The British Rail Class 803 ''AT300'' is a type of electric multiple unit built by Japanese rolling stock manufacturer
Hitachi Rail
() is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Nissan ''zaibatsu'' and later DKB Group and Fuyo ...
Lumo
In chemistry, HOMO and LUMO are types of molecular orbitals. The acronyms stand for ''highest occupied molecular orbital'' and ''lowest unoccupied molecular orbital'', respectively. HOMO and LUMO are sometimes collectively called the ''frontie ...
. Based on the
Hitachi A-train
The Hitachi A-train is a family of rail rolling stock built and designed by Hitachi Rail using a common base and construction techniques. The stock is designed to facilitate a number of product life-cycle improvements including ease of manufacture ...
design, a total of five units comprising five cars have been produced. The class is used to operate passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and .
Background
In 2015, following an announcement from the
Office of Rail and Road
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the economic and safety regulation of Britain's railways, and the economic monitoring of National Highways.
ORR regulates Network Rail by setting its ...
that it would be allowing open-access operators to bid for additional rail paths on the East Coast Main Line,
FirstGroup
FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.standard class seating with an average ticket price of approximately £25. The proposal for the new service was approved in May 2016.
In March 2019, First announced that it had signed an agreement with Hitachi to procure a total of five new five-car trains from its A-train product line for its new service. The units are financed by
Beacon Rail
Beacon Rail is a rolling stock company (ROSCO) based in the United Kingdom. Its primary business is the leasing of locomotives and rolling stock to various train operating companies (TOCs).
The company originated within Allco Finance Group's Eu ...
with a ten-year maintenance contract. The first body shell arrived at Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe Manufacturing Facility in April 2020.
The first test runs on the national network were held on 26 May 2021, with the class entering public service on Lumo's launch day of 25 October 2021.
Operation
While sharing a bodyshell with the previous UK A-train variants, the Class 803 differs in that it has no diesel engines fitted. They are fitted with batteries to enable the train's on-board services to be maintained, in case the primary electrical supplies have failed. Other changes include seating being standard class only, and the lack of a galley area, although catering services are provided through the use of a trolley service. The units also feature air conditioning, power sockets and free Wi-Fi.
Fleet details
Accidents and incidents
On 17 April 2022, a
Lumo
In chemistry, HOMO and LUMO are types of molecular orbitals. The acronyms stand for ''highest occupied molecular orbital'' and ''lowest unoccupied molecular orbital'', respectively. HOMO and LUMO are sometimes collectively called the ''frontie ...
-operated Class 803 passed through a set of points at at where there was a speed restriction of . Several passengers sustained minor injuries. The
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is a British government agency that independently investigates rail accidents in the United Kingdom and the Channel Tunnel in order to find a cause, not to lay blame. Created in 2005, it is required by ...