The first Virgin Trains East Coast IEP (Intercity Express Program) train passes through Hampstead Heath station on the North London Line after having attended a media event to launch these trains at London Kings Cross station. Virgin Trains East Coast are marketing these trains as Azuma. which is Japanese for 'east'. The trains are part of the Hitachi A-Train family, most of them will be built in northern England. The A-Train design concept includes several elements, the core features being that the vehicle car bodies (walls, roof, floor) are constructed from double skin aluminium extruded sections which are friction stir welded and the hollow extruded mounting rails on the vehicle body to which modular components can be attached. Class 800 trains will travel on the East Coast Main Line between London Kings Cross and Scotland, plus the Great Western Main Line between London Paddington station and South Wales. They are electro-diesels which collect power from overhead wires when available and use onboard diesel traction when travelling on non-electrified sections of railway. Similar Class 801 trains will serve just the routes out of Kings Cross Station which are electrified (so therefore do not need diesel traction) whilst similar Class 802 trains will use the Great Western Main Line between London Paddington station and Devon / Cornwall. These will have larger fuel tanks and be more powerful in diesel mode so that they can cope with the steeply graded lines in the West Country. Class 802 will (probably) also be used by Hull Trains... unless the government allows the line from Doncaster to Hull to be converted to electric traction. At the start of the film a lady who had just arrived on the platform can be seen taking a 'selfie' with the arriving Azuma train behind her!
Metropolitan Council
