LNER Class 800 'Azuma' - First Class Review - DINING AT 125MPH (Lincoln to London)
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- čas přidán 5. 05. 2020
- Hello, welcome back to the channel for another train trip report! :)
In this video we are taking the new LNER Azuma train from Lincoln to London King's Cross, travelling in First Class! LNER is one of few operators in the world to provide a complimentary meal service to First Class passengers, so I was eagerly anticipating the experience on-board one of their trains.
* APOLOGIES FOR THE MINOR ERRORS IN EDITING - MY COMPUTER SUDDENLY BECAME VERY UNSTABLE AND I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE ALL MY WORK*
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Journey Details:
Origin: Lincoln
Destination: London King’s Cross
Company: LNER
Train: UK Class 800 ‘Azuma’
Accommodation: First Class Seat (1st)
Distance: 136 miles / 219 kilometres
Time: 1h55m + 5L
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The windowless seats in D1/K1 are soon to be replaced with another luggage rack. They deffo need more luggage space on these trains!
I love how it says hello and welcome abored this LNER AZUMA to London kings Cross
I always recline the Azuma First Class seats by one notch as, like you, I find the upright position far too upright unless I am actually eating or working on the table and leaning forward. To sit and read or look out of the window, some degree of reclining is essential in my experience. The Standard Class seats seem OK, which is just as well as they do not recline!
Yep I agree, it's an essential.
I find the seats uncomfortable too. Much preferred the HST seats.
Yep, the old was much better...
Like siting on an ironing board
@@neilmarktaylor4386 700 and 387: G'day!
And 377/6s and /7s
I suppose these new trains are like everything else made today.. not to last. They're nice and look funky but I prefer the old HST. Real go anywhere trains that were built to last .Can't see these new trains lasting 45 years!
Considering most of the old HSTs hardly had a floor by the end, that's debatable.
Totally agree with you about the uncomfortable seats on the Azumas, I only travelled from Peterborough to Kings X in standard class and found myself shifting around in my seat trying to get comfy, they do look nice from outside, great video 👍
Glad you liked. They're not comfortable! :/
The Azumas are nice trains and all, but I do really agree with the lighting. I often travel between London and Hull on an Azuma and its usually extremely late in the evening so the lights are a real issue at times.
Yeah, they should sell sunglasses in the buffet.
I found the HSTs and IC225s to be much more comfortable. Hopefuly they fix the seating issue soon.
Yep, we really need the interior to be ripped out and tried again.
If I had a choice I would travel on an HST or 91 + MK4s much more comfortable.
Absolutely!
why do they have to ruin our train experiences?
@@RocketJSykes the travelling experience in the uk has been going downhill since the early 80s when we had mk3s and the smoothest ride up and down the west coast ever and HSTs up the ECML and down to Penzance. Not one train since these has improved what the general public think about the railways , that is a sad fact
I really prefer the hst seats up to inverness and Aberdeen the ‘ highland chieftan’
They were MUCH better, I agree.
Went On 1 Today,It Wasn’t great,Edinburgh To York
Wow, didn't know you came to Lincoln. It's a great place. I was there for the Azuma Launch!
Yeah I visited just a few days after the launch of the service myself!
This was filmed the same day as the EMR Class 222 video. 😁
I love seeing how the British people pack the trains and stations.
Those HST's are now being transferred to EMR. In fact the trains are at the Cricklewood sidings with the same red livery, but just have EMR painted over the engine unit. Which basically proves that even they don't really care too much about "branding".
I see, I had heard about the transfer.
7:05 Gotta love the whine of the traction motors
I believe that these trains are similar to the new GWR type operating out of Paddington. My regular journeys of over two hours on the Cotswold Line are really quite uncomfortable. The seats are hard, the air conditioning on the chilly side and the tables make getting in and out of the window seats quite difficult for some people. I travel frequently on Ceske Drahy (Czech Railways). They could show whoever specified the decor and fittings for this type of train a thing or two about comfort, styling and convenience. Seats are well padded, tables fold and the overall exterior and internal design is of a high order. It's also a nationally owned asset, with locos and rolling stock by Skoda. I think that our designers need to get out more.
Yeah they are basically the same train.
