About Railways in the United Kingdom
Britain is the birthplace of railways, but unlike France’s Alstom and Germany’s Siemens, it has no manufacturer that develops and produces modern railway vehicles.Hitachi is the company that has been gaining an increasingly strong presence in Britain’s railway industry in recent years.
The company’s high-speed trains operate on the East Coast Main Line, Britain’s main railway artery linking London and Scotland. The nickname “AZUMA” comes from the Japanese word azuma, meaning east.
In addition, a joint venture between the company and Alstom has won the contract for the next-generation high-speed railway “HS2”, which is planned to connect London with Birmingham and other cities. HS2 is scheduled to open from 2029 onward.
Historic railway vehicles in Britain
Rocket
Rocket was the first locomotive in the world to enable passenger railway travel using a steam locomotive. Because it was designed by father and son George and Robert Stephenson, Stephenson's Rocketis another name for it.
Thanks to numerous innovations, including the use of a fire-tube boiler and a mechanism that transmitted the cylinders’ power directly to the wheels, the top speed exceeded 40 km/h. It also left behind the infamous record of “the world’s first fatal accident,” but once the curtain had risen on the age of mass transportation, it never closed again.
Mature steam locomotives like those seen in Japan have a water tank hidden beneath the coal bunker, but on Rocket a wooden barrel is placed in a conspicuous position beside the coal bunker.
LNER A4 steam locomotive No. 4468 “Mallard”
Its sleek, highly refined streamlined body hardly looks like that of a steam locomotive. It is also known as “Mallard”.
It holds the world speed record for steam locomotives at 126 mph（203 km/h）. It is unlikely ever to be beaten.
The National Railway Museum in the United Kingdom also exhibits many other historic British railway vehicles.
For information about the National Railway Museum of the United Kingdom’s highlights, opening hours, admission fees, and more, please see the article below.
High-speed railway vehicles in the United Kingdom
British railway 395 type “Javelin”
This was the first railway vehicle for which Hitachi won an order in the United Kingdom. The success of this vehicle later led to the Class 800 and other models. It runs between London and the Channel port city of Folkestone via High Speed 1 (HS1), the same line used by Eurostar.
It is nicknamed “Javelin,” referring to the medieval spear.
Javelin is operated by the railway company Southeastern.
NHK’s “New Project X: The High-Speed Railway That Saved Britain – The Dramatic Comeback of a Railway Vehicle Division on the Brink” told the story of the Hitachi Kasado Works team, from winning the contract for this train to launching its regular service.
British railway style800
Like the Class 395, this is a train manufactured by Hitachi. In 2017, Great Western Railway (GWR) became the first in the UK to begin commercial operation of Class 800 trains.
British railway800-style “AZUMA”
London North Eastern Railway began operating Class 800 trains in 2019. This train is nicknamed “AZUMA”.
British train390 of the “Pendolino” type
It is an Alstom tilting electric train. Its hamster-like appearance is adorable.
Tilting train bodies are widely used on Italian high-speed trains. To distinguish it from the original Italian Pendolino, it is sometimes called the Pendolino britannico (British Pendolino) in Italy.
The article below provides a detailed introduction to Italy’s railways.
British Railways 374 class “Eurostar”
This is a train from Siemens’ series called “Velaro.” It is based on Deutsche Bahn’s ICE 3.
Conventional Railway Vehicles in the United Kingdom
British railwayMark4 DVT “Flying Scotsman”
This is a type of so-called push-pull train, in which electric locomotive 91101 is paired with driving trailer 82205 (Mark4 DVT). Most trains operate with the locomotive at the front pulling the passenger coaches, whereas a push-pull train allows the driving trailer to lead and the locomotive to push the coaches.
This formation is known as “InterCity 225” and gradually replaced the diesel express “InterCity 125” on sections where electrification had been completed.
The express train connecting London and Edinburgh on the East Coast Main Line has traditionally been nicknamed Flying Scotsman, meaning “flying Scotsman.”
It says “WORLD FAMOUS SINCE 1924.” The history of the Flying Scotsman goes back even further, to 1862. It appears that the railway company officially adopted the name in 1924.
British Rail Class 43
The formation of a 43-type diesel locomotive with Mark 3 coaches is also known as “InterCity 125”. It operates mainly on non-electrified routes.
British Rail Class 385
This train belongs to Hitachi’s “AT200” series. It runs in the areas around Scotland.
British Rail Class 185
This is a diesel multiple unit operated by TransPennine Express. It is a variant of Siemens’ Desiro product.
York lies along the route connecting Newcastle, Manchester and Liverpool.
British Rail Class 68
This is also a train operated by TransPennine Express, but this one is a diesel locomotive.
It features an intricate design with extensive use of curved surfaces, unlike anything found on Japanese trains.
British Rail Class 700
This is a train from Siemens’ Desiro City series. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operates it under the Thameslink brand.
British Rail Class 387
It is a train from Bombardier’s series known as “Electrostar”.
British Rail Class 360
This is a vehicle from Siemens’ series called Desiro.
British Rail Class 165
It was designed by a state-owned company that no longer exists. The company was acquired by ABB.
British railway 92-type “Caledonian Sleeper”
The Caledonian Sleeper is an overnight train connecting London with cities across Scotland.
The Caledonian Sleeper is a sleeper train connecting London with various cities in Scotland via the West Coast Main Line. We introduce its cabins, the onboard experience, and the carriages. For more details, please see the article below.
