Christopher Garnett OBE, the former Chairman of Great North Eastern Railway (GNER), has been appointed patron of the 225 Group.

After winning the InterCity East Coast rail franchise for Great North Eastern Railway in April 1996, Christopher Garnett was its Chief Executive and then Chairman for over ten years.

East Coast Mainline services were completely transformed during his tenure, resulting in rapid growth and the company winning numerous awards. Christopher is also a member of the National Railway Museum’s Advisory Board, and was awarded an OBE in 2013 for his work on the board of the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Launched in 2021, The 225 Group was formed to recognise the history of the InterCity 225 high-speed electric train and support its beyond mainline service into preservation.

Christopher’s appointment is particularly appropriate as InterCity 225s were the flagship of the GNER fleet during his time with the company and will bring his knowledge and experience to the group. This is the first time he has been named as Patron of any railway organisation.

The InterCity 225 sets consist of Class 91 locomotives and Mark 4 coaches, and London North Eastern Railway (LNER) still retains a small fleet to support the operation of its full timetable.

As Patron, it is hoped that Christopher will also play an important role in achieving the Group’s aims and help to ensure that the iconic InterCity 225 trains are represented in preservation. Christopher has promised to write about his experiences and memories of the InterCity 225 fleet in a future edition of LiveWire, the Group’s biannual magazine.

The 225 Group welcomes new members, with membership available for £17.50 a year through its website, membership.225group.org.uk. Members have access to a range of benefits and the Group’s archive containing over 10 000 historic passenger service allocations.

Fraser Pithie, 225 Group Development Manager, said: “We’re delighted that Christopher has agreed to be Patron of the 225 Group. He was at the forefront of the InterCity East Coast route when GNER ran the train service, with InterCity 225s being the mainstay of the fleet.

“It’s great that Christopher, who has such a strong background and relationship with the InterCity 225, has become the Group’s Patron and we extend a warm welcome to him as he joins the team.”

Christopher Garnett said: “I was honoured to be asked to become Patron of the 225 Group. The Class 91s and Mark 4s were the backbone of the East Coast fleet for around 30 years and, after initial reliability problems were sorted out, they provided a superb service. I look at the InterCity 225s with great affection.

“The sight of a set waiting to depart King’s Cross in its shiny dark blue livery with staff standing at the doors greeting passengers made me feel very proud to be involved with the trains. I’m so pleased to support the 225 Group – we need to preserve one of these trains because they’ve given such sterling service on the East Coast Mainline.”