I always love a journey with ČD, and in fact it is one of my favourite railways to visit. I have recorded three videos with the company, so I look forward to sharing them with you! :)
“As usual in the UK. you are free to sit in any unreserved seats”
Covid: well, about that
Me and my big mouth! 🙄
Lincoln is my home turf, it's always good to see routes or stations you recognise in train videos
Yeah I agree! :)
Same for me
I love the colours and the seats
Glad you picked up on the hard seats in 1st class. This is a real disincentive to upgrade. Also, the single bulkhead seats have a table leg which restricts movement and I badly bruised my leg on it. The poor riding quality is also a major flaw. Let's hope the suspension softens with age.
The table leg is infuriating...
A very enjoyable video! I can’t wait to be able to travel on trains again. I haven’t been on one in over 200 days :(
Wow that's a long time!
I'm glad you liked the video. :)
The Azuma trains aren’t a patch on the ones they replaced. I travelled back first class from London late 2019 and the brightness of the lights was doing my head in. It’s a real pity the older trains have now but all been phased out.
Interesting and informative video, useful to see the food too. Can't say I was impressed with what is supposed to be first class, very minimal, or the bumpy ride. But that's modern trains in the UK sadly.
Realistically the only thing in the near term that could be changed is the lighting. All other interior fixtures are going to be in place for at least 8-10 years. Such a shame the DfT went through their usual "we know the cost of everything and the value of nothing" routine.
Great video! Personally, I don’t mind the seats on the 80x units, I managed to do Aberdeen-Liverpool via York (a journey of around 7 hours) entirely on them without any issue, but I can imagine they’re certainly not for everyone. I hear that LNER have started to fit extra luggage racks in place of some seats which should help alleviate the lack of luggage space, and judging by the date this was filmed I imagine the train had only been in service a few days so the ride probably hadn’t bedded in yet (I know this has been an issue with the CAF sets on Northern and TransPennine which seems to have improved after a few months in service, but I’m not sure about the Hitachi sets).
I really hope they make them better. I couldn't imagine doing 7hr in First Class on these trains, let alone in Standard Class! :O
And yes, more luggage racks are being fitted as far as I know, becuase they have had serious problems with space being available.
Glad you enjoyed the video. :)
Thats an interesting theory on the ride, and I hope you are right, but time will tell. I traveled on a class 195 from Manchester when brand new and the ride was truly shocking! Literally and metaphorically. Everything was shaking and rattling like crazy. I haven't done much train travel this year because of covid but I really hope LNER can find a way to improve these trains as I found the whole experience rather grating after less than an hour...
Knock knock! Who’s there? Amazing seat design LNER!
I wish! :(
Electric is always best for environment and engine sounds.
In what way does an electric have 'Engine Sounds'?
As if electric motors shrieking sound as good as a Deltic for example!
@@matthewrattigan538 well that's old EMUS, EMUS from the 90s onwards sound so much better
50 years since completion of the prototype HST is fast approaching (August 2022) and by 12 June 1973 HST achieved the world diesel speed record of 143.2 mph (230.5 km/h) !
Thank you for the nice video, pity about the seats. If I may, I found the accompanying text very informative although a tad quick, or, could that just be me?
Hi sorry it was too fast. Newer videos are getting better and better in this regard. Hope you look forward to them as much as I do.
@@SuperalbsTravels hope the subtitles don't become sulgfests
I still miss the GWR restaurant service on the HSTs. They were a real occasion. To be honest, that looks just a bit lip service at seat dining: would you accept that anywhere else because you paid for that in the fare, didn’t you? They need to up their game
Yeah, that was a really pleasant way to travel...
Dining at 125MPH in the title of this video makes it sound like something new and impressive. I recall on the HST's proper meals served in a restaurant car with a properly laid table with a white table cloth, multiple courses and all served in silver service style by highly trained stewards. This offering of a small portion of cannelloni and a pre-packaged desert straight off of the shop shelf looks more like a light snack purchased from the buffet car.
I am not very impressed by the modern idea replacing a paid for full restaurant service, open to all passengers that want a full meal, with free not really worth having and not enough to satisfy as a full meal food in First Class. Of course, I imagine those fully trained silver service stewards would have to be paid a lot more than those who hand out this food.
