.gif)
InterCity (British Rail)
Encyclopedia
InterCity was introduced by British Rail
in 1966 as a brand-name for its long-haul express passenger services (see British Rail brand names
for a full history).
In 1986 the British Railways Board divided its operations into a number of sectors ("sectorisation"). The sector responsible for long-distance express trains
assumed the brand-name InterCity, although many routes that were previously operated as InterCity services were assigned to other sectors (e.g., London
to King's Lynn
services were transferred to the commuter sector Network SouthEast
).
The name was applied to the business express which ran from London in the morning and returned in the afternoon, and became part of the railway lore of the West Midlands. West Midlands residents always believed that it was the success of this one train that led to the adoption of the name as a British Rail brand in 1966. This belief was supported by the timeline: in 1966 The Inter-City was heading towards its ultimate demise in 1967, when the mainline London-West Midlands service was consolidated into the newly electrified route via Rugby.
The InterCity sector was also responsible for Motorail services to and from London.
s under the brand-name "Inter-City 125", as well as InterCity 225
s for the locomotive-hauled trains operated on the East Coast route. The "125" referred to the trains' top speed in miles per hour (mph), equivalent to 201 km/h, whereas "225" referred to the intended top speed in km/h (equivalent to 140 mph) and for signalling reasons their actual speed limit was the same 125 mph. InterCity 250
was the name given by InterCity to the proposed upgrade of the West Coast Main Line
in the early 1990s. The existing trains operating on the West Coast were intended to be marketed under the brand InterCity 175, again referring to those trains top operating speed of 110 mph roughly equivalent to 175 km/h, although this idea was subsequently dropped.
All InterCity day services ran with a buffet car and the majority ran at speeds of 100 mph or above. If expresses on other sectors are included, there was a period in the early 1990s when British Rail operated more 100 mph services per day than any other country. Special discounted fares, including the Super Advance and the APEX, were available on InterCity if booked ahead.
s: Typically 2 first class, a Restaurant Buffet and 5 standard class MkIII
carriages with a class 43 power car at each end. These replaced class 55
"Deltics" in 1981. InterCity 225
: A Class 91
Electric Locomotive, 9 MkIV
coaches and a Driving Van Trailer
operating in push-pull mode introduced in 1990. This saw most of the HSTs transferred to Great Western
and Cross-Country
routes.
West Coast - Euston to Wolverhampton used class 86
electric locomotives hauling MkII coaches and operated at 100 mph. Euston to Glasgow services used class 87
and class 90
locomotives hauling MkIII coaches and operated at 110 mph. Euston to Holyhead services used Class 47
hauled MkII or HSTs.
All west coast trains operated in push-pull mode with a Driving Van Trailer at the London end of the train. Before DVTs were introduced larger fleets of classes 81-85 were used to haul the trains conventionally. Class 50
s operated north of Preston until electrification was completed in 1977.
Scot-Rail - Class 26
and 27
locomotives top and tailing rakes of MkII carriages. These were later replaced by Class 47s and DBSO
s before subsequently being replaced by class 158
s. Transferred to Provincial
Sector.
Great Western - Intercity 125s from new which replaced class 52
s. Services were also operated by MkII carriages hauled by class 47s and 50s. These trains were transferred to Network SouthEast
and replaced by class 165
DMUs.
Great Eastern - Class 86 Electrics hauling MkI and MkII carriages using MkII DBSOs in push-pull mode. Class 47s were used before electrification in 1987. Some routes transferred to Network SouthEast leaving London-Norwich with InterCity.
Cross Country - Intercity 125s but with only one first class carriage and standard class seats in the buffet car replaced the restaurant. Conventionally hauled MkII carriages using class 47 Diesel Locomotives. Services that operated north of Birmingham on the West Coast main line switched to electric traction using class 86 and class 90 locomotives. DVTs were not used.
Trans-Pennine - Class 45 and 47s hauling MkI and MkII carriages. Route subsequently became part of Provincial during sectorisation and class 158s were introduced.
Gatwick Express - Originally used dedicated 4-VEP Electric Multiple Units. Class 73 Dual mode locomotives hauling MkII coaches and a modified class 414 driving motor carriage were introduced in 1984 in push-pull mode.
Midland Mainline - Class 45, 46 and 47 Locomotives hauling MkI and MkII carriages. HSTs replaced the loco-hauled trains during the 1980s.
