This shot records my return home to York last Tuesday. The train on the left is a 1970s vintage Hgh Speed Train, and was the train I travelled back to York on. These workhorses must have been one of the best investments made by the nationalised railway. They could once have been seen anywhere from Penzance in the far south-west to Inverness in Scotland, and are still widely used.
The train on the right is it's replacement, not yet in service but in use for the process of training crews ready for their introduction on the East Coast main line, due to start on 15th May initially between Leeds and London. It will be interesting to see how they compare with their predecessor.
and Kings Cross in the background - so you travelled with Virgin, not Grand Central, which is what I usually end up on (Until recently my daughter was living in Huddersfield, so I was up and down a lot.)
Thank you all for your comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
I should have added that there have been technical issues with introducing these new trains - they were due to begin services in December 2018, but then, my first trip on a HST in 1978 was a disaster. We were booked on the fastest train of the day from York to Edinburgh, but sadly a passenger fell from the mooving train and killed, with the result that we were 3 hours late into Edinburgh, having become the slowest train of the day.
My favourite HST trips today are on a single train that is on hire to East Coast and which still has the original 1970s seats - really comfortable!
@shannejw Shanne, sorry, this is York platforms 6 & 7. The stonework is very similar to Kings Cross, but there the roof is straight, while at York it curves slightly to the right. I usually use East Coast for my trips south, simply because their times tend to suit me. I have used Grand Central for trips to the north-east.
@sarah19 Sarah, I'm not sure how far north you are, but by the end of this year these new trains should run as far as Aberdeen. Some HST's are also being reconditioned for use between Scottish cities. I saw one of these in Doncaster a while ago and they look really smart.
(The chicken did n`t pose. She tjust does n`t care.)
Thank you all for your comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
I should have added that there have been technical issues with introducing these new trains - they were due to begin services in December 2018, but then, my first trip on a HST in 1978 was a disaster. We were booked on the fastest train of the day from York to Edinburgh, but sadly a passenger fell from the mooving train and killed, with the result that we were 3 hours late into Edinburgh, having become the slowest train of the day.
My favourite HST trips today are on a single train that is on hire to East Coast and which still has the original 1970s seats - really comfortable!
Ian
Ian
Ian