Intercity Express Programme

The Intercity Express Programme is an initiative of the Department for Transport (DfT) in the United Kingdom to procure new trains to replace the InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 fleets on the East Coast Main Line and Great Western Main Line. There are to be two variants: the Class 800, electric/diesel-electric hybrids, and the Class 801 electrics.

On 12 February 2009, the DfT announced that Agility Trains, a consortium led by Hitachi, was the preferred bidder, with a train named the Hitachi Super Express. The final decision on the award of contract, and its value and composition, originally expected by early 2009, was delayed by several years: a delay to 2010 was caused by the preparation of plans to electrify part of the rail network, which would affect the final order; in 2010 the decision was delayed until after the 2010 general election, and by an independent 'value for money' report published in July 2010; and in November 2010 the decision was delayed pending a decision on the electrification of part of the rail network. Finally the decision was taken in March 2011 to proceed with the procurement and to electrify the Great Western Main Line.

A £4.5 billion order for 596 carriages for use on the East Coast and Great Western main lines was announced in July 2012; financial close on the first phase, for trains to run on the Great Western routes, was reached at the same time, with closure on the second phase predicted for 2013.

A £1.2 billion option for a further 30 nine-car electric trains to replace the Intercity 225 on the East Coast Main Line was taken up on 18 July 2013. Financial close on the second phase was reached in April 2014.

Assembly of the main series of the trains is to take place at a new factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. New maintenance depots are being constructed at Doncaster Carr depot, Filton Triangle (Stoke Gifford), Maliphant Sidings (Swansea), and at the former Eurostar North Pole depot

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