The Anonymous Widower

Do LNER Have Some Cunning Plans For The Serenzas?

Along with some others, I was surprised, when LNER ordered a fleet of new trains in 2023, to run alongside the Azumas, that it wasn’t some more Azumas.

I wrote about the order in First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line.

Why Didn’t LNER Just Order More Azumas?

 

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.

When London North Eastern Railway (LNER) needed additional trains for the East Coast Main Line, they chose to order 10 new “tri-mode” (electric, diesel, and battery) trains from Spanish manufacturer CAF in November 2023 rather than buying more Hitachi Azumas.

Why LNER Didn’t Order More Azumas?

Desire for New Technology: LNER wanted cutting-edge “tri-mode” capability—incorporating battery technology alongside electric and diesel power—to reduce carbon emissions and future-proof the fleet. Hitachi’s corresponding tri-mode platform was centered in Italy, making CAF a more ready and accessible option with an established UK manufacturing platform in Newport, Wales.

Procurement and Pricing: Industry discussions and reports noted varying challenges with Hitachi regarding pricing and availability for small add-on batches, prompting a competitive procurement process where CAF ultimately won the contract to replace remaining older InterCity 225 sets.

Operational Resilience: The new CAF battery-hybrid trains provide unique operational flexibility for diversions on un-electrified routes (such as the Joint Line) that standard electric Azumas cannot traverse under their own power without external help.

These are my current thoughts on LNER’s plans for the Serenzas.

Will The Serenzas Run To Harrogate?

As the seven trains per day to Harrogate use diesel between Leeds and Harrogate, I suspect the new trains will take over Harrogate services and run silently on batteries North of Leeds, which is less than 40 miles out and back.

How will the lack of noise affect ridership? London Kings Cross and Harrogate will be an interesting test case, as it looks like from the in service date of the trains of 2028, that they could be one of the first battery-electric train services, run over a distance of over two hundred miles.

So it will be an interesting test route in several ways for the new Serenzas.

Could The Serenzas Go Further Than Harrogate?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification in Yorkshire between Bradford, Harrogate, Leeds and York.

Note.

1. Electrified lines are shown in red.
2. Unelectrified lines are shown in black.
3. Lines in the process of being electrified are shown in dotted red and black.
4. The City of Bradford is in the South-West corner of the map.
5. The electrification entering the city from the North goes to Bradford Forster Square station, where LNER services from London terminate.
6. On the opposite side of the city centre is Bradford Interchange station, where Grand Central services from London terminate.
7. North of Bradford is the electrified triangular junction at Shipley station
8. Trains go West from Shipley junction to Skipton, where the electrification ends and the iconic Settle and Carlisle line to Carlisle and eventually Glasgow.
9. Trains go North from Shipley junction on an electrified line to Ilkley station.
10. Trains go East from Shipley junction on an electrified line to Leeds station.
11. From the Leeds area an unelectrified line leads to the North and Harrogate station, which is marked by a blue arrow.
12. The City of York is in the North-East corner of the map.
13. A partially-electrified line leads from Leeds to York.
14. The Leeds and York line is being fully-electrified so that electric trains can reach Neville Hill depot in Leeds.
15. Harrogate and York are connected by an unelectrified line, that goes via Knaresborough.

Between Bradford, Harrogate, Leeds and York, there are a coomprehensive layout of lines many oy of which are electrified.

Could The Serenzas Go On From Harrogate To York?

Consider.

• Leeds and York is only 38.8 miles via Harrogate, so I suspect that this is possible using battery power.
• Harrogate has seven trains per day (tpd) from London Kings Cross via Leeds, at a frequency of one train per two hours (tp2h).
• York has six tpd from London Kings Cross, at a frequency of one tp2h.

Could LNER be thinking of a train, that does a Grand Tour of Yorkshire from London Kings Cross?

• It could call at Stevenage, Newark Northgate, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, Horsforth, Harrogate, Knaresborough, York, Doncaster, Retford and Peterborough.
• It is the sort of concept, that is made possible by using a tri-mode train, that can go anywhere, there’s a railway.
• Was an idea like this, thought up by CAF to sell trains?

It is certainly possible.

Could The Serenzas Go On From Bradford Forster Square To Glasgow?

Consider.

• Until 1974, there used to be a Thames-Clyde Express, which has this Wikipedia entry.
• The route was between London St. Pancras and Glasgow Central.
• Intermediate stops were Luton, Kettering, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Wakefield, Leeds, Skipton, Settle, Carlisle, Dumfries and Kilmarnock.
• LNER  gave up serving Glasgow in 2024.
• Currently, Leeds and Bradford have no direct train service to Glasgow.
• The Settle and Carlisle route is one of the most scenic railway lines in Europe, if not the world.
• Do any airlines fly Leeds/Bradford and Glasgow? No according to Google AI!

Remember, that the Rail Minister; Lord Hendy, is an Economic Geography graduate of Leeds University, so he must know something about Yorkshire and its people.

I believe a modern-day Thames-Clyde Express could be run, by extending a number of LNER’s London and Bradford Forster Square services.

• The route would be between London Kings Cross and Glasgow Central.
• Intermediate stops would be Stevenage, Newark Northgate, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, Shipley, Bradford Forster Square, Skipton, Settle, Carlisle, Dumfries and Kilmarnock.
• The route is now substantially electrified.
• It would take on the airlines on the London and Glasgow route.
• Class 805 bi-mode trains have used the Settle and Carlisle.

This could become one of the great railway journeys of Europe.

 

 

August 6, 2026 - Posted by AnonW | Artificial Intelligence, Transport/Travel | Azuma Train, Bradford Forster Square Station, Bradford Interchange Station, CAF, CAF Tri-Mode Train, Carlisle Station, Class 805 Train, Class 897 Train, Doncaster Station, East Coast Main Line, Glasgow Central Station, Glasgow South Western Line, Google AI, Harrogate Station, LNER, Midland Main Line, Peter Hendy, Settle And Carlisle Line, Shipley Station, Skipton Station, Thames-Clyde Express, Tri-Mode Train, Wakefield Westgate Station, York Station, Yorkshire