The London-Glasgow Rail record attempt has been delayed until September because of a signalling fault near Euston, which forced trains to slow down significantly. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The London-Glasgow Rail record attempt has been delayed until September because of a signalling fault near Euston, which forced trains to slow down significantly
An Avanti West Coast train arriving at Glasgow Central in June 2021 just 21 seconds behind the record | The Scotsman

This delay frustrated campaigners advocating for shorter journey times to reduce air travel between the UK’s two largest cities. They believe faster rail could cut emissions and improve efficiency.

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Currently, Avanti’s Pendolino trains take about four-and-a-half hours to travel the London-Glasgow Rail route. Although they can reach 140 mph, they’re restricted by a 125 mph speed limit on the West Coast Main Line.

In contrast, the East Coast Main Line is set to accelerate LNER’s Edinburgh-London trips to just over four hours this December. That progress highlights the disparity between the two major north-south routes.

The original record, set in 1984 by the Advanced Passenger Train, achieved 160 mph despite the lower official speed cap at the time. Avanti’s bid must stay within today’s stricter limits.

HS2 originally aimed to cut London-to-Glasgow travel to 3 hours 37 minutes. But since the route was scaled back to the West Midlands, that objective is now out of reach.

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Malcolm Reed, former head of Transport Scotland, criticized the cancellation, calling it evidence of failed promises to Scotland during past rail upgrades.

He noted that Glasgow now has slower services than 15 years ago. Meanwhile, the east coast has seen steady and effective improvements over decades.

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Paul Tetlaw from Transform Scotland said the current route needs urgent improvement to compete with air travel. He also warned of the UK’s lack of long-term planning for rail.

Avanti and Network Rail issued a joint statement expressing disappointment. They pledged to reschedule the attempt later this year once the signalling issue is resolved.

Source: www.scotsman.com

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