British Rail Class 897
CAF tri-mode train
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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 10-car units will be built, powered by 25 kV 50 Hz electrification, as well as battery and diesel power.
| 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) |
| Owner | Porterbrook |
| Operator | London North Eastern Railway |
| Depot | Neville Hill |
| Line served | East Coast Main Line |
| Specifications | |
| Electric system | 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead |
| Current collection | Pantograph |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
History
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
- 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.