The British Rail Class 805 ''AT300'' is a type of

bi-mode multiple unit An electro-diesel multiple unit (EDMU) or bi-mode multiple unit (BMU) is a form of a multiple unit that can be powered either by electric power picked up from the overhead lines or third rail (like an electric multiple unit – EMU) or by u ...

which is being built by

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 ...

for

Avanti West Coast Avanti West Coast is a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by FirstGroup (70%) and Trenitalia (30%) that operates the West Coast Partnership franchise. During November 2016, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced the Inter ...

. 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, 13 five-car units are being built to replace Class 221s on services between

London Euston Euston railway station ( ; also known as London Euston) is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, managed by Network Rail. It is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, the UK's busiest inter-city rail ...

and stations on the North Wales Coast and

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

lines. Their introduction will allow the elimination of long-distance diesel working on electrified routes.

History

In December 2019,

placed an order for 13 five-car bi-mode units which will replace its Class 221 fleet, along with 10 Class 807 electric units as part of £350million contract with

. All are scheduled to be in service by 2023. The trains are financed by Rock Rail West Coast, a joint venture between

Rock Rail Rock Rail is a British rolling stock company (ROSCO). It was established by Rock Infrastructure in 2014, and was structured as a subsidiary of the firm during July 2016. Rock Rail signed its first rail leasing deal for 25 Siemens Mobility-built ...

and Standard Life Aberdeen. The trains will be maintained by a joint team of

Alstom Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Avelia ...

and Hitachi staff, alongside Class 807s, at Oxley depot near

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...

. Customer service features promised include free Wi-Fi, at-seat wireless inductive charging for electronic devices, plug sockets and USB slots; a catering offer and a real-time

passenger information system A passenger information system, or passenger information display system, is an automated system for supplying users of public transport with information about the nature and the state of a public transport service through visual, voice or other m ...

that can advise of connecting rail services. In July 2022, a set was undergoing static testing at Newton Aycliffe. Dynamic testing will follow in September, and main line testing towards the end of 2022, with introduction into service planned in spring 2023.

Fleet details

References

External links

{{High-speed rail High-speed trains of the United Kingdom Hitachi multiple units Hybrid multiple units 25 kV AC multiple units Train-related introductions in 2023