I've done that journey but unfortunately there was no hot food so I just got drunk instead lol
Lad!
You probably didn't notice the rough ride then.
I did this in reverse with an HST, absolute cracking.
That sounds fun! Now the HSTs are sadly banished from this area.
Don’t EMR run summer HSTs through Lincoln on the way to Skegness?
I don't really think so, then again, it was ages ago that I would have done that.
You never get to rest because of announcements
It's true, they seem to go on forever!
Superalbs Travels SEE It, SAY It, SORT IT!!!
Sadly these trains look more form than function, an element creeping into all forms of transport. Seats are chosen more for weight saving than comfort and facilities compared to European trains let down by an over eagerness to put too many seats in.
It's true. I have loads of European train reviews already recorded, so keep an eye out for them. :)
But it is still comfortable in first class
Hello and welcome abored this LNER Azuma to London kings Cross
Nice
Thanks! :D
Really rich interior, thats how i felt when i first travelled on the 700 out of paddington
Don’t you mean 800?
Chiltern Transport Productions yep sure did lol, thought I corrected it
Hello and welcome abored this LNER azuma to London kings Cross
I have to agree with you about the seating on the Azumas. We travel on them a lot from Grantham mainly Northbound but occasionally Southbound. I always take a small cushion with me (homemade by my mother) & place that behind my lower back to ease some of the discomfort. I haven’t tried 1st class yet on the Azumas but I may do in the future.
Haha that's a creative solution!
Inexcusable to fit long distance transport with uncomfortable seats these days, we have a better understanding of ergonomics and comfort than ever before, yet public transport gets more uncomfortable with each new model. Why?! I don't understand, if they want people to use trains more make them more comfortable. As someone who suffers severe lower back pain I would likely avoid this train- more than an hour sitting uncomfortably could mean two days of me being completely immobilised.
Spencer Wilton the DfT specified the seats. GWR in particular were horrified at the choice but the DfT were adamant it was their choice that would stand.
Trains in Germany for example are still very comfortable.
Travelling for 1st time on Azuma 1st Class London to York soon. Thanks to your video I'm going to have my shades handy, not a fan of bright strip lighting 😎
Yup, I really wish they'd change it, no need! Hope you enjoy your trip.
Why did they hold you for delayed train? They delayed yours for 15 mins. Is there a bottle neck at that location?
I've not traveled in first class on these yet but the upgrade it's self seems reasonable. However, in addition to all the faults you correctly identified (poor seats, harsh ride, silly table, lack of luggage space) I found on my travels (in standard) the motor whine to be quite intrusive even in electric mode. It seems to fade away at a cruise somewhat but is pretty loud on acceleration. If you pick the right coach you can get around that as they aren't all motorised. But of course, the HST and 225 had no such issues. All the coaches are quite, all the seats are comfy and the ride is usually very smooth. So first class or not it's hard not to conclude that these 800s are a backward step in most key areas. Most disappointing.
Very nice video I think THE LNER ONES do look better livery wise and the interior as GWR is just green on the outside and green grey on the inside but the train design is the same I would have expected first class to be more comfortable
Yeah it's a shame...
I Like The Reclining System Of The Hitachi Seats
The design of the front car of the train looks like a high speed train
Yeah, it might only be 125mph, but it certainly looks like it could go faster. ;)
It is a high speed train
@@LA90598 ok
@@SuperalbsTravels It can: just like the Mk4/class 91 before it, it can do 140mph but is limited by line speed restriction.
I took first class from London to Edinburgh & I will never again.
My seat was filthy from the previous passengers crumbs along with the carpet, the table was not cleaned properly going against the lner covid guidelines.
I was handed a soggy cheese and pickle sandwich 1 day before it went out of date, no tea or coffee offered, toilet was filthy, the quiet coach is situated at the back of the train near the staff quarters and there was a horrendous squeeking noise coming from the suspension that lasted the entire journey.
It states on the lner web site that first class passengers are well fed 🤔 I would hardly call an out of date soggy sandwich being well fed.
