[1], With sectorisation of British Rail in 1982 most long haul services became consolidated in the InterCity company which retained the brand. Reserved Seating. Services operating north of Birmingham on the West Coast main line switched to electric traction using Class 86 and Class 90 locomotives. Carlisle, Torquay, Lancaster, Exeter St. David's, Manchester Piccadilly, Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Diss, Paignton, Newport, It was announced that the new branding would appear on 'all InterCity trains that meet high quality standards'. We want to make rail travel between cities quicker than by car, and to complete the electrification of the railway lines between the cities. The sections north of Edinburgh were hauled by Class 37 or 47 diesel locomotives to/from Aberdeen and Inverness, while the section to/from Fort William was hauled by Class 37s. 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. Darlington, Plymouth, [14], Media related to InterCity (British Rail) at Wikimedia Commons, This article is about the InterCity brand used by British Rail from 1966 to 1997. Get the lowest prices on Intercity trains by booking early and don’t wait until the last minute as cheaper seats sell out quickly. Doncaster, British Rail first used the term Inter-City in 1950 as the name of a train running between London Paddington and Wolverhampton Low Level. Great Western Main Line: Hartford, Bournemouth, This was extended to show the purpose of specialist vehicles such as 'Inter-City Sleeper'. Motherwell, Leicester, INTERCITY 125s have been backbone of long distance trains for more than 40 years. Didcot Parkway, Retrieved 2020-10-27. [1] This was part of an overall policy of introducing new train names in the post World War II period. Peterborough, The service was transferred to InterCity with Class 73 electro-diesel locomotives (electric third-rail current or diesel-powered) hauling Mark 2 coaches and a modified Class 414 driving motor carriage were introduced in 1984 in push-pull mode. Intercity Railfreight is a logistics business that specialises in the use of rail transport as a means of delivering fast, cost effective and sustainable supply chains. The InterCity 125 (originally Inter-City 125, or High Speed Train) is a diesel-powered passenger train built by British Rail Engineering Limited between 1975 and 1982. London to King's Lynn services were transferred to the commuter sector Network SouthEast). [5], A new logotype was introduced on 1 May 1987 as part of InterCity's 21st anniversary celebrations. Liverpool Lime Street, Exeter St David's, [5], When the production High Speed Train (HST) sets entered service in 1976, they too carried the blue and grey livery. Runcorn, Wilmslow, About Us Motherwell, DVTs were not used. Two for the price of one entry to top attractions... BritRail Pass Coventry, Passengers Needing Assistance, Terms & Conditions Stoke-on-Trent, Bristol Temple Meads, Stafford, Choose a train below for statistics and diagrams Services were also operated by Mark 2 carriages hauled by Class 47s and 50s; later these were transferred to Network SouthEast and replaced by Class 165 DMUs. Wolverhampton, 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. Newcastle, Reading, Harwich International (for the ferry to Hook of Holland), Bristol Temple Meads, British Rail introduced a new corporate livery in 1965. Sleepers – Originally consisted of Mark 2 or Mark 3 seating coaches with Mark 1 sleeper cars. Bangor, We are pleased to offer unmissable bargain priced day tours in First Class comfort on our modern high speed air conditioned inter-city train, hauled by celebrity electric locomotives to various destinations for a sightseeing break. InterCity became profitable and one of Britain's top 150 companies, providing city centre to city centre travel across the nation from Aberdeen and Inverness in the north to Poole and Penzance in the south.[3]. Scarborough. Midland Main Line: Market Harborough, Blackpool North, Answer 1 of 11: Hello, this may be obvious but how can you tell what side of the train you are reserving seats for? Ipswich, HST services were first introduced in 1976 on the Great Western Main Line from London Paddington to Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea. Later, as catering needs changed, the Restaurant Kitchen was replaced by a fifth standard-class coach. Port Talbot Parkway, InterCity 250 was the name given by InterCity to the proposed upgrade of the West Coast Main Line in the early 1990s. Gatwick Airport, Stowmarket, Cross Country – Intercity 125s but with only one first-class carriage, and standard-class seats in the buffet car replaced the restaurant. Customers are able to carry three pieces of luggage free of charge (2 large items and 1 small briefcase). InterCity (commonly abbreviated IC on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Middlesbrough, Oxford, Preston, London Victoria, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Class 91 in InterCity livery with InterCity and Swallow. Newton Abbot, The name is derived from its top operational speed of 125 mph (201 km/h). [9] 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. Virgin CrossCountry repainted 47826 into InterCity livery in December 2001. London Liverpool Street, Sheffield, Aberdeen, FAQ's Warrington Bank Quay, On this blue panel was a large 'Inter-City 125' logo, albeit in outline rather than solid white. 