2026 Intercity Charters

[Isle of Mull]

Yeah but there's already a 50 tour to Oban in June running with BLS not sure the demand is there for two tours

You didn’t mention that the BLS tour is a multiple day tour, I know of many people who only want day trips so there may be demand.

 

[31160]

New tour on Wednesday 4th march Crewe to Euston with a HST, to test it at 125mph. At £179 first class rtn it's a bit rich for me

 

[raveon]

New tour on Wednesday 4th march Crewe to Euston with a HST, to test it at 125mph. At £179 first class rtn it's a bit rich for me

Agreed. £179 for a trip advertised as a “test run”!… it will be interesting to see the passenger load factor!

 

[Iskra]

Agreed. £179 for a trip advertised as a “test run”!… it will be interesting to see the passenger load factor!

If it's a test run, I doubt they will be that bothered- passenger income is merely a bonus. I'm sure some will do it, HST's seem to be very popular. When did one last run at 125mph in passenger service? And when will it happen again?

I just caught the Peak flying out of Sheffield at the old Brightside station:

 

[43096]

If it's a test run, I doubt they will be that bothered- passenger income is merely a bonus. I'm sure some will do it, HST's seem to be very popular. When did one last run at 125mph in passenger service? And when will it happen again?

The test is for 125mph HST working on the West Coast Main Line.

HSTs ran at 125mph last year in passenger service. Charters formed of the 125 Group set ran at 125mph where line speeds permitted.

 

[Iskra]

The test is for 125mph HST working on the West Coast Main Line.

HSTs ran at 125mph last year in passenger service. Charters formed of the 125 Group set ran at 125mph where line speeds permitted.

Thanks for the info

 

[Isle of Mull]

New tour on Wednesday 4th march Crewe to Euston with a HST, to test it at 125mph. At £179 first class rtn it's a bit rich for me

I'd like if intercity would actually use the intercity stock instead of using others, I don't they've done a tour since August 25.

 

[JonathanH]

I'd like if intercity would actually use the intercity stock instead of using others, I don't they've done a tour since August 25.

The InterCity stock was used today by UK Railtours.

 

[Rail Quest]

New tour on Wednesday 4th march Crewe to Euston with a HST, to test it at 125mph. At £179 first class rtn it's a bit rich for me

Have LSL been given special permission to run at 125mph on sections of the WCML for this? Neither the EPS speeds or the MU speeds should apply to the HST, right? If so the maximum line speed should be 110mph

 

[Isle of Mull]

The InterCity stock was used today by UK Railtours.

I see, although intercity themselves aren't using the set. And I'd like to see the Scottish push-pull set out again.

 

[bleeder4]

The test is for 125mph HST working on the West Coast Main Line.

HSTs ran at 125mph last year in passenger service. Charters formed of the 125 Group set ran at 125mph where line speeds permitted.

The Midland Pullman itself can also run at 125mph on sections of the ECML. I've done 125mph on it going up to York.

 

[DannyMich2018]

Have LSL been given special permission to run at 125mph on sections of the WCML for this? Neither the EPS speeds or the MU speeds should apply to the HST, right? If so the maximum line speed should be 110mph

Even the Avanti 805 and 807 units can only run at up to 110mph on the WCML if i'm right.

 

[Scotty Dog]

I believe LSL were invited, as are other operators, to have a say in the MU speed project and as such the sections cleared for the higher MU speeds took into account the speed and braking profile of the HST thus allowing them to run at those speeds.

I've heard Avanti are not running the 805/807s above 110 mph due to driving issues.

 

[31160]

Maybe something new for the 45 soon I'm hearing

 

[Kite159]

Maybe something new for the 45 soon I'm hearing

4th May

The Positioning Move - https://inter-city.co.uk/journey/the-positioning-move/

The Baywatch Merrymaker - https://inter-city.co.uk/journey/the-baywatch-merrymaker

 

[Isle of Mull]

4th May

The Positioning Move - https://inter-city.co.uk/journey/the-positioning-move/

The Baywatch Merrymaker - https://inter-city.co.uk/journey/the-baywatch-merrymaker

Interesting, I hope they do something with the 89 in June or July

 

[Isle of Mull]

New tour
The Waverley Merrymaker July 18th
D213 hauls the train from Crewe to Edinburgh

 

