High speed trains made in the North East return to service following safety checks after concerns about cracks
High speed trains made in the North East are returning to service following precautionary safety checks.
A number of Hitachi Class 800 trains from several companies were removed from service last week after concerns about cracks.
The trains are made at the Hitachi factory in Newton Aycliffe.
Operator London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has reintroduced services and says it expects to operate a robust weekday timetable from Monday (17 May) as trains are safely returned into service.
Hitachi, train operators and the government, with oversight from the rail regulator, have since agreed and implemented a service recovery plan for the safe reintroduction of the Class 800 trains, helping to get more passengers moving on the rail network.
LNER services north of Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness resumed over the weekend after the successful completion of further safety checks.
Weekday and Saturday services to and from Lincoln have also been reintroduced.
An amended timetable is in place until early next month while Network Rail continues to deliver East Coast Upgrade works at London King’s Cross station.
David Horne, LNER Managing Director, thanked customers for their understanding following recent disruption.
To enable customers to travel with confidence, all LNER services are reservation only. Cleaning has been enhanced onboard trains and in stations. Customers must wear face coverings with travelling with us unless they are exempt.