LNER has ordered a fleet of 10 new 10-car tri-mode trains from CAF, financed by Porterbrook. The trains will form the first tri-mode inter-city fleet in the UK; they will complement LNER’s 65-strong Azuma fleet and enable the replacement of the remaining InterCity 225 sets.
Based on CAF’s Civity platform, the tri-mode sets will be able to operate in electric, diesel and battery modes and will be assembled at the manufacturer’s Newport facility in South Wales. The fleet will be of a similar design to the Class 397s used by TransPennine Express, with the 10-car formations comprising 23-metre vehicles (as opposed to 26-metre vehicles on the Azumas), but with the obvious difference of their tri-mode capability.
The contract includes an eight-year maintenance services agreement with an option to extend; CAF says the order value, including maintenance, exceeds €500 million. When the tender was published the intention was to include an option for five additional sets; LNER confirmed to Modern Railways there is an option to purc…
