Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) launched its Class 800 train at London King’s Cross on March 18, rebranding them as ‘Azuma’ – which translates as ‘East’ from Japanese.
They will enter traffic from 2018, with Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson calling them the UK’s most advanced long-distance train.
- For more on the Azuma launch, read RAIL 797, published on March 30.