers.
I agree it's wrong, and I speak as someone whose local station is Kingussie, but I've heard Glasgow based Scotrail conductors make a far worse job of pronouncing it than this contraption. It's often a relief to the ears get to Perth, have the Inverness crew join and not having to cringe for the final hour and a half of the journey.
 

jopsuk

Veteran Member
Joined
13 May 2008
Messages
12,771
I agree it's wrong, and I speak as someone whose local station is Kingussie, but I've heard Glasgow based Scotrail conductors make a far worse job of pronouncing it than this contraption. It's often a relief to the ears get to Perth, have the Inverness crew join and not having to cringe for the final hour and a half of the journey.
The offensive explanation is that those of us from civilisation don't actually care how you teuchters pronounce words. :D
 

_toommm_

Established Member
Joined
8 Jul 2017
Messages
5,846
Location
Yorkshire
LNER are running a ‘Name an Azuma’ competition if anyone is interested, to commemorate the trains being in service for one year. Competition closes 01/06/20:

 

59CosG95

Established Member
Joined
18 Aug 2013
Messages
6,477
Location
Between Peterborough & Bedlington
801201(?), 228 - Tyne Yard in store.
801202, 227(?) - on test.
801204, 206, 208, 210, 212, 218, 229, 230 - not yet seen on test AFAIK.
801203, 205, 207, 209, 211, 213-217, 219-226 - in service.
 

43094

Member
Joined
19 May 2010
Messages
892
227 & 229 are in service.

Can’t remember whether 201 is at Tyne Yard, or Eastleigh.

The rest of the list is correct.
 

800001

Established Member
Joined
24 Oct 2015
Messages
3,493
227 & 229 are in service.

Can’t remember whether 201 is at Tyne Yard, or Eastleigh.

The rest of the list is correct.

801201 is at Eastleigh
801227 and 229 in service.
801228 stored at Tyne but accepted by lner.

801202 is out on commissioning runs between Doncaster and Newcastle.
 

MML

Member
Joined
25 Oct 2015
Messages
587
Is there any likelihood of the 9 car units being extended to 10 car units in the future ?
It would provide capacity increase in a similar way to the extended Pendolino stock did on the WCML.
It would better match capacity offered on 2 x 5 car sets when so required.
I presume the infrastructure would cope.
 

Doomotron

Member
Joined
25 Jun 2018
Messages
1,173
Location
Kent
Is there any likelihood of the 9 car units being extended to 10 car units in the future ?
It would provide capacity increase in a similar way to the extended Pendolino stock did on the WCML.
It would better match capacity offered on 2 x 5 car sets when so required.
I presume the infrastructure would cope.
I think they might be too long for many of the platforms.
 

swt_passenger

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,267
Is there any likelihood of the 9 car units being extended to 10 car units in the future ?
It would provide capacity increase in a similar way to the extended Pendolino stock did on the WCML.
It would better match capacity offered on 2 x 5 car sets when so required.
I presume the infrastructure would cope.
9 car 80x already match the passenger capacity of 2 x 5 car though...
 
Last edited:

RealTrains07

Established Member
Joined
28 Feb 2019
Messages
1,748
The only reason LNER have 5 car sets as well was to give them more flexibility when it came to diagramming otherwise they would have probably chosen more 9 car sets.

If 2 x 5 car sets were longer than 9 cars they wouldn’t have fit the platforms either so its better leaving the 800 and 801s as they are
 

MML

Member
Joined
25 Oct 2015
Messages
587
I was thinking with the outgoing IC 225 sets being formed of Class 91 loco + 9 coaches + DVT, then there was potential for 10 car units eventually.
Better to have longer trains, rather than more and more shorter formation trains clogging up the finite track capacity of the ECML.
 

59CosG95

Established Member
Joined
18 Aug 2013
Messages
6,477
Location
Between Peterborough & Bedlington
I was thinking with the outgoing IC 225 sets being formed of Class 91 loco + 9 coaches + DVT, then there was potential for 10 car units eventually.
Better to have longer trains, rather than more and more shorter formation trains clogging up the finite track capacity of the ECML.
Each Mark 4 coach (and I believe this includes the DVTs) is 23m long. 91s are 19.4m long. 800s and 801s are 26m long.
Total IC225 length: 249.4m, but 207m of effective passenger-carrying length. Total 9-car Azuma length: 234m.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top