[37052 xb mr]

New tour
The Waverley Merrymaker July 18th
D213 hauls the train from Crewe to Edinburgh

Peak on the return

 

[Isle of Mull]

Peak on the return

oh that's new

 

[The_Train]

oh that's new

They have put the 40 and 45 together before and it proved very popular. General consensus is that the 40 will take the stock to Scotland and then stay up there ready for the SRPS tour the following weekend

 

[CW2]

They have put the 40 and 45 together before and it proved very popular. General consensus is that the 40 will take the stock to Scotland and then stay up there ready for the SRPS tour the following weekend

There tends to be a clear distinction between EE and Sulzer followers. I would have been interested in a round trip with 40013, but not with 45118 one way.

40 one way and 37/4 on the return would have been most acceptable as an alternative.

 

[Uk02048]

I the look of some of the plans, 47 Bristol and the 40/45 edinburgh. Anyone know what their coaching stock tends to be - coffins or otherwise ?

 

[Iskra]

I the look of some of the plans, 47 Bristol and the 40/45 edinburgh. Anyone know what their coaching stock tends to be - coffins or otherwise ?

Usually mainly Mk3’s.

 

[Forty29]

Every now and again MK1's but not so much.

 

[31160]

I think there's going to be a new tour with 20s going to barnetby and back to Crewe two ways, late may

 

[Kite159]

I think there's going to be a new tour with 20s going to barnetby and back to Crewe two ways, late may

Intercity | Discover the very best of Britain by rail

Unmissable days out in First Class comfort on our modern air-conditioned InterCity train, hauled by celebrity diesel and electric locomotives.

inter-city.co.uk

Main event seems to be a visit to Worksop and one of the depots in that area. Certainly if I wasn't working that day I would be tempted (depending on cost of accommodation, shame a couple of the shared houses in Crewe have either closed or moved away from appearing on Booking Dot Com)

 

[Isle of Mull]

Intercity | Discover the very best of Britain by rail

Unmissable days out in First Class comfort on our modern air-conditioned InterCity train, hauled by celebrity diesel and electric locomotives.

inter-city.co.uk

Main event seems to be a visit to Worksop and one of the depots in that area. Certainly if I wasn't working that day I would be tempted (depending on cost of accommodation, shame a couple of the shared houses in Crewe have either closed or moved away from appearing on Booking Dot Com)

Nice, I'd like to see a deltic or AC tour in the future

 

[The_Train]

Nice, I'd like to see a deltic or AC tour in the future

Yeah I was hoping for something similar to the 87 tour they did last January with 87002 on Euston-Edinburgh-Kings Cross. That was a great day out and because it was January I got central London hotels quite cheap.

This latest one to Worksop also got my hopes up as I immediately thought it was another D213 tour
Still looks to be a solid itinerary though and as I have a midweek rest day that week, I might just see if I can make that rest day to be the Friday!

 

[Isle of Mull]

Yeah I was hoping for something similar to the 87 tour they did last January with 87002 on Euston-Edinburgh-Kings Cross. That was a great day out and because it was January I got central London hotels quite cheap.

This latest one to Worksop also got my hopes up as I immediately thought it was another D213 tour
Still looks to be a solid itinerary though and as I have a midweek rest day that week, I might just see if I can make that rest day to be the Friday!

I’d like to see a 90 or 89 tour, the 90s haven’t been used in ages on intercity

 

[The_Train]

I’d like to see a 90 or 89 tour, the 90s haven’t been used in ages on intercity

I am hopeful we will see an 89 tour this year at some point. I'd expect it to be on the East Coast somewhere to replicate the work it did before. Agree on the 90s but I think the last time they planned a 90 on an IC tour it was canned for low bookings and since then I have only seen them working the electric legs of steam tours and with the recent repaint of one of them, I suspect that is the long term plan for them now.

AC tours will always be toughies to sell (except the Badger) as the following isn't as great as diesel so you really do have to create an itinerary that is of interest to various people. I think anther attempt at reaching Ayr with the 87 would be popular considering we didn't quite reach it last time and probably a few other places in Scotland where electric locos don't often venture might tempt people in. Time will tell with the IC offerings this year as they are clearly sticking to the "run them when they want (or need) to run them" type approach rather than having a 6 month schedule planned out like LSL do for their other charter businesses