LNER unveils new ‘Serenza’ trains to transform business travel on the East Coast Main Line

2 Feb

LNER has revealed new details of its forthcoming Class 897 intercity trains, branded ‘Serenza’, which promise more comfortable, higher-capacity and greener journeys on the East Coast Main Line when they enter service in the coming years.

This announcement will be of clear interest to UK-based business travel customers, particularly those who regularly travel between London, the North East and Scotland, as increased capacity, improved reliability and enhanced onboard facilities can make rail an even more productive and attractive option for business travel.

LNER has unveiled the fleet name and released new interior images of the 10 state-of-the-art trains, which are being built by CAF and financed by Porterbrook. The new trains are designed to meet rising demand on the East Coast Main Line, where LNER carried more than 24 million customers in 2024–25, continuing a strong year-on-year increase since Covid. A new timetable introduced in December 2025 has already added 60,000 extra seats per week, with the new trains set to further expand capacity and resilience across the route.

As the rail industry transitions towards Great British Railways, the Class 897 trains will be the first new long-distance fleet introduced under the new national structure and will carry Great British Railways branding internally and externally. To distinguish them from LNER’s existing Azuma fleet, the trains will be named ‘Serenza’, a name intended to evoke calm, movement and modernity.

The new trains will be the first long-distance tri-mode trains in the UK, capable of operating using overhead electric power, diesel engines or battery power. This flexibility will allow them to run across the full LNER network, which stretches close to 1,000 miles, and to use battery power rather than diesel when approaching or departing stations without overhead wires, supporting more environmentally friendly journeys.

Each 10-carriage train will provide 569 seats across Standard and First Class, including wheelchair spaces with companion seating. The interior design has been shaped by extensive customer and stakeholder feedback, with a focus on comfort, accessibility and durability. Seating in both classes has been redesigned with improved seat pads, wider headrests and reshaped cushions, while First Class seats will offer recline functionality.

Digital customer information screens will be installed in every carriage, providing live journey and safety updates, and five water bottle refill stations will be available throughout each train. For cyclists, LNER has redesigned bike storage areas with new straps to make securing bikes quicker and easier.

Dr Linda Wain, Engineering Director at LNER, said the new trains marked

“an exciting milestone for LNER as we reveal an insight into what our customers can expect from their journeys in the future and unveil a name”.

She added that the fleet would deliver

“more comfortable, more reliable, and greener journeys across the East Coast Main Line for decades to come”.

Accessibility has been a key focus, with LNER working closely with its Accessibility Forum to incorporate 47 recommendations into the design. Improvements include redesigned tables to give more space for wheelchair users, relocated seat legs to create room for assistance dogs, a continuous grab rail along the Café Bar, additional luggage racks near wheelchair spaces and braille seat numbers to assist visually impaired customers.

Every seat will feature a plug socket and USB-C charging ports, with table seats benefiting from integrated power bars. Standard Class customers will also see a new Café Bar offering food and drink from local suppliers along the route, supported by digital menus showing real-time availability. Toilets have been redesigned with clearer signage, improved wash basins and enhanced baby changing facilities.

The Class 897 fleet will replace LNER’s InterCity 225 trains, which have been in service for nearly 40 years. While some minor design elements may still change ahead of final approval, the new trains are expected to enter service in the coming years, with further updates to follow.

Commenting on the announcement, Paul Baker, Sales Director of Global Travel Management, said:

“For UK-based business travellers, improvements in comfort, capacity and onboard facilities are not just nice to have, they directly impact productivity and wellbeing. Modern, reliable rail services like this strengthen the case for rail as a core part of a smarter, more sustainable business travel strategy.”

Business travellers who would like to understand what these developments could mean for their own business travel programmes are encouraged to contact their Global Travel Management Account Manager for further information.