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. Crewe, Some South Wales servces were extended to Milford Haven, Fishguard and Pembr… Grantham, Coaches used on these routes later had a white 'Inter-City' logo added to the blue area near the door at the left end of each side. Cardiff Central, London to > Scotland (Edinburgh / Aberdeen / Inverness) > North (Newcastle / Durham) > Yorkshire (York / Leeds / Doncaster) > East of England (Peterborough), London to > East Midlands (Leicester / Derby / Nottingham), London to > West of England (Gloucester / Bristol / Bath) > South Wales (Cardiff / Swansea) > South Central England (Oxford) > South West England (Exeter / Penzance), London to > East Anglia (Ipswich / Norwich). We run five fast trains an hour to and from London St Pancras, with a journey time to Sheffield of just over two hours. INTERCITÉS night trains The many advantages in board of a night train When travellng in our night trains, you can save one day of transportation and save one night of accommodation! ^ Abellio orders East Midlands inter-city fleet Railway Gazette International 30 July 2019 ^ "EMR launches competition to name new Intercity fleet | EMR | East Midlands Railway". 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. West Midlands residents always believed that it was the success of this one train that led to the adoption of the name a… London St Pancras, Several locomotives and carriages have subsequently been repainted into InterCity livery. Intercity tickets are usually open for bookings 120 days in advance. InterCity (or, in the earliest days, the hyphenated Inter-City) 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). [2] 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 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. Seat reservation is dependent on your chosen Intercity train. Lancaster, Operating trains in push-pull mode eliminated the requirement to attach locos at terminus stations in order to turn the trains around. St Austell, A partnership between two North East firms is aiming to bring battery-powered trains to one of the UK’s main rail routes. Formations consisted of 2 first-class, a Restaurant Buffet and 4 standard-class Mark 3 carriages with a Class 43 power car at each end. Luggage: Most InterCity trains have luggage storage areas. Bolton, [1], The InterCity brand has also been adopted by countries in Europe. Aberdeen. When InterCity took over, the service only served London Victoria and Gatwick Airport. Birmingham New Street, Inverness. Great Eastern Main Line: London Kings Cross, 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. The word INTERCITY was presented in italic, serif upper case letters. 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. Norwich. (2) Power sockets are available at all seats and USB sockets are also available at table seats in First Class. West Coast Main Line: Colchester, Glasgow Central, 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 also saved maintenance costs and reduced the number of locomotives and carriages needed to operate the services. Some routes transferred to Network SouthEast, leaving London-Norwich and the London-Harwich boat-train with InterCity. Disabled passengers can ask station staff for assistance or book assistance online on our. These progressively replaced Class 55 "Deltics" which were finally withdrawn in 1981. Most InterCity trains have luggage storage areas. York, Poole, Kettering, Cookie Policy, Comfortable seating in First Class and Standard Class (pictured) Buffet car or buffet trolley catering. Cross Country Route: The coaches carried an 'Inter-City 125' logo by the left-hand door. Neath, Retford, Durham, Bristol Parkway, Runcorn, Leeds, West Coast – London Euston to Wolverhampton used Class 86 electric locomotives hauling Mark 2 carriages and operated at 100 mph. Penzance. Arbroath, Truro, Swansea, Northallerton, Great Western – Intercity 125s from new, which replaced Class 52s. 