Formations of HST and push pull train sets would always place the Driving Van at the London end of the train, then 2 or 3 1st class carriages, Restaurant and buffet car, 5 Standard class carriages and the Locomotive would always be at the country end of the train. The only exception was the London to Norwich route. As Crown Point depot is to the south of Norwich station the locomotives worked from the London end as this facilitated easier loco changing at Norwich if necessary. Operating trains in push-pull mode eliminated the requirement to attach locos at terminus stations in order to turn the trains around. This also saved maintenance costs and reduced the amount of locomotives and carriages needed to operate the services.
London Kings Cross,
Stevenage,
Peterborough,
Grantham,
Newark North Gate,
Retford,
Doncaster,
Hull,
Wakefield Westgate,
Leeds,
York,
Northallerton
Darlington,
Durham,
Newcastle,
Berwick-upon-Tweed,
Edinburgh,
Glasgow Central,
Dundee,
Perth,
Aberdeen,
Inverness.
West Coast Mainline:
London Euston,
Watford Junction,
Milton Keynes Central,
Rugby,
Coventry,
Birmingham International,
Birmingham New Street,
Wolverhampton,
Stafford,
Stoke-on-Trent,
Crewe,
Macclesfield,
Wilmslow,
Stockport,
Manchester Piccadilly,
Runcorn,
Liverpool Lime Street,
Llandudno Junction,
Bangor,
Holyhead,
Warrington Bank Quay,
Wigan North Western,
Preston,
Lancaster,
Oxenholme: The Lake District,
Carlisle,
Motherwell,
Glasgow Central.
Great Western Mainline:
London Paddington,
Reading,
Didcot Parkway,
Swindon,
Bath Spa,
Bristol Parkway,
Bristol Temple Meads,
Newport,
Cardiff Central,
Bridgend,
Port Talbot Parkway,
Neath,
Swansea,
Taunton,
Tiverton Parkway,
Exeter St. David's,
Newton Abbot,
Paignton,
Totnes,
Plymouth,
Bodmin Parkway,
St. Austell,
Truro,
Penzance.
Midland Mainline:
London St. Pancras,
Luton,
Bedford,
Wellingborough,
Kettering,
Market Harborough,
Leicester,
Loughborough,
Nottingham,
Derby,
Chesterfield,
Sheffield,
Leeds,
York,
Scarborough.
Cross Country Route:
Penzance,
Truro,
St. Austell,
Plymouth,
Exeter St. David's,
Taunton,
Bristol Temple Meads,
Bristol Parkway,
Cardiff Central,
London Paddington,
Poole,
Bournemouth,
Southampton,
Brighton,
Gatwick Airport,
Reading,
Oxford,
Cheltenham Spa,
Coventry,
Birmingham International,
Birmingham New Street,
Wolverhampton,
Stafford,
Crewe,
Stoke-on-Trent,
Macclesfield,
Stockport,
Manchester Piccadilly,
Runcorn,
Liverpool Lime Street,
Preston,
Blackpool North,
Carlisle,
Glasgow Central,
Derby,
Sheffield,
Doncaster,
Leeds,
York,
Darlington,
Durham,
Newcastle,
Berwick-upon-Tweed,
Edinburgh,
Kirkcaldy,
Dundee,
Arbroath,
Aberdeen.
Great Eastern Mainline:
London Liverpool Street,
Chelmsford,
Colchester,
Manningtree,
Ipswich,
Stowmarket,
Diss,
Norwich.
Some trains did terminate at Harwich International for the ferries at Harwich International Port
British Rail introduced a new corporate livery in 1965. The basic blue colour was relieved on long distance coaches by a light grey panel around the windows. The front of locomotives and multiple units were painted yellow to improve visibility, and this was often wrapped around onto the side in varying amounts. This was therefore the colour scheme used by the new Inter-City services when they were launched the following year. Coaches used on these routes later had a white 'Inter-City' logotype added to the blue area near the door at the left end of each side. This was extended to show the purpose of specialist vehicles such as 'Inter-City Sleeper'.
When the production High Speed Train
(HST) sets entered service in 1976, they too carried the blue and grey livery. The coaches carried an 'Inter-City 125' logo type by the left-hand door. The part of the power car nearest the passenger coaches was also painted blue and grey, but most of the power car was painted yellow with a wide blue panel which lined up with the grey on the coaches. On this blue panel was a large 'Inter-City 125' logotype, albeit in outline rather than solid white.
