REPAIR OF all Hitachi 800 Series trains affected by an issue with underframe cracks is expected to take at least 18 months, it was reported as Modern Railways went to press.
Hitachi withdrew the entire Class 800, 801 and 802 Intercity Express Train (IET) fleets operated by Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, LNER and TransPennine Express overnight on 7/8 May after severe cracks were discovered in jacking points (see p26 for an explanation of jacking points). Ten Hitachi-built ScotRail Class 385 EMUs were also withdrawn after cracks were found in the same component. The issue followed the discovery of cracks in yaw damper mountings on some of GWR’s Intercity Express Train (IET) Class 800/802 fleet during April, prior to the discovery of the jacking point issues.
All Class 80x operators were forced to suspend services using the trains, with very few long-distance services running for GWR and LNER over the weekend of 8-9 May, while TPE forced to amend its timetable. The Hull Trains units resumed operation on 8 May. A reduced LNER service operated throughout the following week, with no services north of Edinburgh, although these were expected to be restored in mid-May.
SERVICES CUT
GWR was operating a skel…
