The long-lasting stopgap

What people may be surprised to hear is that one of the UK’s most famous names in transport is still going after 45 years of service – the InterCity 125. While officially known as ‘High Speed ’, InterCity 125 was introduced in 1976, after being designed and made in around 20 months – which is an rapid turnaround, even by today’s standards!

The intent was to create a to bridge the gap between the former and a new, modern, electric rail network with at the time unheard of speeds and shorter times between major travel points. The electrification of the railways didn’t happen as intended, but the HST design was so reliable, it exceeded expectations and helped turn around the fortunes of , at the same time finding its way into the national mindset as a design icon.

Engineering at its best

The diesel locomotive HSTs were designed at the very front of rail technology at the time. Parts of Britain were still using steam locomotives only a decade previous and early attempts at diesel trains were dirty and noisy, so the InterCity 125 was heralded as a vast improvement. Thanks to the ability to travel at 125mph – hence InterCity 125 – it cut journey times significantly and the public embraced it almost immediately.

British Rail couldn’t afford full electrification, so while the trains were doing a good job they were left to keep Britain’s railways moving. They were backed up by some marketing campaigns that are almost as iconic as the engines; many commuters can still remember “This is ” and “Let the Train Take the Strain”. The reliability of the trains themselves helped to restore faith in the rail network as traveller numbers increased.

the InterCity 125 still holds the world record for the fastest diesel-powered train – during the winter of 1987, it reached 148mph whilst carrying passengers

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