LNER Azuma Standard Class Review - What a let down! 

I think your review is very fair. I have been on a few trips on these and found the same, reservations display system not working twice. I have travelled many miles over the years and on my trip on an Azuma to Scotland became uneasy at the shaking from side to side that began when we reached 125mph. I have not had anything like that on any other train and it just felt wrong to the extent that I did ask a member of staff if they thought there was some kind of problem with that bogie, they replied it is something these trains do at high speed. That has made me wonder if the cracks recently found have been caused by this. Another thing almost every Azuma I have been on is wheel flats. The acceleration and braking of these trains is fantastic but again on the trip to Scotland we slowed very quickly for a Temporary Speed Restriction and the coach was bouncing as the wheels skipped on top of the rails. There will be an antilock system but it did not seem to be able to cope with that and resulted in a flat spot on our wheels. To me the ride quality is more like a high speed tram car than the solid smooth ride I am used to on a Mk3 (the best) or Mk4 (a close 2nd) LNER train. I read recently that GBR plan to bring forward the refurbishment of these and the class 700 Thameslink trains and get rid of the iron board seats I hope this is true The reason LNER said they were used was a fire issue. Well you don't have these horrid seats in the similar TPE trains and I much prefer to use theirs where I can instead on LNER.

How nice to be young enough for ones first HST trip to be on GNER... I remember riding on them when they were first introduced and marvelling at the speed & comfort, especially in first class. Such a step up from the Mk2s ... seems that age was the summit of customer experience. Like someone else said, even an old 153 beats some modern stock.

Yet still the Gov. and TOCs still come out with glib phraseology about the railways being "customer focussed. It's an ill wind however - I note the Welsh government have opted to purchase surplus Mk4s for further use.

Been eagerly awaiting this review 🤣 The DfT have alot to answer for, thinking this was suitable long distance travel

Well said about the seats, they're marginally more comfortable than the GWR ones in their Hitachi's, but that's only because of the slightly softer seat coverings. They're way too thin for long distance journeys, but that seems to be the policy now across the UK network regarding new trains. The worst, IMHO, are still the "ironing boards" in Thameslink's 700's, also in Great Northern's 717's.

I regularly travel first class from Edinburgh to London. Perhaps the 1st class experience is different to standard class, but I've always found the Azumas comfortable - though I do miss the HSTs and Mk 4 stock.

I took one of these from London to Grantham in standard class, the seats are by far the most uncomfortable I have ever tried on a train. The 153 that I changed on to for Boston was far more comfortable.

How I agree with you. These new Hitachi trains are absolutely appalling, jolting ride at speed and the most uncomfortable seats I have ever had to endure. LNER standards of customer care have severely slipped over the years since GNER days. To sum up customer care worse, train ride, seats and ambiance worse, price and confusing ticket system worse, the DFT calls that progress!

I remember that in former times, the lesser of the two classes abroad were called 'hards' for obvious reasons. I fondly remember the times when BR would demote old LMS first class coaches to (what before 1954 were called 'third') second class. They were properly upholstered!

i have been on an Azuma before, and i found the standard class seats fine. They weren't uncomfortable for when i was on the azuma.

I've got to say, I actually quite like the Azuma's. I think the seats, although they look a bit hard, feel really comfy, especially over long periods of time. Certain seats can be padded but you sink into them and ache when getting up, but I don't get that with these. The only fault for me is the placement of the leg holding them up under each aisle seats which I find a pain. Acceleration is much better than the older stock too. I think these get a lot of bad press which is often a little on the harsh side as what they are replacing were so well loved. I also think the luggage space (size of the overhead racks) is outstanding

I wholeheartedly agree with you. I travel from Leeds down the line fairly often and I try to purposely book on the HST’s because they’re far better

All trains in UK: Ride smoothly, little bumps while passing switches Class 800s when going on straight track: *Xtreme hardbass playing*

I've been on these many many times and keep going back on them for more. Agree about the booking system, and I absolutely loved the 91s but I also really enjoy the Azumas. Been to Edinburgh and back 5 or 6 times in the last year on them in both first and standard class and no complaints here! But of course it is down to personal opinion, and yes lots of people do find them vile and uncomfortable. I'm doing Kings Cross to Inverness in October and really looking forward to it! Brilliant video, thank you,😊😊😊

Great Review 😃. I don't completely agree with you however as my experience from Edinburgh to London was really good - this was on LNER Azuma too. I found the seats comfortable for a 4 hour journey and the Class 800s are one of my favourite trains. I've been on the Azuma a few times and I've found it to be a really nice journey.

