Tag Archives: Intercity 125

Happy 50th to the HST

I just learned that it has been fifty years since the in High Speed Train was introduced in the UK. Known by the brand InterCity 125, in the industry it was just the HST. I worked on these a lot in a previous role and remember them being introduced when I was a kid. At that time, living on the Island, I thought of the idea of travelling on one as almost as exotic as plane travel – something I didn’t envisage. Over the years, I ended up travelling on them frequently and often in the nice carriages too!

There are some still in service including one I saw bringing a charter service to RailLive earlier this year. Unless I head to Scotland or get on a charter, I doubt I will be riding on one again, but they are definitely a train that I have a soft spot for. Consequently, while I don’t have many images of them, here are a few.

Not Often You See an HST These Days

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From their introduction in the 1970s until the time we left the UK in 2004, the High Speed Train (HST or Intercity 125) was ubiquitous on the UK network. At this point, they have almost entirely gone from service with only a few routes still having them at this point – hardly surprising given their age. Some are operating on charter services and one charter train came up to Long Marston from Paddington for RailLive each day. It was rather fun to see an HST again. Even at this age, it is still a pretty sleek looking train.