British Rail Class 780

British Rail Class 780
Replaced	Class 150 Class 155 Class 156 Class 158 (Planned) [1]
Number built	161 (78 × 3-car sets 83 × 4-car sets) (Planned as of September 2025) [2]
Fleet numbers	TBA
Capacity	3-car sets 191 seats 4-car sets 265 seats (Planned as of September 2025) [2]
Operators	Northern Trains
Specifications
Train length	3 cars 69 m (226 ft 5 in) 4 cars 92 m (301 ft 10 in) (Planned as of September 2025) [2]
Maximum speed	100 mph (160 km/h) (Planned as of September 2025) [2]
Axle load	Route Availability 3 (Planned as of 2025) [2]
Electric system(s)	25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead
Current collection	Pantograph
Safety system(s)	AWS TPWS
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 780 and 781 is a planned fleet of three- and four-car Multi Mode (MMU) trains to be built for Northern Trains. Trains are expected to be built with three different modes of operation, these being overhead electrification, diesel and battery.

History

In August 2023, Northern Trains issued a tender to acquire a contract for up to 450 new trains to replace the older rolling stock in their fleet. ^[3] Northern noted that they have ten different types of train, with six of those (57 per cent) being over 30 years old – and therefore approaching the end of their life. ^[4]

In 2024, a more detailed tender for up to 329 new trains was issued, ^[5] and in January 2025, it was revealed that Northern had shortlisted five companies to build its new fleet – Alstom, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler. ^{[6] [4] [7]} In November 2025, an "Invitation to Submit a Final Tender" was sent to bidders, with an initial order of "around 130" trains expected. ^{[4] [8]} Contracts are expected to be awarded in 2026, with the first units delivered by 2031. ^[2]

In September 2025, Modern Railways reported that the TOPS number 780 is reserved for the planned new MMU fleet. ^[2] The Class 780 is planned to be built with three different modes of operation, these being overhead electrification, diesel and battery. ^[2] It is planned for the Class 780 fleet to be able to be converted to either battery-electric (BEMU) or electric (EMU) multiple units during its service life. ^{[2] [4]}

References

1. Clinnick, Richard. "Northern new train fleet introduction plans revealed". Modern Railways. Key Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
2. Clinnick, Richard (October 2025). "Northern Revolution". Modern Railways . Vol. 82, no. 925. p. 11.
3. "Supply of New Rolling Stock and Maintenance Support Services - Find a Tender". www.find-tender.service.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
4. "Northern's new trains". Northern Trains.
5. Dunn, Pip (29 May 2024). "Northern invites tenders for up to 329 new trains". Network News. Rail Magazine . No. 1010. pp. 20–21.
6. "Northern Rail invites five manufacturers for 450 trains". Railway Pro. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
7. Wilcock, Rich (17 January 2025). "Northern begins negotiations with manufacturers for 450 new trains". Rail Magazine.
8. "Director appointed to deliver up to 450 new trains that will transform travel for Northern customers". www.northernrailway.co.uk. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.