I can tell you were keeping your cool when writing the script for this. I know how much you dislike IETs, to say the least. Lol.

While I don't like the look of the seats, I like the look of the front of the train and I think those motors are probably the best on a train I've heard in a while.

I travelled from London to Edinburgh and back again on these trains a few days ago. The criticism they have received are perfectly valid. 20 years ago I travelled daily on the 125 and they were far more comfortable.

Great video mate. LNER Azuma suit very well on the red colours 👍

Timestamp 3' 15": *MALLARD* As a young boy living in Springburn, Glasgow (circa 8-9 years old; late 1950s), I was fortunate enough to experience Mallard passing nearby (Cowlairs Incline) a few scant times. Bliss. All other words of appreciation are unnecessary. I visited the National Railway Museum in York, probably 1992, and gently touched that magnificent machine, passing on my silent thoughts, remembrances and gratitude. Emotional old fool? No. Thank you, Superalbs T. You have made this young 70 year old smile inwardly and outwardly with a glow of happy recollections et al. Enough about me. Stay free. Rab 🍻😎 💚

I travelled Montrose to Edinburgh in January 2020 and encountered all the same problems, as for visits to London I now fly Loganair from Dundee, thank God we still have HST's in Scotland!!

I love LNER a lot, but you're right, someone does need to address the problems you mentioned, I do however think these trains are beautiful, the sleek design is magnificent and while it could have a bit more red I do still love the colour scheme

There are only 2 train comapanies that I’ve travelled with in the UK and been impressed with. I live in Derby which is mainly served by EMR who are hideous in all areas and I only ever use them to get to stoke/crewe. Cross country and the voyagers are great even though they need a refurb CrossCountry always have friendly staff and it’s rare that I encounter issues with them. Even on a 4 and half hour journey crosscountry voyagers are pleasant and comfortable. Then follows my absolute faivourite Avanti West Coast. I haven’t tried their new hitachi models yet but the new upgraded pendolinos are fantastic super comfortable and again I pinpoint friendly staff and comfortable journies. So there you go.

Do you think the livery is dull? I actually like it a lot, but remember that Virgin East Coast put the livery on for the HST and 91

In my opinion, Newcastle to Edinburgh. Seats were comfy, I had more legroom than TPE First Class from Liverpool to Newcastle, bins came round and the driver kept us informed. For me, LNER is a great TOC! Also, £30 return for 10 minutes before departure bargain!

Another informative and well made video, much appreciated. I hate these trains. Recently made a return journey from Doncaster to Edinburgh on one, seats were so uncomfortable they made my back ache, and my bum numb! Unfortunately we're gonna be stuck with them for years to come.

Squeaky high speed plastic machines go brr. I'm kind of neutral on them based on the reviews I've seen but the seating is definitely something that needs replacing tbh, especially taking into consideration the suspension on these units isn't great. They look pretty nice on the exterior imo, even if the livery looks pretty basic, and some of the features they have are definitely useful like the traffic light reservation system (when it all works ofc).

As someone who grew up with 158s and Pacers, I find the Azumas somewhat adequate for me. Yes the seats are uncomfortable but thats no difference for me and the ride quality is better than the Pacer and about the same as the 158 from what I remember. As for the livery, I LOVE it. The deep red looks really smart. Kinda wish they threw some greys in too but. Nowhrre near as bad as the NorthernRail livery they implemented a few years prior.

Yes the MK4s take some beating 👍👍🇦🇺

I actually prefer these seats to the older ones. Comparing them to the ones on VTWC for example, the soft, padded ones just end up giving me a bad back on any service that is more than an hour long, and considering both travel on services for upwards of 4 hours, I much prefer these harder seats. I do have to admit though, that the ride is terrible, bouncing all the time...

Such a downgrade on HST stock and MK4 stock.

