Yesterday’s speed record run between London Euston and Glasgow Central by Avanti West Coast missed out by just 21 seconds.

Prior to departure, 390044 was named Royal Scot, which was once the flagship train on the West Coast Main Line.

The record of 3 hours 52 minutes and 40 seconds was set in 1984 by the APT-P.

Despite missing out, the efforts by TOCs, Avanti West Coast and Network Rail meant the Pendolino train travelled at an average of 103mph on the 400 mile journey.

Arriving at Glasgow Central, the journey took 3 hours, 53 minutes and 1 second.

It may have missed out on the APT record, but yesterday’s run still broke the record for the fastest Pendolino to run between London and Glasgow, the previous record was set in 2006 at 3 hours 55 minutes and 27 seconds.

Sir Peter Hendy, Chairman of Network Rail, said: “Today marked a brilliant collaboration across the railway industry! This event shows how the clean, green railway of today can cement economic growth, jobs, housing and social cohesion through better connectivity across the United Kingdom. There will be more on better connectivity by rail and faster journey times between England and Scotland when I publish my final Union Connectivity Report for the Prime Minister in the summer.”

Steve Montgomery, First Rail Managing Director, said: “As we begin to build back better from the pandemic, the essential role of rail services in connecting our major cities and driving economic growth whilst combating climate change, has never been clearer. This record attempt shows how effectively rail can deliver cross-border connectivity.

Phil Whittingham, Managing Director at Avanti West Coast said: “While we’re disappointed we’ve not broken the record today, we are proud to have worked with industry partners to showcase the vital role rail can play in enabling cleaner, greener travel and connectivity across the United Kingdom.

“We want to connect people and places to opportunity, so we’re pleased to champion the railway’s part in this with our record attempt, while supporting Action for Children and Railway Benefit Fund whose work supports families and individuals along our route. The addition of Royal Scot to our Pendolino fleet highlights our commitment to connecting the nations we serve on the West Coast Main Line and we look forward to helping to deliver better Union Connectivity.”

Locks Farmer, Director of Fundraising & Marketing, Action for Children, said: “We are so grateful Avanti West Coast has supported Action for Children through this exciting record attempt. The money raised will help ensure we can continue providing essential support to children who desperately need our help. Thanks to Avanti West Coast, Action for Children can be a lifeline to children and young people, giving them the tools they need to have a safe and happy childhood.”

Pete Waterman, President of the Railway Benefit Fund, said: “It’s a real privilege for the Railway Benefit Fund to be involved in this Record Run attempt. Time is of the essence for us all and every seven minutes somebody in our railway family reaches out to the RBF for help and advice. We are so thankful for the support of Avanti West Coast and Railway Magazine, which ensures we can continue to meet the increase in demand for our services and help the Railway family through tough times.”

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