Class 397 (Nova 2) spotting guide
The Class 397 'Nova 2' is TransPennine Express's fast electric unit, built for the long Anglo-Scottish run over the West Coast Main Line. Sleek and modern, it's a smart catch on the fast lines north of Preston.
Photo: David Frankal · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The Class 397 Nova 2 is a five-car electric multiple unit built by CAF between 2018 and 2020 for TransPennine Express.
About the Class 397 (Nova 2)
The Class 397 Nova 2 is a five-car electric multiple unit built by CAF between 2018 and 2020 for TransPennine Express. It works fast electric services on the West Coast Main Line.
History
Introduced from 2019 as part of TransPennine Express's 'Nova' fleet, the Class 397 took over fast electric services between the North West and Scotland, replacing older units on those routes.
How to identify it
Look for a sleek five-carriage electric unit with a curved blue nose and a yellow front, in TransPennine Express livery, running under the overhead wires. Running numbers are in the 397xxx series.
Fleet numbers
Twelve five-car units, numbered from 397001, operated by TransPennine Express.
Operators
Typical workings
- Anglo-Scottish services on the West Coast Main Line
- Manchester and Liverpool to Glasgow and Edinburgh
Where to see the Class 397 (Nova 2)
Class 397s work TransPennine Express's Anglo-Scottish routes on the West Coast Main Line — for example at Preston, Oxenholme and Carlisle — rather than the locations featured elsewhere on this site.
Collect the Class 397 (Nova 2) fleet
Turn everyday sightings into a collecting challenge — track the running numbers you've caught.