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. Weston-super-Mare, Prior to being transferred to InterCity the service ran from London Victoria calling at Clapham Junction, East Croydon (sometimes via Redhill) and Gatwick Airport running via Haywards Heath to Brighton. The first Intercity Express train to be built at Hitachi’s UK plant has been unveiled. Edinburgh, East Coast – InterCity 125 HST services started in 1977: Typically 2 first-class, a Restaurant Kitchen, Buffet Standard and 4 standard-class British Rail Mark 3 carriages with a Class 43 power car at each end. On Western Region, InterCity 125 trains (designated class 253) were introduced initially for all services from London to Bristol and South Wales, and then extended for most day-time services from London to Devon and Cornwall. Penzance, With large numbers of intercity trains on the UK rail network approaching the end of their service life, and additional capacity required to serve increased passenger numbers, the Procuring Authority, the UK Department for Transport, awarded two contracts to supply, finance and maintain a fleet of new trains. Great Western Trains registered the term as a British trademark and applied it to its HSTs, but the term fell into disuse before Great Western was bought by FirstGroup in 1998. Perth, *where available WiFi will be free to First Class customers and fees may be applicable for Standard Class customers. Brighton, DVTs were not used. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at major stations only. Gatwick Express – Originally used dedicated Class 423 Electric Multiple Units as part of the Southern Region. Newcastle, Truro, Inter-city trains UK as lockdown eases (21 Posts) Add message | Report. Bodmin Parkway, Holyhead, Used on the London–Paris–Brussels route, the Eurostar e320 supplements the existing fleet that runs through the Channel Tunnel. Doncaster, [6], The first production Advanced Passenger Train was unveiled on 7 June 1978. By the end of 2020, we will have 181 new intercity trains in service, delivering more seats, modern interiors and faster journey times for millions of passengers. 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. Euston to Glasgow services used Class 86, Class 87, and Class 90 locomotives hauling Mark 3 coaches and operated at 110 mph. Chelmsford, St Helens Central Paignton, Reservations: You can board an Inter-City train with your BritRail Pass, however, it is recommended that you make a reservation with your travel agent/website at the time of booking or at the station before you board, as these train can get very busy. Preston, 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. Newark North Gate, You can board an Inter-City train with your BritRail Pass, however, it is recommended that you make a reservation with your travel agent/website at the time of booking or at the station before you board, as these train can get very busy. Tiverton Parkway, You leave in the late evening and wake up in the early morning, ready to enjoy your day. [citation needed], British Rail introduced the Inter-City brand for long haul passenger services in 1966. Manningtree, Taunton, Crewe, Cheltenham Spa, Formations of HST and push–pull train sets would always place the driving van at the London end of the train, then two or three 1st-class carriages, restaurant and buffet car, and 5 standard-class carriages; the locomotive would always be at the country end of the train. This was part of an overall policy of introducing new train names in the post WWII period. Bristol Parkway, [12], InterCity 125 in InterCity Executive livery. InterCity 225: a Class 91 electric locomotive, nine Mark 4 coaches and a Driving Van Trailer (DVT) operating in push-pull mode; introduced in 1990, with electrification completed in 1991. [10] The use of the term 'Executive' was dropped in 1985 and the livery was then referred to as just 'InterCity'. BritRail Train Reservations [13] Some stations on the West Coast Main Line still retain Swallow motifs in 2017. Top BritRail Tips St Austell, Excess luggage and bulky items may be carried subject to available space and charge. BritRail England Pass Dundee, Derby, Hitachi Rail, which has a factory at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, is working with Sunderland firm Hyperdrive Innovation to develop batteries that can power inter-city trains. Intercity rail passenger transport market size in the UK 2017-2020 Coach & bus transport market size in the UK 2017-2020 Passenger transportation in England by mode 2014-2019 First class passengers receive a welcome drink and Depending on the time of day or week, a first class fare may not be much more expensive than a regular price ticket. Our InterCity fleet is made up of 222s, 180s and HSTs We operate a fast, frequent service between London and key East Midlands destinations including Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield and East Midlands Parkway. Before DVTs were introduced, larger fleets of Classes 81–87 were used to haul the trains conventionally. In a UK-first, Hitachi Rail and Eversholt Rail have signed an exclusive agreement aimed at bringing battery power – and fuel savings of more than 20% – to the modern Great Western Railway Intercity Express Trains that carry passengers between Penzance and London. The InterCity sector was also responsible for Motorail services to and from London Kensington Olympia. Birmingham International, Special discounted fares, including the Super Advance and the APEX, were available on InterCity if booked ahead. Southampton, Each set is made up of two Class 43 power cars, one at each end, and a rake of Mark 3 carriages. London Paddington, For the train named "The Inter-City" running on British Rail from 1950, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The fall and rise of Britain's railways", "InterCity brand is back on Scottish HST power cars", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=InterCity_(British_Rail)&oldid=997860774, 1966 establishments in the United Kingdom, 1997 disestablishments in the United Kingdom, Articles needing additional references from April 2016, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Never carried Inter-city livery in service but now carried by 50031, This page was last edited on 2 January 2021, at 16:15. On track for growth: Express freight pioneers expand 125mph same-day delivery network August 12, 2020 The fronts of locomotives and multiple-unit trains were painted yellow to improve visibility, and this was often wrapped around on to the side in varying amounts. Liverpool Lime Street, Penrith, BritRail Central Scotland Pass From 1988, West Coast trains operated in push-pull mode with a DVT at the London end of the train. Macclesfield, ^ "Aurora - the name for East Midlands Railway Class 810 trains". Inter-City Express is a campaign by Transform Scotland, working together with other organisations to create a rail network fit for the 21st century. Great Eastern – Class 86 electrics hauling Mark 1 and Mark 2 carriages using Mark 2 Driving Brake Standard Opens in push-pull mode. BritRail Scottish Highlands Pass The Night Riviera (Paddington-Penzance) was hauled by Class 47s while the Euston-Scotland sleepers were usually hauled by Class 86, 87 or 90 electric locomotives as far as Edinburgh and Glasgow. The new operators replaced the InterCity branding and liveries with their own branding. 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. Newton Abbot, Kirkcaldy, Luton, All InterCity day services ran with a buffet car and the majority ran at speeds of 100 mph or above. Reading, Bedford, British Rail first used the term Inter-Cityin 1950 as the name of a train running between London and Wolverhampton. Chester, Wigan North Western, Our intercity trains can … InterCity derives from the prepositional of the Latin: inter- with City giving rise to meaning between cities. The logotype on coaches was positioned as before but changed to black. This saw the coaches of the Manchester Pullman and two HSTs refurbished and repainted experimentally into the same colour scheme as the APT. Class 50s operated in pairs north of Preston until electrification was completed in 1974. Stevenage, Oxenholme, Wellingborough, Mark 3 sleeper cars replaced the Mark 1s in the early 1980s. Euston to Holyhead services used Class 47 hauled Mark 2s or HSTs. BritRail South West Pass, BritRail Spirit Of Scotland Pass The direct InterCity from Shrewsbury to London Euston with a Driving Van Trailer and mailbags delivering the Royal Mail at a time when British Rail ran the network. Class 47s were used before electrification in 1987. FullDisclosure Sat 27-Jun-20 16:40:47. Chesterfield, Trains accommodate up to 894 passengers, with 222 seats in first class and 672 seats in second class. Sheffield, A new swallow logo 'to symbolise grace and speed' replaced the double arrow. The London Euston to Stranraer Harbour service worked on the same basis with a change from electric to diesel at Carlisle. Plymouth, Stockport, Loughborough, Llandudno Junction, Some trains need to be fitted with onboard toilet facilities for longer trips while others may be single-deck diesel trains for lines in less populated areas. York, Bath Spa, Swindon, It was painted in a new livery with dark grey upper body and light grey lower body separated by wide white and red bands. Dundee, Our Trains Purchase through expert Rail Booking Agents. Macclesfield, But now these iconic British built trains face being pushed into the sidings by a new era of high-speed rail … London Paddington, Birmingham International, At King’s Cross and the stations in Edinburgh, Leeds and Newcastle where these InterCity 225 trains commence their journeys, the number of the platform (track) that a specific departure will be leaving from, normally appears on the information screens 10 -15 minutes prior to departure. Mark 2 carriages hauled by Class 47 diesel locomotives. Derby, East Coast Main Line: Birmingham New Street, We exist to provide information to members through our glossy full colour A5 size magazine TRACKS (see below or here ) which has increased in size to 80 pages and has been a welcome lifeline to many throughout the … Gloucester, One set of Mark 2 carriages remained in InterCity livery until withdrawn by National Express East Anglia in 2005. Quiet Coaches. Glasgow Central. InterCity operated High Speed Trains (HST) under the brand-name InterCity 125, as well as InterCity 225s for the electric high-speed trains operated on the East Coast route. Carlisle, 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. Milton Keynes Central (opened 1982), Customers are able to carry three pieces of luggage free of charge (2 large items and 1 small briefcase). 