Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the LNER Azuma trains will be ready to travel north of York.

Passengers across the East Coast Mainline including those north of York, in Newcastle, Edinburgh and beyond, will benefit from the introduction of new trains by LNER through the Intercity Express Programme.

LNER plan to bring the new trains into service from 2019, to ensure passengers get the best possible customer experience. It is a complex programme, and, as with any new technology and major investment, the infrastructure and train operations need to be rigorously tested to ensure reliable services passengers deserve from day one. The department is working with Hitachi, the ORR, LNER, and Network Rail to ensure that these new trains enter service on the ECML as soon as possible.

Trains will initially be deployed on the London to Leeds route. Their introduction will be complete across the full East Coast in 2020.