The first production Advanced Passenger Train
was unveiled on 7 June 1978. It was painted in a new livery with dark grey upper body and light grey lower body separated by wide white and red bands. The roof was white to reduce solar heating, and a large 'InterCity APT' logotype was positioned on the dark grey section of the power cars – 'InterCity' had no hyphen and was solid white but the 'APT' was an outline. A new 'Executive' service was part of the relaunch of InterCity Sector on 3 October 1983. This saw the coaches of the Manchester Pullman
and two HSTs refurbished and repainted experimentally into the same colour scheme as the APT. The HSTs continued to carry an outline 'InterCity 125' logotype (now with no hyphen) and the large yellow area on the power car that had been a feature of the blue and grey livery. The logotype on coaches was positioned as before but changed to black. By May 1984 other coaches and locomotives were entering service in the dark and light grey livery. 87012 Coeur de Lion
entered service with black numbers on the cab side but no logo. 73123 Gatwick Express
had white numbers and a large double arrow logo on the dark grey of its bodyside, although the new Gatwick Express
service was not operated by the InterCity Sector. In use there were problems with the light colour showing dirt on the diesel HSTs and so dark grey was extended from the roof to cover louvres near the top of the power car body, and the logotype was changed from an outline to solid white to make it more striking. The use of the term 'Executive' was dropped in 1985 and the livery was then referred to as just 'InterCity'.
A new logotype was introduced on 1 May 1987 as part of InterCity's 21st anniversary celebrations. The colours were unchanged (although locomotives often carried less yellow than before) but locomotives, carriages and advertising received a new logotype. The word INTERCITY was presented in italic, serif upper case letters. A new swallow logo 'to symbolise grace and speed' replaced the double arrow. It was announced that the new branding would appear on 'all InterCity trains that meet high quality standards'. The logotype was omitted from some older locomotives that were otherwise carrying InterCity livery, although some locomotives that predominantly worked in Scotland were given a ScotRail
logotype.
, InterCity trains were divided up into several franchises. The Caledonian Sleeper
service was transferred to ScotRail
, now First ScotRail
. Initial plans were for the train operating companies
to co-operate to continue providing a consistent InterCity network, but disagreements meant this did not occur. Great Western Trains
registered the term as a British trademark and applied it to its High Speed coaches, but the term fell into disuse before Great Western was bought by FirstGroup in 1998. Occasional services are run using 'Inter-City' branded coaches, usually where additional rolling stock has been hired, but the term is not in official use by train operators. However, it should be noted that the planned upgrade to many of Britain's former-InterCity lines has been termed "Intercity Express Programme
".
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...
in 1966 as a brand-name for its long-haul express passenger services (see British Rail brand names
British Rail brand names
British Rail was the brand image of the nationalised railway owner and operator in Great Britain, the British Railways Board, used from 1965 until its breakup and sell-off from 1993 onwards....
for a full history).
In 1986 the British Railways Board divided its operations into a number of sectors ("sectorisation"). The sector responsible for long-distance express trains
Inter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...
assumed the brand-name InterCity, although many routes that were previously operated as InterCity services were assigned to other sectors (e.g., London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
services were transferred to the commuter sector Network SouthEast
Network 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...
).
Origins of the InterCity brand name
British Rail first used the term Inter-City in 1950 as the name of a train running between London and Wolverhampton. This was part of an overall policy of introducing new train names in the post WWII period.The name was applied to the business express which ran from London in the morning and returned in the afternoon, and became part of the railway lore of the West Midlands. West Midlands residents always believed that it was the success of this one train that led to the adoption of the name as a British Rail brand in 1966. This belief was supported by the timeline: in 1966 The Inter-City was heading towards its ultimate demise in 1967, when the mainline London-West Midlands service was consolidated into the newly electrified route via Rugby.
Divisions
InterCity was divided into the following divisions:- East Coast: Services on the East Coast Main LineEast Coast Main LineThe East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
from London King's Cross to the North EastNorth East EnglandNorth East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
, YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and eastern ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
- West Coast: Services on the West Coast Main LineWest Coast Main LineThe 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...
from London Euston to the West MidlandsWest Midlands (region)The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
, North WalesNorth WalesNorth Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, the North WestNorth West EnglandNorth West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
and southern Scotland, including overnight sleeperSleeping carThe sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
services to Scotland.
