NORTH-EAST built trains which entered service on the East Coast Main Line earlier this year will arrive in the region from August.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has confirmed the company’s Azuma trains , which were built at Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe factory at Aycliffe Business Park, will be introduced on the route connecting Edinburgh, the North-East and London King’s Cross from August 1.

The Northern Echo:

65 new trains are being introduced on the route to replace the existing fleet of 45 trains operated by LNER on the East Coast Main Line over the coming 12 months.

Leeds and Hull were among the first destinations to welcome Azuma services last month.

Azumas were due to be launched by LNER in December 2018 but this was delayed due to a series of problems, including their compatibility with Network Rail's signalling equipment, safety tests, staff training and new timetables.

David Horne, managing director of LNER, said: “The launch of the first Azuma trains to and from Edinburgh and the North-East of England is a pivotal moment for LNER in demonstrating the transformation of services for our customers and communities that we serve.

“Establishing new standards in rail travel is part of our DNA, and the new Azuma trains are already making the customer experience better than ever. They will transform travel for customers with improved reliability, greater levels of comfort and an average of 100 more seats on every train compared to the current fleet.

“From improved WiFi and extra leg-room to being more environmentally friendly and accessible to more people, the Azuma experience is a real revolution in rail travel.”

Rail Minister Andrew Jones added: “The arrival of the state-of-the-art Azuma trains delivers more comfortable journeys and better services for passengers along the East Coast route.

“Alongside the introduction of these new trains, we have also worked closely with Transport Scotland to upgrade platforms at Edinburgh Waverly to support longer trains with more seats.”