Sir Richard Branson was at London’s King’s Cross station this morning (March 18) to unveil the first Class 800/1 unit branded in Virgin East Coast livery.

Named Azuma – the Japanese word for east – it is the first of 65 electric and bi-mode trains, which are being built for the East Coast Main Line through the Intercity Express Programme (IEP), to be painted in Virgin’s trademark red livery.

The entire fleet is expected to be in revenue service by 2020.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, said: “This is a hugely important moment for passengers on the East Coast. A line which has witnessed the historic Flying Scotsman and Mallard will now see passenger services transformed with the UK’s most advanced long distance trains.

“Our customers on the West Coast have already seen what Virgin can bring to train travel and how the Pendolinos have made a huge difference to speed and comfort. Our new fleet of Azumas will bring a similar transformation to the East Coast, and propel one of the UK’s most prestigious lines into the 21st century.”

Due to enter service in 2018, the Azumas will operate at 125mph, although Hitachi believes that in future they could run at 140 mph. At the launch event, Virgin Trains East Coast said a cross-industry working group had been created to explore how this could be achieved.

Karen Boswell, managing director of Hitachi Rail Europe, said: “Hitachi has a long and proud heritage producing top quality, high-speed trains, going back to 1964 when our first ‘Bullet Train’ entered passenger service in Japan.

“We are, therefore, thrilled to be delivering the trains which from 2018 will transform the journey experience for tens of thousands of Virgin Trains customers travelling between London and Scotland along the East Coast.

“We are doubly proud that these new trains for the East Coast are being manufactured right here in the UK, creating some 730 new long-term jobs, engineering careers and apprenticeships.”

Images courtesy of Virgin Trains East Coast.