- Midland: Services on the Midland Main LineMidland Main LineThe Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
from London St Pancras to the East MidlandsEast MidlandsThe East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
and parts of YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
- Great Western: Services on the Great Western Main LineGreat Western Main LineThe Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
from London Paddington to the West CountryWest CountryThe West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
and South WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, including overnight sleeper services to the West Country.
- Great Eastern: Services on the Great Eastern Main LineGreat Eastern Main LineThe Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
from London Liverpool Street to East AngliaEast AngliaEast Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
and EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. This was the shortest of all routes at about 110 miles.
- Cross-Country: Services between city pairs that use a combination of the various main lines, but in general do not call at any London terminus; many of these served the Cross-Country RouteCross Country Route (MR)The North-East/South-West route is the major British rail route running from South West England via Bristol, Birmingham, Sheffield and Leeds to North-East England. It facilitates some of the longest inter-city rail journeys in the UK such as Penzance to Aberdeen...
.
- Gatwick Express: Shuttle service between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport.
The InterCity sector was also responsible for Motorail services to and from London.
Operations
It operated High Speed TrainHigh Speed Train
There are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service....
s under the brand-name "Inter-City 125", as well as 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...
s for the locomotive-hauled trains operated on the East Coast route. The "125" referred to the trains' top speed in miles per hour (mph), equivalent to 201 km/h, whereas "225" referred to the intended top speed in km/h (equivalent to 140 mph) and for signalling reasons their actual speed limit was the same 125 mph. 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...
was the name given by InterCity to the proposed upgrade of 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...
in the early 1990s. The existing trains operating on the West Coast were intended to be marketed under the brand InterCity 175, again referring to those trains top operating speed of 110 mph roughly equivalent to 175 km/h, although this idea was subsequently dropped.
All InterCity day services ran with a buffet car and the majority ran at speeds of 100 mph or above. If expresses on other sectors are included, there was a period in the early 1990s when British Rail operated more 100 mph services per day than any other country. Special discounted fares, including the Super Advance and the APEX, were available on InterCity if booked ahead.
Rolling stock
East Coast - InterCity 125 HSTInterCity 125
The InterCity 125 was the brand name of British Rail's High Speed Train fleet. The InterCity 125 train is made up of two power cars, one at each end of a fixed formation of Mark 3 carriages, and is capable of , making the train the fastest diesel-powered locomotive in regular service in the...
s: Typically 2 first class, a Restaurant Buffet and 5 standard class MkIII
British Rail Mark 3
British Rail's third design of standard carriage was designated 'Mark 3' , and was developed primarily for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train...
carriages with a class 43 power car at each end. These replaced class 55
British Rail Class 55
The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
"Deltics" in 1981. 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...
: A 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...
Electric Locomotive, 9 MkIV
British Rail Mark 4
British Rail's fourth design of passenger carriages was designated Mark 4, designed for use in InterCity 225 sets on the newly-electrified East Coast Main Line between London, Leeds, and Edinburgh.-History and construction:...
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...
operating in push-pull mode introduced in 1990. This saw most of the HSTs transferred to Great Western
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
and Cross-Country
CrossCountry Network Map
CrossCountry is a train operating company that has operated Great Britain’s Cross Country rail franchise since 11 November 2007.The basic routes are:There are also extensions to the normal service pattern:*to Penzance from Plymouth...
routes.
West Coast - Euston to Wolverhampton used class 86
British Rail Class 86
The British Rail Class 86 was the standard electric locomotive built during the 1960s, developed as a result of testing with the earlier Classes 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85. One hundred of these locomotives were built from 1965-1966 by either English Electric at Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, or...
electric locomotives hauling MkII coaches and operated at 100 mph. Euston to Glasgow services used class 87
British Rail Class 87
The British Rail Class 87 is a type of electric locomotive built from 1973-75 by British Rail Engineering Limited . 36 of these locomotives were built to work passenger services over the West Coast Main Line . They were the flagships of British Rail's electric locomotive fleet until the late 1980s,...
and class 90
British Rail Class 90
The British Rail Class 90 electric locomotives were built by BREL at Crewe from 1987-1990. Each locomotive weighs 84.5 tonnes and has a top speed of . They operate from 25 kV AC overhead wires and produce...
locomotives hauling MkIII coaches and operated at 110 mph. Euston to Holyhead services used Class 47
British Rail Class 47
The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
hauled MkII or HSTs.
