Virgin Trains East Coast Managing Director David Horne has confirmed to RAIL that the first passenger services to be operated by its new Azuma fleet will commence in December 2018.

Although VTEC had previously committed to bringing the Hitachi-built trains into traffic during 2018, this is the first time that a specific month has been officially confirmed by the operator. 

In an exclusive interview with RAIL, Horne said that VTEC plans to take delivery of its first four Azumas from Hitachi in November 2018, with two initially made available for service.

Discussions are still ongoing to establish on which route and the exact date the first Azuma services will be launched.

  • For more on this EXCLUSIVE, read RAIL 837, published on October 11, or available now on Android and iPad.