London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and Network Rail have announced a collaboration intended to expand the use of technology designed to improve reliability and reduce disruption across the East Coast Mainline.

Pantograph Damage Assessment System (PANDAS) and Automated Intelligent Video Review (AIVR) will now be deployed across LNER’s Azuma and InterCity 225 fleets.

The technology continuously assesses overhead line equipment (OLE) and tracks condition, reporting potential faults to engineers so they can intervene before issues escalate.

PANDAS was first fitted to a Class 91 locomotive around four years ago and was rolled out more widely in 2025. It is now installed on five Azuma units and four Class 91 locomotives, enabling daily monitoring of the entire electrified East Coast Main Line.

Automated Intelligent Video Review was introduced in January 2026 on two bi-mode Azuma units, with further rollout planned. Using underbody cameras, it captures line-scanning data and currently surveys most of LNER’s near-1,000-mile network each week.

Over the past 12 months, PANDAS has identified 19 OLE defects that could have led to at least four major incidents, including derailment events. Following a significant disruption in Cambridgeshire in January 2026, it detected a developing fault near Retford a week later, enabling overnight repairs with no impact on passengers.

“We want to provide our customers with the best possible journey when they travel by train. We know how frustrating it can be when trains are delayed or cancelled by infrastructure problems, and this technology actively combats that.

“LNER and Network Rail are working more closely than ever, running a safe, reliable railway, connecting millions of customers across the East Coast Main Line and beyond.”

Gunnar Lindahl, Joint Operations Director, LNER and Network Rail.