All west coast trains operated in push-pull mode with a Driving Van Trailer at the London end of the train. Before DVTs were introduced larger fleets of classes 81-85 were used to haul the trains conventionally. Class 50
British Rail Class 50
The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
s operated north of Preston until electrification was completed in 1977.
Scot-Rail - Class 26
British Rail Class 26
The British Rail Class 26 diesel locomotives, also known as the BRCW Type 2, were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company at Smethwick in 1958-59. Forty seven examples were built, and the last were withdrawn from service in 1993...
and 27
British Rail Class 27
British Rail's Class 27 comprised 69 diesel locomotives built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company during 1961 and 1962. They were a development of the earlier Class 26; both were originally classified as the BRCW Type 2.- Usage :...
locomotives top and tailing rakes of MkII carriages. These were later replaced by Class 47s and DBSO
Driving Brake Standard Open
A Driving Brake Standard Open or DBSO is a type of railway carriage, converted to operate as a control car. Fourteen such vehicles, numbered 9701 to 9714, were converted from Mk. 2F Brake Standard Open carriages. Modifications included adding a driving cab and TDM equipment to allow a locomotive...
s before subsequently being replaced by class 158
British Rail Class 158
British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at its Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
s. Transferred to Provincial
Regional Railways
Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1996, 3 years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial....
Sector.
Great Western - Intercity 125s from new which replaced class 52
British Rail Class 52
British Rail assigned Class 52 to the class of 74 large Type 4 diesel-hydraulic locomotives built for the Western Region of British Railways between 1961 and 1964...
s. Services were also operated by MkII carriages hauled by class 47s and 50s. These trains were transferred to Network SouthEast
Network 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...
and replaced by class 165
British Rail Class 165
The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
DMUs.
Great Eastern - Class 86 Electrics hauling MkI and MkII carriages using MkII DBSOs in push-pull mode. Class 47s were used before electrification in 1987. Some routes transferred to Network SouthEast leaving London-Norwich with InterCity.
Cross Country - Intercity 125s but with only one first class carriage and standard class seats in the buffet car replaced the restaurant. Conventionally hauled MkII carriages using class 47 Diesel Locomotives. Services that operated north of Birmingham on the West Coast main line switched to electric traction using class 86 and class 90 locomotives. DVTs were not used.
Trans-Pennine - Class 45 and 47s hauling MkI and MkII carriages. Route subsequently became part of Provincial during sectorisation and class 158s were introduced.
Gatwick Express - Originally used dedicated 4-VEP Electric Multiple Units. Class 73 Dual mode locomotives hauling MkII coaches and a modified class 414 driving motor carriage were introduced in 1984 in push-pull mode.
Midland Mainline - Class 45, 46 and 47 Locomotives hauling MkI and MkII carriages. HSTs replaced the loco-hauled trains during the 1980s.
Formations of HST and push pull train sets would always place the Driving Van at the London end of the train, then 2 or 3 1st class carriages, Restaurant and buffet car, 5 Standard class carriages and the Locomotive would always be at the country end of the train. The only exception was the London to Norwich route. As Crown Point depot is to the south of Norwich station the locomotives worked from the London end as this facilitated easier loco changing at Norwich if necessary. Operating trains in push-pull mode eliminated the requirement to attach locos at terminus stations in order to turn the trains around. This also saved maintenance costs and reduced the amount of locomotives and carriages needed to operate the services.
Main Destinations
East Coast Mainline:London Kings Cross,
Stevenage,
Peterborough,
Grantham,
Newark North Gate,
Retford,
Doncaster,
Hull,
Wakefield Westgate,
Leeds,
York,
Northallerton
Darlington,
Durham,
Newcastle,
Berwick-upon-Tweed,
Edinburgh,
Glasgow Central,
Dundee,
Perth,
Aberdeen,
Inverness.
West Coast Mainline:
London Euston,
Watford Junction,
Milton Keynes Central,
Rugby,
Coventry,
Birmingham International,
Birmingham New Street,
Wolverhampton,
Stafford,
Stoke-on-Trent,
Crewe,
Macclesfield,
Wilmslow,
Stockport,
Manchester Piccadilly,
Runcorn,
Liverpool Lime Street,
Llandudno Junction,
Bangor,
Holyhead,
Warrington Bank Quay,
Wigan North Western,
Preston,
Lancaster,
Oxenholme: The Lake District,
Carlisle,
Motherwell,
Glasgow Central.
