WHEN it was introduced, British Rail told us it was the age of the train.
And with high speeds of up to 125mph, it was one of the fastest ways to go from one end of the country to another.
But last week the Intercity 125 made its final journey, making a stop in Reading along the way.
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The Crosscountry’s route saw the train leave Leeds early on Tuesday, September 26, heading to its final station: Swanage. The one-off journey was organised by Modern Railways magazine and Swanage Railway to raise funds for the Brain Tumour Charity.
While in Reading, it picked up passengers who had booked tickets to be part of this unique return voyage to Swanage.
It also called at Wakefield, Sheffield, Derby, Burton-on-Trent, Tamworth, and Leamington Sp, and included a special trip from Swanage Railway to Bournemouth and back, before embarking on a return journey to Leeds.
Tom Joyner, CrossCountry’s managing director, said: “Our much-loved HST fleet has served us well for over 40 years. It was important to take time to commemorate their contribution to the CrossCountry network, as well as the generations of colleagues who have worked tirelessly to maintain them.
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“The farewell voyage proved an extremely fitting send-off, enjoyed by hundreds of passengers who joined us at various stops throughout the journey.
“We are also particularly pleased to be able to support a charity close to our hearts, The Brain Tumour Charity, in this collaborative fundraising event, in memory of our colleague Jo Taylor, who was a well-loved member of the CrossCountry family.”
He added: “We are grateful to Modern Railways, the Branch Line Society and Swanage Railway for their support in hosting this trip – heritage lines are working railways and major tourist attractions providing valuable support for the local economies of the regions they serve.”
The use of HSTs on CrossCountry routes began in May 1982, when British Rail deployed its then-advanced Intercity125s on Northeast to Southwest services.
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The HST had revolutionised travel from North Yorkshire to London in the late seventies but has now slowly been replaced over a number of years by the more modern Voyager trains which operate on large parts of the CrossCountry network.