Had my first ride on these cracking awful things and after 15 mins into my journey from Peterborough to Leeds my back was non exciting for the rest of the day no to mention LNER completely screwed up my reservation with requesting a forward facing window seat and I didn't get any of that but not to worry to much I still got to Leeds at least just a shame I had 2 more further painful rides on them and as most people would when you found out your return journey on one was cancelled cause cracks was showing the releaf I had knowing that instead I was gonna be getting a 91 home was brilliant not to mention the reservation system was working and managed to bag a free first class trip on a mk4 with a 20 quid ticket just topped it all off 😀all in all keep the 91s those things are comfortable when reclined in first class 🤣

To escape the harder than diamond seat is id bring my trusty couch pillow to sit on :D

Honestly, until I watched this video I did not know the seats of the Class 80x were this bad. I am from Portugal and we have some commuter trains here called Class 3400, which I thought had similar seats to the 80x, but to my amazement, the seats are actually better padded on this urban commuter train than on the "long haul" Azuma, and they have better ergonomics too, they just lack the power outlets, coat hooks, and the adjustable armrests really...

I just traveled on one, WiFi was bad, made my iPad glitchy and I got confused because i was in coach K and it said k was first class but turned out it was half first and half standard but tables were decent but no catering for standard. 😕

The Hitachi AT300 series is a truly awful train for all the reasons you mentioned in this video and the the one you also made on the GWR's IET. Personally I could write an entire page on what I don't like about these trains from the dirty windows to the migraine inducing lighting and the crap 1st class interiors, including the seats that have no window, and so on and so, the list of complaints and faults is almost endless. I really hope the entire fleet either gets a complete refit, softer lighting, better seats, better suspension/bogies, or just gets scrapped. Hitachi really have let themselves down with this product, which leads me to think that this poor level of engineering probably extends to all their other products which I will now be avoiding.

I was on holiday on Cornwall and I went on the train from St Austell to St Ives. The unit that I went in there was a class 158 and on the St Ives Branch it was a class 150. The seats on those were actually quite comfy, but then the train i had back there was a class 800 and I found them to be quite bad. The seats were really hard and at the top speed of the Cornish main line (75mph) I noticed a bit of bumpiness, which I didn’t experience on the 158.

Whilst I'm not the biggest fan of the 80* fleet, I think people have short memories of how bouncy mk3s were (especially over the bogies). There would be points (between Finsbury park and Alexandra Palace stick out) where you would be literally bouncing along all the way. I'm certainly not a fan of the standard class seats, but I can directly compare the likes of 387s and 700s over the same route south of Peterborough, and 80*s are much smoother

The 80X series are excellent trains, only let down by mediocre internal design

I don't know why so many TOCs think putting the IET in their fleet is a good idea.

We have the same AT300 trains on GWR...they are truly awful 😧 Certainly a very poor HST replacement. The ride quality at speeds over 100mph is shockingly bad..lots of lateral movement and you can really feel the pointwork thud and clank underneath you 😧 we have no buffet on GWR just a random trolley that if your lucky, actually turns up ☹️ First Class is slightly better and the seats there should really be used in standard class 🤔 Standard class seating for any journey over an hour is inadequate and extremely uncomfortable. All in all, a very poor replacement for outgoing Inter-City trains. A very complex and expensive train to procure, lease and run and you can tell this has the DFT fingerprints all over it, clueless 🙄☹️🇬🇧

Im not an expert train traveler and found your review very good although personally I wouldn't have thought it was as bad as you thought it was, of course you are entitled to your opinion which I respect. id agree the seats didn't look that comfortable and could do with more padding. the light and cleanliness along with the well stocked buffet bar looked good and overall your advanced ticket was great value certainly better than driving etc. btw I liked that app you have which shows the train speed, what app is it ? You have my sub btw.

Lovely video. What is the app on your phone you are using to check the train speed?

When I'm pissed off about our trains in France I watch train videos from the UK and I realize that it's heaven here

The class 800 seat design was largely dictated by the Department for Transport, I believe. The train companies had little input. Also, the compulsory reservations are a COVID-19 distancing measure which will presumably be abandoned at some point.

