How many wheelchair spaces does an Azuma train have?
All of our new 9-coach and 10-coach Azuma trains have four wheelchair spaces.
Our 5-coach Azuma trains have two wheelchair spaces. On long distance journeys the 5-coach trains will be doubled up to 10-coaches.
Are there wheelchair spaces in First Class?
On a 9-coach Azuma there are two wheelchair spaces in Standard and also two in First Class.
On an Azuma train with 10 coaches all four wheelchair spaces are in First Class – two in coach E and two in coach M.
What happens if my train has no Standard wheelchair spaces?
Not a problem! We will upgrade you to First Class if there are no Standard wheelchair spaces available. Our Assisted Travel team will arrange this upgrade for you and any assistance you require on to the train.
Are there companion seats with all the wheelchair spaces onboard?
Absolutely. All wheelchair spaces on our trains have companion seats. There are two companion seats in Standard with the wheelchair spaces.
In the First Class coaches there is one companion seat with one wheelchair space and two companion seats with the other space.
Are there priority seats on Azuma?
Yes. There are priority seats throughout our Azuma trains providing more unreserved priority seats than on our existing trains. You can see these on our Azuma seat maps here.
If you have reduced mobility or are pregnant and require these priority seats, you can reserve them ahead of your journey, through our Assisted Travel team here.
Are boarding ramps required for Azuma trains?
Yes, you will need a member of staff at the station to deploy the ramp for boarding and alighting the train if you need step-free access.
Our new Azuma trains have a ramp that is less steep and less uncomfortable for anyone going up or down them. Speak to a member of station staff or contact our Assisted Travel team to book assistance if you need step-free access on and off our trains. Book assistance here.
Do the new Azuma trains have announcements onboard?
Our Azuma trains have both audio and visual announcements on all trains to give you information about the stations the train is stopping at and for the safety information. This is a combination of automatic and manually triggered announcements. Pre-set announcements can be both triggered audibly and visually.
What will the seat reservations look like onboard an Azuma train?
Similar to our current fleet, we are moving away from paper reservations. Azuma comes with a built in state-of-the-art reservation system using information screens to tell you where seats are available from. These are accompanied by traffic light indicators telling you whether the seat is reserved, coloured red, or available coloured green.
Are there accessible toilets onboard?
Azuma has a number of universally accessible toilets onboard.
On a 9-coach train we have one in coach A and M, closest to the wheelchair spaces.
On a 10-coach train we have them in coaches A, E, F and M – again nearest to the wheelchair spaces.
On a 5-coach train, these are located in coaches A and E.
We have also incorporated the automatic voice that tells you when to lock the door and whether the door is locked. View the Azuma seat map here.
Do the windows have blinds on an Azuma?
Every window on our new trains, in both Standard and First Class, has a blind that can be pulled down.
There are a number of unreserved windowless seats at the end of the coaches, if you prefer to reduce bright light and glare on your journey.
Do the wheelchair spaces have plug sockets on an Azuma train?
Yes. All wheelchair spaces have a plug socket to charge your mobile devices and in First Class coaches there will also be USB ports.