Highland Chieftain

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Highland Chieftain
Haymarket - VTEC 43295 northbound Highland Chieftain.JPG
Overview
Service typePassenger train
PredecessorThe Clansman
First serviceMay 1984
Current operator(s) London North Eastern Railway
Former operator(s) Virgin Trains East Coast
East Coast
National Express East Coast
GNER
InterCity East Coast
Route
Termini London King's Cross
Inverness
Distance travelled581 miles
Average journey time8 hours
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)1W16 (northbound)
1E13 (southbound)
Line(s) used East Coast
Highland
Technical
Rolling stock Class 800 Azuma
Operating speed125 mph
Highland Chieftain
route map
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Inverness
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Aviemore
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Kingussie
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Pitlochry
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Perth
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Gleneagles
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Stirling
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Falkirk Grahamston
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Haymarket
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Edinburgh Waverley
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Scotland / England
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Berwick-upon-Tweed
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Newcastle
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Darlington
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York
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London King's Cross

The Highland Chieftain is a named British passenger train operated by London North Eastern Railway. It operates daily in each direction between London King's Cross and Inverness via the East Coast and Highland Main Line. It is one of the longest train journeys in the United Kingdom at 581 miles with a journey time of eight hours.

Contents

History

Historically, the principal train service between London and the Scottish Highlands was The Clansman, which ran via the West Coast Main Line.

The Highland Chieftain was introduced with the May 1984 timetable on the East Coast Main Line and was intended to replace The Clansman; the running time then was 8 hours 40 minutes southbound and 8 hours 50 minutes northbound. [1] [2] Today, it has a journey time of eight hours. [3] Originally operated by InterCity 125 sets, the service has been operated by Class 800 Azumas since December 2019. [4]

Electric locomotive 87023, which operated on the West Coast Main Line, was named Highland Chieftain between 1978 and 1984, but never had an association with the passenger service. [5] LNER High Speed Train power car 43308, which has operated the service, was later named Highland Chieftain. The nameplate was auctioned by London North Eastern Railway in 2020. [6]

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References

  1. Vallance, H. A. (1985) [1938]. The Highland Railway (4th ed.). Newton Abbot: David St. John Thomas. p.  168. ISBN   0-946537-24-0.
  2. "The Titled Trains of Britain" The Railway Magazine issue 1327 November 2011 page 37
  3. Timetable 15 May 2016 Virgin Trains East Coast
  4. Azumas take over LNER's High Speed Train operation Rail issue 894 18 December 2019 page 12
  5. 87023 AC Locomotive Group
  6. Holden, Michael (17 November 2020). "LNER HST nameplates raise £41,000 for CALM charity as "record prices" are paid". RailAdvent. Retrieved 18 July 2021.