The first class chairs are the exact same as the normal class apart from the poor recliner function, the reclining function is almost useless as it only moves slightly forward pushing you slightly back and not much else and they are very uncomfortable after 1 hour.
If anyone is reading this comment I would not even bother paying the extra for first class as it really was appalling.
You must have been on a shitty unit lmao when I went on one it was amazing and got none of the bad things you sad (I was in first class)
The seats are designed to be the best fit for everyone traveling and have to meet really harsh safety regulations unfortunately but their are people saying a refit will be possible after 10 years of service ( I have a a friend who works for the design company for the interior 😁
It's a shame they don't really seem to fit anyone in my experience...
I'm interested.... What part of these "safety regulations" that I keep hearing about requires the seats to be rock hard and very poorly shaped...?
I can understand that the materials have to meet certain criteria of durability, fire safety etc. But how does that excuse/justify them being so uncomfortably shaped? And as for "fits everyone" well about 80% of the comments I'm seeing is along the lines of "they are terrible" so if that was the aim they failed spectacularly! lol
Seat D1 or K1 is good for getting work done or napping,
Does perform well for a bi mode
I would sooner travel on a cozier hst from Aberdeen or Inverness to London
In credible train. I did not know that they were hybrid, with two systems. A question. Why there are so many not electrified lines in UK? Thanks
Ferco Cano It's incredibly costly and sometimes impractical to electrify Victorian infrastructure- often hundreds of bridges need to be raised, there are issue in tunnels etc. It's impractical to close lines already over capacity to carry out the work, so planning and actually carrying out the work takes years. Plus, the rail network is so extensive in the U.K. priority was given to the busiest routes.
@@spencerwilton5831 Thanks you so much for your answer !
Sadly the UK chooses to use bi-mode trains, which I fear will put off electrification projects in the end...
Decades of under-investment in rail, plus what Spencer said about it being more difficult to retrofit old infrastructure. Britain being early to establish its rail network means it is stuck with some features countries that developed later have been able to avoid.
The Azuma trains look so good on the outside - it’s a shame the inside has those faults you point out. Uncomfortable seats. Hard table edges. Pity they couldn’t have used the old LNER leather seats in First.
That would be so nice! :)
Based on what I've heard, the DaFT are to blame for the terrible seats. They specified the interiors. Which presumably means they are also to blame for the lack of luggage space and poorly designed tables... The lesson is clear - NEVER let civil servants do the job of engineers! The outcome is a guaranteed balls up.
@@soundseeker63 yep I heard that too! Bet they didn’t do any testing with real passengers either!🙄
Amazing video, hopefully some day we could meet and record together? (I’m not a bot account before you assume) 😂
Maybe, we'll see what the future holds. :D
Thanks as well btw. :)
i thought they don't do refreshments anymore now
Can you please leave the close captioning up a little bit longer when there is a lot of text it’s just impossible to read all of it before it’s gone. My reading speed is fast but I was still not able to get to the end of some of the captions
Sorry, old video, it's better on the newest ones, check them out and let me know what you think! :)
The dessert is made by my friends grand parents company.
The seats might have the problem of been now and because of that the seat is hard coz its brand new once it’s got some age 2 it. The seats would get softer overtime
Disappointing train but at least they fed you well. I've never ridden on an Azuma but their predecessor, the HST operated by Virgin, had a superb first class.
They are a let down, but the food was good to have. :)
Im sure one of the reasons for harsh ride is to prevent track wear/damage as TOC are heavily penalised for this wear. Also they do seem to over rate the speed the train is actually going to be traveling at i.e. the train has been made to travel at much higher speeds than 125 so it is fitted out suspension wise according.As for the seats well that will be a case of those choosing them will not be sat in the bloody things.
What a pity... :/
Funny how other trains with good ride quality don't incur penalties due to track wear far as I know. If the weight of the train is bouncing around on the rails even more surely it'd cause more wear, whereas not the bogies and frames can almost float about instead?
@@zodiotekgaming They all pay for the wear rates their individual trains cause.
Maybe the bright lighting is somewhat dimmed at night?
I have travelled on these trains on GWR, and sadly that is not the case. Interestingly, on the GWR HSTs, their lights would dim depending on some light sensors. It was an amazing feature, they were great trains.