Great Western Mainline:
London Paddington,
Reading,
Didcot Parkway,
Swindon,
Bath Spa,
Bristol Parkway,
Bristol Temple Meads,
Newport,
Cardiff Central,
Bridgend,
Port Talbot Parkway,
Neath,
Swansea,
Taunton,
Tiverton Parkway,
Exeter St. David's,
Newton Abbot,
Paignton,
Totnes,
Plymouth,
Bodmin Parkway,
St. Austell,
Truro,
Penzance.
Midland Mainline:
London St. Pancras,
Luton,
Bedford,
Wellingborough,
Kettering,
Market Harborough,
Leicester,
Loughborough,
Nottingham,
Derby,
Chesterfield,
Sheffield,
Leeds,
York,
Scarborough.
Cross Country Route:
Penzance,
Truro,
St. Austell,
Plymouth,
Exeter St. David's,
Taunton,
Bristol Temple Meads,
Bristol Parkway,
Cardiff Central,
London Paddington,
Poole,
Bournemouth,
Southampton,
Brighton,
Gatwick Airport,
Reading,
Oxford,
Cheltenham Spa,
Coventry,
Birmingham International,
Birmingham New Street,
Wolverhampton,
Stafford,
Crewe,
Stoke-on-Trent,
Macclesfield,
Stockport,
Manchester Piccadilly,
Runcorn,
Liverpool Lime Street,
Preston,
Blackpool North,
Carlisle,
Glasgow Central,
Derby,
Sheffield,
Doncaster,
Leeds,
York,
Darlington,
Durham,
Newcastle,
Berwick-upon-Tweed,
Edinburgh,
Kirkcaldy,
Dundee,
Arbroath,
Aberdeen.
Great Eastern Mainline:
London Liverpool Street,
Chelmsford,
Colchester,
Manningtree,
Ipswich,
Stowmarket,
Diss,
Norwich.
Some trains did terminate at Harwich International for the ferries at Harwich International Port
Livery
When the production High Speed Train
British Rail Class 43 (HST)
The British Rail Class 43 is the TOPS classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train power cars, built by BREL from 1975 to 1982....
(HST) sets entered service in 1976, they too carried the blue and grey livery. The coaches carried an 'Inter-City 125' logo type by the left-hand door. The part of the power car nearest the passenger coaches was also painted blue and grey, but most of the power car was painted yellow with a wide blue panel which lined up with the grey on the coaches. On this blue panel was a large 'Inter-City 125' logotype, albeit in outline rather than solid white.
The first production Advanced Passenger Train
British Rail Class 370
British Rail's Class 370 tilting trains, also referred to as APT-P , were the pre-production Advanced Passenger Train units...
was unveiled on 7 June 1978. It was painted in a new livery with dark grey upper body and light grey lower body separated by wide white and red bands. The roof was white to reduce solar heating, and a large 'InterCity APT' logotype was positioned on the dark grey section of the power cars – 'InterCity' had no hyphen and was solid white but the 'APT' was an outline. A new 'Executive' service was part of the relaunch of InterCity Sector on 3 October 1983. This saw the coaches of the Manchester Pullman
Manchester Pullman
The Manchester Pullman was a first-class-only Pullman passenger train operated by British Rail, targeted at business travellers. The service began in 1966, operating between and , and offered an at-seat restaurant service to all passengers. It was hauled by electric locomotives...
and two HSTs refurbished and repainted experimentally into the same colour scheme as the APT. The HSTs continued to carry an outline 'InterCity 125' logotype (now with no hyphen) and the large yellow area on the power car that had been a feature of the blue and grey livery. The logotype on coaches was positioned as before but changed to black. By May 1984 other coaches and locomotives were entering service in the dark and light grey livery. 87012 Coeur de Lion
British Rail Class 87
The British Rail Class 87 is a type of electric locomotive built from 1973-75 by British Rail Engineering Limited . 36 of these locomotives were built to work passenger services over the West Coast Main Line . They were the flagships of British Rail's electric locomotive fleet until the late 1980s,...
entered service with black numbers on the cab side but no logo. 73123 Gatwick Express
British Rail Class 73
The British Rail Class 73 is a United Kingdom model of electro-diesel locomotive. The type is unusual in that it can operate from a 750 V DC third-rail or an on-board diesel engine to allow it to operate on non-electrified routes...
had white numbers and a large double arrow logo on the dark grey of its bodyside, although the new Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...
service was not operated by the InterCity Sector. In use there were problems with the light colour showing dirt on the diesel HSTs and so dark grey was extended from the roof to cover louvres near the top of the power car body, and the logotype was changed from an outline to solid white to make it more striking. The use of the term 'Executive' was dropped in 1985 and the livery was then referred to as just 'InterCity'.
