The Journey Shrinker
It seems incredible that rail operation at 125 mph has been happening on the railways of Great Britain for fifty years. It was on the 4th October 1976 that the first public trains operated at this speed, opening a complete new chapter in the operations of our railways. It was a massive step change over what had gone before and it was all thanks to the iconic High Speed Train.
To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary, 125 Group – as custodian of one of the few remaining operational HSTs in England – is planning to operate a celebratory tour on Saturday the 3rd October 2026, retracing the routes of the initial day of operation. Using our beautifully restored coaches and power cars, we will travel from London Paddington via Box Tunnel to Bristol Temple Meads. After a short break, we will venture through the Severn Tunnel into Wales to reach Swansea where we will take a longer break, before returning to Paddington via the Chipping Sodbury route – all lines that saw HST operation on that first week in October fifty years ago.
We will be offering travel in either First or Standard accommodation and our 125 Group buffet will be available for hot and cold drinks and snacks. Every participant will receive a Commemorative Brochure celebrating the initial day and the events over the fifty years since. You can join us for the whole day, or for various individual single legs which will all be available to book shortly through our new on-line booking site.
It will be a day to remember – and a great opportunity for another trip over the famous GWR High Speed routes in a beautifully presented InterCity 125.
Not satisfied with this exciting event, we will need to get our set back to Bury on Sunday 4th October – so what better way to do it than by recreating an operation from twenty-three years ago with “The Rio Revival”. Hoping to start from St Pancras at a friendly time, we will run up the Midland Mainline, calling at Leicester, Chesterfield, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly. Single fares only, as there is no return offering but what better way to travel north after the previous day’s tour? Might even be a discount for booking both tours!!
Full details of both trips, together with fares and booking options will be going live very soon.