11 Things that are good to know about travelling on an InterCity Express train: (1) Complimentary Wi-Fi access is available throughout the train. Rugby, Totnes, Wakefield Westgate, InterCity (or, in the earliest days, the hyphenated Inter-City) 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). Bletchley, Coventry, This saw most of the HSTs transferred to Great Western, Midland, and Cross-Country routes but some remained for the runs to/from Aberdeen, Inverness and Hull. Excess luggage and bulky items may be carried subject to available space and charge. Opt for off-peak Intercity trains … The colours were unchanged (although locomotives often carried less yellow than before) but locomotives, carriages and advertising received a new logotype. Abellio ScotRail announced that it is to revive the InterCity name on new services operated by refurbished High Speed Train sets, linking the seven cities in Scotland, from mid-2018. Gatwick Airport. The only exception was the London to Norwich route. Our pioneering intercity trains run the length and breadth of the UK, from Penzance to the Highlands. 87012 Coeur de Lion entered service with black numbers on the cab side but no logo. BritRail London Plus Pass York, 2020-10-27. www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk. WiFi*. Disabled Access: Disabled passengers can ask station staff for assistance or book assistance online on our "Passengers Needing Assistance" page. [8] By May 1984 other coaches and locomotives were entering service in the dark and light grey livery. Darlington, Wigan North Western, The planned upgrade to many of Britain's former InterCity lines has been termed Intercity Express Programme. Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Welcome to Inter City Railway Society Founded in 1973 we are a volunteer run friendly thriving Society and our membership is almost 1400 members, by far the most we have ever had. Warrington Bank Quay, RailAdvent. Totnes, With a traction power of 16,000 kW, the 400-m-long multi-system train reaches a top speed of 320 km/h. The service to Holyhead saw locomotive changes at Crewe. Berwick-upon-Tweed, [4] This was therefore the colour scheme used by the new Inter-City services when they were launched the following year. [11] 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. Retrieved 2020-10-27. For your comfort, all intercity trains are air conditioned, equipped with a sound system and power sockets at each seat for your laptops or other electronic devices. Eversholt Rail is committed to ensuring our fleets meet the UK Railway’s decarbonisation commitments.” In August 2018, Hitachi built the 36 intercity express trains that … Gatwick Express: Newport, Glasgow Central, Stafford, Dunbar, Leeds, If I want to sit on the RHS of train for viewing purposes how do I ensure this when I reserve my seats? [7] A new 'Executive' service was part of the relaunch of the InterCity Sector on 3 October 1983. Manchester Oxford Road, Stockport, I have a decision to make about visiting a family member towards the end of July. In 1986 the British Railways Board divided its operations into a number of sectors (sectorisation). Sydney and Intercity train fleet Sydney's large rail network requires a diverse range of trains. Taunton, During the privatisation of British Rail, InterCity's services were divided up into several franchises. Cardiff Central, BritRail Pass Benefits Durham, Oxenholme, HSTs replaced the loco-hauled trains in the 1980s.'. It's not an emergency visit but would be important to the family member. Stoke-on-Trent, Toilets. Edinburgh, Watford Junction, 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. The basic blue colour was relieved on long-distance coaches by a light grey panel around the windows. Eligibility & Conditions Of Use, The BritRail Map Hull, London Euston, The gateway to Britain's National Rail network. Bridgend, A portal into UK rail travel including train company information and promotions; train times; fares enquiries; ticket purchase and train running information Midland – Class 45, 46 and 47 locomotives hauling Mark 1 and Mark 2 carriages.