A new logotype was introduced on 1 May 1987 as part of InterCity's 21st anniversary celebrations. The colours were unchanged (although locomotives often carried less yellow than before) but locomotives, carriages and advertising received a new logotype. The word INTERCITY was presented in italic, serif upper case letters. A new swallow logo 'to symbolise grace and speed' replaced the double arrow. It was announced that the new branding would appear on 'all InterCity trains that meet high quality standards'. The logotype was omitted from some older locomotives that were otherwise carrying InterCity livery, although some locomotives that predominantly worked in Scotland were given a ScotRail
ScotRail
ScotRail was a brand name used for all Scottish regional and commuter rail services, including some cross-border services, from 1997 to 2004....
logotype.
Privatisation
After the privatisation of British RailPrivatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
, InterCity trains were divided up into several franchises. The Caledonian Sleeper
Caledonian Sleeper
The Caledonian Sleeper is a sleeper train service operated by First ScotRail and one of only two remaining sleeper services running on the railways of Great Britain, the other being the Night Riviera....
service was transferred to ScotRail
ScotRail
ScotRail was a brand name used for all Scottish regional and commuter rail services, including some cross-border services, from 1997 to 2004....
, now First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
. Initial plans were for the train operating companies
Train operating company
The term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
to co-operate to continue providing a consistent InterCity network, but disagreements meant this did not occur. Great Western Trains
Great Western Trains
Great Western Trains was a UK train company created in the mid 1990s as part of the privatisation of British Rail. It was one of the first two passenger companies to be privatised, passing into private ownership along with South West Trains on 4 February 1996....
registered the term as a British trademark and applied it to its High Speed coaches, but the term fell into disuse before Great Western was bought by FirstGroup in 1998. Occasional services are run using 'Inter-City' branded coaches, usually where additional rolling stock has been hired, but the term is not in official use by train operators. However, it should be noted that the planned upgrade to many of Britain's former-InterCity lines has been termed "Intercity Express Programme
Intercity Express Programme
The Intercity Express Programme is an initiative of the Department for Transport in the United Kingdom to procure new trains to replace the InterCity 125 fleet on the East Coast Main Line and Great Western Main Line, as well as replacing other trainsets on long distance services from London to...
".
| Divisions | Original Franchise | Currently |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast | GNER | Then passed to National Express East Coast National Express East Coast National Express East Coast was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, running high speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London and Scotland, as part of the East Coast passenger franchise... , renationalised as East Coast East Coast (train operating company) East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland... in 2009 |
| West Coast | Virgin Trains Virgin Trains Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland... |
Remained unchanged |
| Midland | Midland Mainline Midland Mainline Midland Mainline was a British train operating company owned by the National Express Group and based in Derby. It was created after the privatisation of British Rail. Midland Mainline services operated from April 1996 to November 2007.... |
Then passed to East Midlands Trains East Midlands Trains East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London... |
| Great Western | Great Western Trains Great Western Trains Great Western Trains was a UK train company created in the mid 1990s as part of the privatisation of British Rail. It was one of the first two passenger companies to be privatised, passing into private ownership along with South West Trains on 4 February 1996.... |
Renamed First Great Western First Great Western First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales.... . Also operates Night Riviera Night Riviera The Night Riviera is a sleeper train service operated by First Great Western. It is one of only two remaining sleeper services on the railway in Great Britain... from London to Penzance |
| Gatwick Express | Gatwick Express Gatwick Express Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise... |
Merged into Southern Southern (train operating company) Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service... and now a sub-brand |
| CrossCountry | Virgin Cross Country | Then passed to CrossCountry CrossCountry CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva... |
| Great Eastern | Anglia Railways Anglia Railways Anglia Railways was a British train operating company, owned by GB Railways, which between 5 January 1997 and 31 March 2004 operated mainline trains out of London Liverpool Street station and a number of local rail services in East Anglia.... |
Then merged into National Express East Anglia |