More spaces and faster wi-fi promised for Peterborough commuters on new East Coast Main Line trains

The new Azuma trains from London North Eastern Railway (LNER) will enter into service on May 15.

The trains have been through rigorous testing with engineers and technical staff from Hitachi Rail, Network Rail and the Department for Transport, LNER said.

Managing director David Horne said the first Azuma train will run on the London King’s Cross to Leeds route, with further trains being phased into service on the rest of the route over the coming months.

“I am delighted to confirm that LNER will run the first Azuma train on the service between London and Leeds, commencing from May 15,” Mr Horne said.

“This is what customers up and down the country have been waiting for and represents a monumental milestone for rail travel.

“We’ve worked very hard alongside our partners and suppliers to reach this point and I look forward to giving all our customers an excellent experience every time they travel with us.”

The total fleet of Azuma trains will increase from 45 to 65 trains.

They are being manufactured in Britain by Hitachi Rail at its purpose-built factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

Karen Boswell, managing director of Hitachi Rail, said: “Passengers on the East Coast Main Line will soon be able to enjoy a fleet built in the North East of England harnessing Japanese bullet-train technology.

“Our British train factory has sourced parts from across the country to build the Azuma trains, which herald a new era for this famous route.”

The introduction of the new trains has required substantial work across the network to update equipment and technology used to run the Azumas.

Rob McIntosh, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that passengers will soon be able to travel on the new Azuma trains and we look forward to them reaping the benefits.

“A huge amount of work has gone into reaching this significant step and we have worked extremely closely with both LNER and Hitachi on this.”