R30450 Hornby Railroad Plus GWR Class 800 IET Train Pack

New release - pre-orders invited - expected during December 2025. preauthkernow

The Class 800 is a bi-mode multiple unit train introduced as part of the Government’s Intercity Express Programme (IEP). The first units in the UK were built at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe factory in 2014, using body shells shipped from the company’s Kasado Works in Japan. The trains first entered service on the GWR West of England Main Line in October 2017, with the LNER’s ‘Azuma’ trains starting on the East Coast Main Line in May 2019.
The new trains were intended as replacements for the ageing InterCity 125 HSTs on both routes, along with the InterCity 225s on the East Coast. Technically, the Class 800 is a high-speed BMU – Bi-modal Multiple Unit. The traction system comprises electric motors that can draw power from overhead wires where available, or can use electricity generated by on-board underfloor diesel generators when running beyond the current electrified network. The switch-over can be made at normal service speed so there is no interruption to service.