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British Rail Class 800 Gallery
The sleek and technologically advanced Class 800 - widely recognized under operator branding as the "Intercity Express Train" (IET) or "Azuma" - was ordered in 2012 as the flagship component of the government's multi-billion-pound Intercity Express Programme (IEP). Built by Hitachi Rail at their Kasado works in Japan and assembled at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham between 2014 and 2018, a total of 80 bi-mode units were produced across the 5-car and 9-car sub-classes. Designed to seamlessly switch between overhead electric wires and under-floor diesel power, the entire fleet remains in intensive, high-speed frontline service today, dominating the premier long-distance links out of London King's Cross and Paddington.
This gallery showcases a modern milestone in British passenger transit, celebrating the cutting-edge design that brought 21st-century speed and flexibility to Britain's historic mainlines.

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