Imagine putting a commuter quality seat on a route that can exceed 7 hours, nah im joking, but imagine …

I travelled on one for just under an hour between Peterborough and Lincoln a year ago. They were perfectly comfortable in my case, I had no problems with them whatsoever

As much as I don’t want to admit it - the Azuma trains are abysmal. This is a very accurate review and I’m pleased to see someone who is not having preferences or holding back in their opinions

The WiFi was soo slow it couldn't even load Google 🙄

I took the journey north this past Wednesday and paid extra to get the faster service to Newcastle. The train was bang on time but I did not appreciate the delay in announcing the platform - though getting to leave from platform 0 was a treat. I had reserved seats, but LNER didn’t. No explanation was given, not impressed. The seats are firm and not as comfortable as some I have been on. I would not want to travel all the way to Aberdeen. Where I to do it again I might opt for first class, as with no assigned seats there was too much moving about the carriage and too few masks being warn. Also the dial-a-meal was suspended due to Covid. One good point, there was sufficient luggage space, which I remember being one of several issues I remembers from a cross country journey Glasgow-Newcastle.

That rough ride needs looking into. It could be a possible cause of the fatigue cracks that have plagued these units. The mk4s had ride problems when first introduced but it was solved by fitting extra dampers.

I remember York Station back in the 70s it has not changed that much only the trains.

Here are the things that need improving summed up: 1. Fix the suspension (maybe softer springs?) 2. Change the cleaning chemical used in the toilets (did they just find the cheapest one available?) 3. Fix the seats (look at the ones on SE Highspeed, for example) 4. Change how the lighting works (dimmable, warmer lighting instead of sharp white) 5. Ditch the reservation policy (sounds dumb anyways)

I tired out this train for the first time recently. I can see why a lot of people hate the seats although I personally had no problem with them. Then again I only travelled from Newcastle to Edinburgh I don’t know if I’d say the same if I was travelling the full length of the east coast main line. Mixed feelings about the ride quality too. At some points the ride was smooth at other points it was a tad rattly and shaky

At least the Azumas have a walk up buffet which I sorely miss on the GWR IETs. Good video as always . But I have to agree about the seats . They are rock hard and always give me a numb bum ! Unsuitable for a long distance train. Not as solidly built either! Too many rattles and creaks.

It’s going to be my first time traveling on these trains I will be traveling from Darlington to Edinburgh in December

R.I.P MK3 was a great and sad loss.

Living in the South east and hardly being on any sort of trains for many years, just local stuff, August 2011 was the last time i was on a train before i got my new job, which is taking me all over the country and having to use public transport. Out of all the trains ive being on these past few months, these are my favs.

Been to York. Lovely station. And I’ve also been to the National Railway Museum and the Jorvik Museum. Still would like to go ride on the LNER Class 800 and Class 801 Azumas.

I think the livery is quite nice, but other than that I completely agree on the ride quality, especially the (dis)comfort of the seat. If I'm travelling north, it's Avanti West Coast all the way for me 👍

I actually went from Leeds to Stevenage today lol. Azumas look really nice from the outside but the seats are horrible. Seriously who thought they would be a good idea for a long distance train? The other two times I’ve done this journey were in 91s and there’s a marked difference in comfort. I do honestly like the simple livery though. It fits well

8:08 Cat says ''help!" :D

Loved the way you said York station was special to you. It's special to me too. I know this dates me but I remember the A4 Pacifics and the like setting off northwards spinning their wheels to gain traction. Saw a RU-vid clip of a steam special still having that problem. I was a teenager at the time who travelled regularly between KX and York. Until recently I used to travel every so often to KX on the Class 91s and Mk4 coaches. Best in the business at the time. What a shame that you have worse ride, uncomfortable seats and less maximum speed. Glad I'm unlikely to use an Azuma now.

And The Whole Class 800 Fleet Got Taken Out Of Service Because Cracks Were Found In The Jacking Points. And Passengers Were Advised Not To Travel

Well at least you can move the uncomfortable arm rests out of the way. I always think they are the wrong height for my arms. The only other ones that I use t hat I can do that on are the class 700(declassified firsts on the St Alban's - services.

I always thought you liked these trains 😥

What makes the ride so rough? Azuma 's suspension is different from smoother riding older trains.

