
LONDON -- The first of the new Japanese-made Azuma high-speed trains will begin regular operations in the U.K. on Wednesday, marking a milestone that one person sees as Japan giving back to the British Isles.
The new trains, built by Hitachi, will serve a 300 km stretch between London and Leeds in central England, at speeds topping at around 200 kph. The line will later be extended north to Scotland.