British Rail Class 93
Encyclopedia
British Rail Class 93 is the traction classification assigned to the electric locomotives that were to enter service as part of British Rail
's InterCity 250
project on the West Coast Main Line
(WCML).
They would have been capable of travelling at up to 250 km/h (155 mph), and powering a push-pull train
of up to nine Mark 5
coaches and a driving van trailer
(DVT), similar to the InterCity 225
sets.
The locomotives would have been derived from the Class 91
locomotives that entered service on the East Coast Main Line
in 1989, and would thus have traced a lineage back to the Advanced Passenger Train
(APT) that was planned to run on the WCML more than a decade earlier.
Tenders to construct the locomotives and rolling stock were issued in March 1991, with an expected in service date of 1995; it was envisaged that up to 30 complete trains would be initially required, with a total cost estimated at £380 million. However, the cancellation of the InterCity 250 project in July 1992 meant that the rolling stock orders were never made.
Here is a picture of what the side view of the cab may have looked like.
, with the introduction of the Networker
series as well as the construction of the Channel Tunnel lines. As a consequence, funding was limited. This meant that the £380 million for the locomotives added to the cost of upgrades to the WCML infrastructure was not available. So due to this and other complications, the project was scrapped.
in Swanwick, photographs of the mock-up during construction can be seen herehttp://www.getintohabit.co.uk/file.php?file=%2F21%2FModel+Making.ppt. Prior to the recent announcement of Agility Trains as the preferred bidder for the Intercity Express Programme a number of commentators called for the Intercity 250/Class 93 idea to be revived as the basis for replacement rolling stock on the East Coast Main Line. Even though the Class 93s were never built the traction characteristics of the locomotives were used in Railtrack WCML feasibility studies to determine the electrification requirements for an upgraded line. Virgin Trains (the operators of the West Coast Main Line franchise after privatisation) consequently ordered new rolling stock for the route, albeit EMUs rather than loco-hauled stock.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
's InterCity 250
InterCity 250
InterCity 250 was the name of a proposed rolling stock, track and signalling upgrade project on the West Coast Main Line by British Rail in the early 1990s. The InterCity 250 train would have consisted of a Class 93 electric locomotive, nine Mark 5 coaches and a Mark 5 Driving Van Trailer...
project on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
(WCML).
They would have been capable of travelling at up to 250 km/h (155 mph), and powering a push-pull train
Push-pull train
Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...
of up to nine Mark 5
British Rail Mark 5
The British Rail Mark 5 was the designation given to the planned passenger rolling stock for the InterCity 250 project.- Background :The Mark 5 project was intended to produce new rolling stock for the West Coast Main Line, which would be descended from the similar Mark 4 stock in service on the...
coaches and a driving van trailer
Driving Van Trailer
A Driving Van Trailer is a purpose-built railway vehicle that allows the driver to operate a locomotive at the opposite end of a train. Trains operating with a DVT therefore do not require the locomotive to be moved around to the other end of the train at terminal stations...
(DVT), similar to the InterCity 225
InterCity 225
The InterCity 225 is a locomotive-hauled domestic train in the United Kingdom, comprising a Class 91 electric locomotive, nine Mark 4 coaches and a Driving Van Trailer...
sets.
The locomotives would have been derived from the Class 91
British Rail Class 91
The British Rail Class 91 is a class of , electric locomotives ordered as a component of the East Coast Main Line modernisation and electrification programme of the late 1980s. The Class 91s were given the auxiliary name of InterCity 225 to indicate their envisaged top speed of...
locomotives that entered service on the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
in 1989, and would thus have traced a lineage back to the Advanced Passenger Train
Advanced Passenger Train
The Advanced Passenger Train was an experimental tilting High Speed Train developed by British Rail during the 1970s and early 1980s....
(APT) that was planned to run on the WCML more than a decade earlier.
Tenders to construct the locomotives and rolling stock were issued in March 1991, with an expected in service date of 1995; it was envisaged that up to 30 complete trains would be initially required, with a total cost estimated at £380 million. However, the cancellation of the InterCity 250 project in July 1992 meant that the rolling stock orders were never made.
Here is a picture of what the side view of the cab may have looked like.
Speed and aerodynamic properties
The sleek, aerodynamic properties of the Class 93 would have allowed maximum speeds of up to 250 km/h (155 mph). The maximum speed however would initially have been 125 mph (56 m/s) because of signalling and track alignment limitations.Limited funding
The Intercity 250 project was to be the next major infrastructure project following the East Coast Main Line electrification and delivery of the Intercity 225s. However, BR was also beginning a major upgrade of its suburban and commuter EMU rolling stock on Network SouthEastNetwork SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
, with the introduction of the Networker
Networker (train)
The Networker is a family of trains which operate on the UK railway system. They were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s by BREL . The trains were built for the Network SouthEast sector of British Rail...
series as well as the construction of the Channel Tunnel lines. As a consequence, funding was limited. This meant that the £380 million for the locomotives added to the cost of upgrades to the WCML infrastructure was not available. So due to this and other complications, the project was scrapped.
Legacy
The only Class 93 life-size mock-up is on display at the Midland Railway - ButterleyMidland Railway - Butterley
The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway, formerly known until 2004 as the Midland Railway Centre, at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.-Overview:...
in Swanwick, photographs of the mock-up during construction can be seen herehttp://www.getintohabit.co.uk/file.php?file=%2F21%2FModel+Making.ppt. Prior to the recent announcement of Agility Trains as the preferred bidder for the Intercity Express Programme a number of commentators called for the Intercity 250/Class 93 idea to be revived as the basis for replacement rolling stock on the East Coast Main Line. Even though the Class 93s were never built the traction characteristics of the locomotives were used in Railtrack WCML feasibility studies to determine the electrification requirements for an upgraded line. Virgin Trains (the operators of the West Coast Main Line franchise after privatisation) consequently ordered new rolling stock for the route, albeit EMUs rather than loco-hauled stock.