I will be travelling on both a GWR IET and an LNER Azuma on Monday. I do see a lot of people saying that LNER Azuma’s are better than GWR IET’s. Now I like the 80x fleet a lot, but I want to see if I will prefer a certain TOC to another. Nice review btw

I think that to make this train better, pillow like seats should be added, comfier seats that adjust to the pressure you apply on them, this can help with the bumping as well, as for the lights, I suggest a pink - purple tone to make them less terrible

I just finished my join on a lner azuma, Imo if you can afford first its a worth upgrade, very comfortable good reclining nice table and arm rests, loved it, was abit bumpy but that was barely noticeable, Im new to riding trains so my expectation might be lower

Thanks for an interesting and informative report. I have travelled on the ECML as an infrequent passenger over many years, being pulled by Deltics , 125s and class 91s but have yet to experience an Azuma journey. You seem to confirm what I have read in rail journals and from others who have used it, basically that the seating is uncomfortable and the lighting harsh. It seems that little can be done in the short term, however one would hope that LNERs policy requiring the compulsory booking of seats will soon be abandoned in favour of a more friendly and flexible customer friendly policy.

Read the accident report when one of these ran into the back of an HST at Neville Hill. Nobody thought to test "Crash Worthiness" below 20mph. So if the front end falls off and the set becomes derailed at under 20 mph -what on earth will happen at high speed? I don't think they are safe and in case anyone wonders I'm a retired railwayman!

It amuses me that you have reported the Azuma is a rotten thing as I was thinking of getting the Hornby version. The OO gauge version has been reported as being as rotten as it's full-size counterpart. The rottenness of it appeals in OO gauge, so I am more inspired to get one, thanks to you! Thanks for uploading.

Great video, I have been in standard class on them

Got to love the corporate stiffs that didnt listen to customer needs or even try out these trains before thrusting them into service. Sure, they look nice and are probably cheaper to run, clearly that’s all they really cared about. The HST will always have a soft spot in my heart, so the trains that replaced them in long distance service were always going to have a lot to live up to, but these trains - the seats, lights, ride quality - are universally panned. To think, the train operators will be using these trains for the next couple of decades - let’s hope the first major refurb is brought forward several years (but don’t hold your breath!) It’s kind of sad actually.

Have so far travelled once (Jan 2020), standard-class, on this nightmare Azuma cattle-truck from York to London with some friends. Agree completely with Superalbs - the most uncomfortable, bumpy and noisy experience, and a huge disappointment after the never-ending fanfare from LNER. Whoever designed the seats never intended sitting on them, and combined with the headache-inducing background drone, glary lighting and rough ride made me feel very sorry for anyone doing the twice-as-long-haul from London to Scotland. By the way, we had a spare first-class ticket so we took it in turns to check that out, and apart from slightly more restful-coloured upholstery and perhaps an extra millimetre of foam-padding on the seats, the rest was just the same. The only saving grace is the sun-blinds, and these will probably be permanently removed once they start to break! Whichever committee gave the go-ahead for these very expensive replacements for the old stock should be forced to travel on them for eternity as punishment! It's really depressing to think that the public are now stuck with these for another 20 or 30 years. We made the return trip on a much older Grand Central train, which felt like heaven by comparison!

11:35 SMOOTH

Great video. We definetly need more highly critical videos like these - I feel that people grumble but aren't actually critical enough of TOCs. These regional commuter trains aren't up to standard. They aren't mainline stock.

I used to on the regular travel with lner from Donny to Peterborough either on 125 or 225. When I heard lner were looking to replace the 125s & slowly phase out 225s to make way for the Azuma😖I just thought nope as much as I love travelling by train I won’t be throwing my money away by being uncomfortable so travel by car instead. The comfort on the 125 was spot on couldn’t wait to get onboard whether it was from Donny to Peterborough or vice versa that was best bit of my journey forgetting cross country & TP. As much as I like lner I think they made biggest mistake getting rid of the 125s and slowly phasing out 225s. Still have plenty of life left in them even after running for over 40years. Heritage companies are taking some onboard keeping them going. Even Cross Country & Scotrail have still got some 125s in their fleet so they still have faith in them. The azumas should be scrapped not fit for purpose let alone comfort.

what was the train time service?

