New LNER train fleet: Interiors revealed with 'improved seat comfort' and better bike storage
Operator says it has listened to passenger feedback after complaints about current trains
Cross-Border operator LNER has unveiled designs for Britain’s first long-distance battery-electric-diesel trains which appear to address complaints about seat comfort and bike storage in its current Azuma fleet.
The ten Serenza trains will feature “improved seat comfort” and horizontal rather than vertical cycle storage, the UK Government-run operator said.
They have been ordered to replace LNER’s eight ageing class 225 trains, which still operate some services on English sections of the east coast main line, and to provide more seats to meet expected continued passenger growth.
LNER has said only that the class 897 Serenzas would be introduced “in the coming years”. They are being built by Spanish manufacturer Caf in Spain and Wales, with the first one under construction in Spain.
The ten-carriage trains are primarily earmarked for London to Yorkshire services, but LNER said their tri-mode power meant they could run on non-electrified lines to Aberdeen and Inverness.
LNER said the name was a combination of “serene” and the Spanish-style suffix “-enza”, which it said evoked “a feeling of peacefulness and calm, combined with energy, movement, and modernity”.
The firm said the trains’ improved comfort included enhanced seats with their side bolsters and head cushions widened, and cushions “reshaped to best support customers”.
A rail industry source told The Scotsman the trains would have significantly fewer seats per carriage than the Azumas, suggesting potentially increased legroom and more space.
Some passengers had complained about the hardness of the Azumas’ seats.
USB-C ports have been added along with power sockets for phone charging, with a “power bar” for charging on tables.
First class passengers will have reclining seats and “softer” lighting, while other new features include five water bottle refill points.
Tables have been redesigned to provide more room for passengers in wheelchairs, with seat legs moved to create extra space for assistance dogs.
The two standard class and two first class wheelchair spaces will all be in one carriage towards the middle of the train.
In the Azumas they are at the ends of the train, which causes problems at stations with short platforms.
A grab rail will run the length of the café bar, with digital menu screens showing what items are in stock.
LNER said it had redesigned cycle storage after acting on feedback, with “easy-to-use straps enabling customers to quickly and efficiently secure their bike”.
Campaigners Cycling UK had described the Azumas’ cycle storage, in which passengers have to lift their bikes onto an overhead hook, as “downright dangerous”.
The company has not released any exterior images of the train - which will sport the UK Government’s Great British Railways livery - because it said they were not yet accurate on shape and style.
Engineering director Dr Linda Wain said: As LNER continues to welcome more customers onboard, these trains will be vital in helping to meet demand for train travel while delivering a new, modern experience.”
LNER services include between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley twice an hour, one of which takes just over four hours.
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