I don't understand how they got the seats so wrong. Years ago before the new sets for the District Line were introduced i was surveyed with loads of other people to try out different seats and asked to give opinions on comfort. If that had been done for the 80X seats there is no way they would have introduced the crap seats.
It is bizarre. And the new S stock on the London Underground is relatively comfortable!
That's what happens when a train is specced out by civil servants.
Doesnt it stop at Grantham?
Not sure, this was a long time ago now! :(
The usual schedule has a stop at Grantham timed
i just wish we had trains like this in Australia.
I'd love to use the Australian trains though!
Loved the HST First Seating. Sadly comfort in 1st is not the same nor do I think it will change.
It was lovely, wasn't it? :)
Oh well... :(
I've actually done a video on LNER's older trains too, see here: czcams.com/video/NhI65WbVp48/video.html
Call that dinning ?? Not patch on old British Rail lunch.
Sadly the UK has removed all dedicated restaurant carriages except on sleeper trains. A real shame, but you'll have to stick around for my foreign train reviews for the full dining experience on-board!
What was the cost for economy on that same journey?
It was £10 less for the entire journey (including to Exeter). The upgrade was fantastic value!
I paid £12 for mine advance fare.
It's too bad that the interior design (seat, table and lighting) was poor, and that would have disappointed me. The "dinner" wasn't anything that would impress me, but the idea of serving a decent meal is a good one.
Will they be electrifying more of the line in the near future? Buying bi-powered engines can't be cheap!
I hope they will electrify more, the engines should be a temporary measure if you ask me!
OMNOM TRAIN
Yes, I certainly did that on the train! :)
The food on lner is the best service of all the train Operating Companies but obviously like the other operators that use these modern trains they don’t seem to know despite the public telling them that the seating is rank rubbish
Is that all you get to eat, a lemon desert?
Nope, you also get the other food shown in the video!
"Speaking Of Seats, They Are Unfortunately Not Very Comfortable" The Standard Class Seats Are Padded Though. Dylan Found Them To Be Padded
Biggest gripe with these trains is the seats and harsh lighting. Had a journey from Leeds-London in November in the evening and the lighting was way too harsh compared the the 91's or HST's. The seats are also rock hard and a very unpleasant journey. Rather spend a little extra and go on the West-Coast mainline with the Pendolino/Voyagers.
I agree, it's really not a pleasant experience. The food is nice, but the environment is dire.
I never thought I would choose a Pendolino in preference to anything, but sadly you are right. They are a much more comfortable way to travel than the 800s!
Dining at 125mph/200km/h... Totally normal on trains on mainland Europe. Poor Britons :)
The Azumas are still pretty nice trains.
LOL. The 40 y/o old intercity trains did 125mph and were much more comfortable.
@@GrumpyL5 Yeah, I don't no what it is with new trains but they like to make them really uncomfortable.
In Germany they introduced a new fleet of Express trains and after many passenger complaints they changed all the seats again to a new design made with the help of customers.
But the worst thing is that the arrangement of the seats doesn't fit with the arrangement of the windows so you sometimes don't even have a window at your seat...
@@GrumpyL5 I still thing the Azumas look good, at least from the outside.
I did this exact journey in first class in June this year. Loved it. Staff were superb, I know some don’t like the 800s but I do, I think LNERs are better built than GWRs
I was on an Azuma from Leeds to London in coach K standard class on a 9 coach set, due to the IC225 I booked being changed at the last minute.
The ride quality wasn't as terrible as the first time I took an Azuma, but the noise levels were pretty poor.
They're just glorified commuter trains. I'd rather take a 700 to be honest.
Me too... ☹️
I'd prefer a HST or a class 91 any day, but at least the colour scheme in these trains is good.
The outfitting of this train is almost identical to the Arriva Grand Central ( in First Class) this in First Class is very disappointing
Yes I agree I prefer the old ones, having staff travel ( ex br) can’t see me wanting to travel on the east coast or great western main line ever again looking at your excellent videos. Those trains interior looks awful.