Well Said Mister, lets hope they take so notice from this Brilliant Review *5

Hello Superalbs, quite an objective video ! At the end you say that you cannot recommend travelling with LNER (based on your experiences on this trip). But then which operator could travellers choose ? At the time of writing LNER controls most ECML services. There are just two open access firms, one of whom operates old, unreliable and polluting diesel units. The other firm also has Hitachi units. Yes a third open access firm may start ECML service in future (its drivers are currently being trained) but it will only serve a few ECML stations and it too will use Hitachi units.

We have to have a review on east coast trains when they’re released! =)

Travelled on an Azuma for the first time yesterday. Pretty uncomfortable especially for a near 5 hour journey. Not as bad as the GWR Hitachi's though. The West Coast 390s are a joy in comparison.

What train is that at 2:01 at the right? Nice to see that the reservation system doesn't work xD They really need to rub into everybodys face that this is a "LNER Azuma". It's: - on the front of the train - at the side of the locomotive - in the announcements The seats are the same as in the 802 SWT train!

LNER staff have always been fantastic in my experience. The "mandatory" reservation system was implemented during lockdown, which I kind of understand, but to keep it in place is just silly in my opinion. As for the trains themselves, I haven't yet been on one but I have been on an I.E.T. between Newton Abbot and Exeter, and my word the seats were uncomfortable, rather like sitting on an ironing board! I too noticed the stupidly bright white lights. Such a shame, as they were brilliant to travel with when they had the HST sets and the IC225s

It’s a beautiful train except you were right about the padding I tested it myself it is horrible

I came up to Leeds on a crammed 5 coach Azuma, no water for the wash basin and no trolley. Its colleage the other unit must have been having its cracks fixed. The return journey had 9 coaches and was really nice and comfortable. I got sandwiches at the buffet. Both trains had no reservations. You might like Grand Central to Bradford.

For me, Crewe is my favourite station. I spent a lot of my childhood there because we always had to change there for trains to go to North Wales. I’ve only been to York once sadly.

Are the class 91s still in service with LNER, thought they all went, can feel your especially inside the Azuma’s

Completely agree with the video. The seating is uncomfortable, the ride is bumpy, it's obscenely expensive (I'm actually surprised you got your ticket for so little), and they justify ticket prices by claiming the train is full when it's practically empty.

Thank you very much for your interesting review. I agree with all that you say, and have travelled several times on the LNER AZUMAs. They are atrocious. You rightly say the suspension is poor, and the seats diabolical, even in 1st Class, though there is better leg room there. How on earth has the East Coast route to Scotland ended up with such dreadful trains ? Just look across to Europe and see the high quality trains used in France - the SNCF TGVs of course, Germany, the wonderful ICEs,. The IET type Hitachi trains may be very clever mechanically, but so far as passenger comfort and ambience are concerned, our Azumas and IETs are not in the same league. Truly a disgrace. Both BA and EasyJet must be laughing ! Many thanks.

I was onboard the 7:33 to Harrogate from London yesterday and people were sleeping on the floor due to how uncomfortable the seats were it sure was something that shows how well these train are. Take note DfT

mmm nice video matey well put together , unfortunately yes i have travelled on an Azuma, peterborough to newark northgate an absolutely abysmal ride . i had one of those awful seats with no window view ..disgusting they cant line the up properly yes deffo a numb bum for that short journey plenty of bumping and jolting on those cardbourd seats terable suspension now wonder there all cracking and have to be checked over on a daily basis . you cant beat the mark 4s for comfort anytime . travelled from Derby to dawlish 2 yrs ago, a very nice ride i must say on a x country h s t :) . god knows what these azumas will look like in 40 yrs time or so , shame i wont find out im in my late 70 but its deffo the worst train i have been on so wont be going anywhere on one of those again . thanks for sharing you journey .

Whent on a trip from doncaster to london kings cross, i really liked the Azuma Train great experience, but buffet is a little expensive.

I could swear some Azuma services York to london are direct. That’s pretty much if trains are going to and from Aberdeen or something.

DfT were sold by the sleek train front and didn't bother to check whether they were actually decent inside!

I believe the reserved lighting system has been permanently disconnected it’s everyone for your self. Will be travelling on this train from York in November 2021 will report back

My local train to the left at 1:55 it is an improvement having 170s but are still always crowded

Great video, a very thorough approach to the very controversial IET units👌Are Gatwick express loaning their 387s to GN? They were in the depots just a few minutes before reaching Kings X, interesting 🤔