London North Eastern Railway is kicking off its “Centary” celebrations, with it launching its first named and liveried train as part of the Azuma fleet on the East Coast route, connecting London with Yorkshire, the North East of England and Scotland.
The move celebrates LNER’s people and approaches over the past one hundred years since the LNER brand first came into being in 1923.
The special livery was revealed amid fanfare and celebrations at York railway station.
‘Century’ was the name chosen by LNER colleagues and a special train naming panel, reflecting the sentiment of pride in LNER’s rich past, its passion for the present and the ambition LNER has for the future.
LNER is celebrating 100 years of proud service on the East Coast Main Line, connecting the English and Scottish capital cities and many diverse destinations.
Throughout the century, LNER has named trains which have been globally iconic in their popularity including ‘Flying Scotsman’, ‘Mallard’ and ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ (the classic A3 and A4 class steam locomotives).
The design features colleagues’ past and presents a unique photographic timeline of the last 100 years of LNER.
A point of note… 100 years old. That’s a mild stretch…
The London North and Eastern Railway was formed during the grouping phase in 1923, where individual companies were merged into four big groups (forming London Midlands and Scottish Railway, Southern, Great Western Railway and LNER).
This lasted until 1947, when LNER was taken from privatisation to public ownership, under British Rail, operating under that ownership, operating steam trains, moving to the Deltics, to the Intercity 125 and Intercity 225.
In the age of modern privatisation, the East Coast Main Line has been operated by Sea Containers (operating a GNER), National Express East Coast, East Coast (Operated by an Operator of Last Resort), Virgin Trains East Coast and finally the current LNER (again, operated by an Operator of Last Resort).
The modern LNER came into operation on 24 June 2018, taking over the Intercity East Coast Franchise – making this incarnation of LNER just under five years old.
Although, considering British Airways did the same thing in 2019… well… moving on.
In Quotes
David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said:
“It’s a truly special moment for everyone at LNER to be unveiling the first named Azuma on the fourth anniversary of our Azuma trains first entering into passenger service.
‘Century’ recognises the successes and iconic moments of our proud past which have defined who we are today, as well as looking forward to the innovation and technology which will see us through 100 more years of taking people on exciting journeys on the East Coast route. The livery perfectly depicts our story to date and we can’t wait to see customers enjoying it out on the route.”
Tim Dunn, Rail Historian and presenter of The Architecture the Railways Built, said:
“The LNER brand has had a colourful and pioneering history – ever since it appeared in 1923. One hundred years later, this moment brings it all together perfectly!
“The introduction of ‘Century’ means many more people have on the East Coast Main Line will be inspired to learn more about LNER’s impact on rail travel in the UK. The brand is associated with some extraordinary moments such as Mallard’s speed record run; and the introduction of the latest fleet – the Azumas. These moments have helped define the railway’s identity in the UK and I am sure LNER will be known for them for generations to come.”
Carolyn Sheard, LNER Customer Experience Leader who features within the livery said:
“I am so proud to be featured on the ‘Century’ livery – I love my job and really enjoy working for the company so it’s an honour to be involved in the celebrations this year.”
Operation
The ‘Century’ Azuma train will now remain permanently on the LNER network, operating from London to Scotland and points between. The train itself will be confined to electric routes, being a 9-car electrical multiple unit (rather than a Hybrid Electric and Diesel multiple unit).
It’s a nice sentiment – however, LNER has been hit hard during the current wave of strike action, which has impacted services hard.
We’ll have to see if LNER can manage its way out of strike action to deliver consistent and reliable services over the months ahead.
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