Thank you for watching. :)
If you can Plz fix cam shaking maybe it a setting could be better
My newest videos use a very stable camera. This includes the one being released tonight! Come back around 17:30. 😀
Those seats look almost identical to the Javelins, which seemed to be designed by someone who has no concept of sitting. I'd be disappointed sitting on a metro service with these. Awful ride quality on one of the better high speed lines as well. It seems that passenger comfort is way down the list on new train orders now, no microwaved cannelloni is going to make up for that.
Would it disappoint you if I said the Javelin is probably about 10x more comfortable than the utter slabs on these in standard class? :/
@@SuperalbsTravels Wow. I'm neither disappointed or surprised. Just sad.
Bring back a restaurant car available to both first and standard class.
Advertise it.
I remember traveling from York to London with GNER.
I said to my wife let’s have a meal in the restaurant car.
Her reply spoke volumes.
Are we allowed in there?
Wow yeah! Restaurant cars are fantastic, I always use them where I can when I am abroad. Stay tuned, some of them feature in future videos. :)
There's not many people on first class but on standard class there's lot of people.
Yeah that's right, it was quite empty in my carriage.
Lol
after a while the seats feel nice the 800s as a whole are superior to the old
I didn't get that impression in standard class at least. The seats in Mk3 and Mk4 carriages despite the best efforts of refurbishment are lovely and cushy, whereas the 800's seats feel rock hard for no good reason. It wouldn't reduce capacity to make seats squishier and on the whole it feels like they're trying to protect against people slashing seats or something with how hard they are. In doing so making the seats less comfortable than many of the commuter units serving along the same lines.
Nobody and I mean nobody wants a swish looking chair on a train mainly. They mainly want a comfortable one. If the chair can be both, congrats, but if not, stick to comfort. The plush comfort rectangles in Mk3 coaches are the gold standard for comfy travel in the UK for me.
I've bagged a 1st class ticket back down south for Monday and I sincerely hope that the price difference makes for a better seat, because otherwise the £50 premium over standard class is completely unwarranted for a matter of a breakfast, snacks and teas.
6:10 that is classed as a meal? What? Wouldn’t feed anyone! Needs at least some salad with it or something. Shocking.
Well although the seats are questionable.... The rest was pleasant and neat. OMNOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.
Ik i made the joke twice shush
Nice video, but the text is to fast, I'm not a speed reader, lol.
Sorry, this is something I am trying to improve on in later videos. :)
who's here at the start of 2021 i wonder?
Harsh bright interior lights make me feel uncomfortable.
No way am I ever traveling in this train.
Great video! You really show amazing things, great share my friend. Stay safe! Greeting from Latvia! you gain a new subscriber ! If you have time and can give me some feedback on my channel i really appreciate.
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed the video. Latvia seems awesome, hope I can visit one day...
for 1st class very primetive seating alas, no recline nor foot stole
There is recline, but not much. I agree, it's a poor seat.
Those announcements would get on my nerves, like the GWR ones did when I used to use their 800s. I know the goverment hates car users, but if I could drive, I’d enjoy it a lot more than these trains.
Yep, irritating. They just reiterate the same information countless times over.
I rather ride a 125 or 225 than the azuma
Me too!
HST every time! Comfort trumps modernity.
I have to agree, much prefer the tried and tested HST on this route. :)
thought it was a train
Yeah it is
this is class 801 not 800
prove it
ok this train not a diesel train
so how did it leave lincoln
800 is only in great western railway 801 is in LNER ok?
then how did it leave Lincoln 🤔
Shouldn’t the new one be better than the old one? That’s the point of upgrading lol.
You'd have thought, but sadly not...
The LNER Class 800 and Class 801 Azumas are very fast, smooth and quiet. Very good video.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_800
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_801
I don't think they're particularly fast, or smooth, or quiet. Thanks for watching. :)
All Hitachi Trains Have Uncomfortable Seats. Don't Worry!
Except for Class 395 "Javelin". Btw I wish they would've been put on these routes instead of Class 800/2
@@user-zt2je6ox3nJavelins are nice but I'd like to see Pendolinos replacing IC 125 and 225 if they even should be replaced
Assume…that people won’t notice. Cheap cheap cheap…. But don’t worry…let’s call it azuma.
Assuma
🤣🤣🤣