InterCity 125

HIGH SPEED TRAIN (INTER-CITY 125) 50TH ANNIVERSARY PUBLIC RAILTOUR

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 are now available here.

Porterbrook to donate HST Power Cars to 125 Group

125 Group is absolutely delighted to confirm that two mainline power cars will be joining us on a permanent basis, thanks to a fantastic donation by leasing company Porterbrook.

High Speed Train production power cars 43048 and 43089 owned by Porterbrook and currently operated by East Midlands Railway will be handed over at the end of their careers in front line service.

125 Group was founded in 1994 with the aim of preserving a working Inter-City 125 for future generations. Our volunteers and trustees have given their valuable time, sweat and passionate commitment over the past 25 years, fundraising and building a sound reputation in preservation and with the railway industry, working towards this goal. We are extremely grateful to Porterbrook for their wonderful, generous donation!