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Long-distance passenger travel by rail in Britain has been considerably improved in the last few years with the introduction by British Rail of quicker and more comfortable trains on its main inter-city routes and associated improvements to track and signalling. As a result, passenger journeys on intercity routes increased by some 30 per cent in the ten years up to the mid-1970s. British Rail is currently involved in the implementation of two major projects - the High Speed Train (HST) and the Advanced Passenger Train (APT) - which are continuing the process of faster speeds and higher standards of comfort, and will help to maintain the inter-city railways in Britain among the fastest in the world. Both types of train are designed to use existing high-grade track which makes the capital cost of their introduction much lower than in some other countries where completely new high speed railways have been built. In 1976 the first HSTs, which travel at maximum sustained speeds of 125 miles per hour (mph), were used to inaugurate the world's fastest diesel rail service, known as 'Inter-City 125' (available at the normal fares without a supplementary charge), on the route from London (Paddington) to Bristol and south Wales. In the first two years of operation passenger traffic on these routes increased by more than one-third. Inter-City 125 services were introduced on the London (King's Cross)-Edinburgh route in May 1978 and a noticeable increase in passenger traffic has been recorded there also. Meanwhile, the first of three pre-production electric APTs is being tested prior to entering service between London and Glasgow. With its advanced techniques of suspension, the APT is able to negotiate curves at much higher speeds than other trains, and will be capable of sustained speeds of more than 150 mph on existing track with suitable signalling equipment.
The concept of the HST, which extends the principles of conventional railway technology and is the forerunner of the APT, originated at British Rail's Railway Technical Centre at Derby, the largest railway research centre in the world. Its development programme took seven years. Prior to full-scale production, a prototype HST was completed in 1972 and subsequently carried out extensive trials of about 250,000 miles. In 1973 it set a world record for a diesel-powered train of 143 mph. From the end of 1974 until the start of the first Inter-City 125 service, a series of performance trials took place on the prototype HST along with driver training, followed by a period of passenger service evaluation on the route from Paddington to Bristol and Weston-super-Mare.
Power cars and other HST rolling stock are built by British Rail Engineering Ltd (BREL) at Crewe and Derby. Each HST has two streamlined power cars, one at each end of the train to minimise the time spent at termini, and five or six passenger and one or two catering/passenger coaches. Each power car has a Ruston Paxman Valenta diesel engine, capable of producing 2,250 horsepower, similar to the power generated by other mainline diesel-electric locomotives, but its high power-weight ratio, achieved through the use of lightweight materials (such as glass-reinforced plastics), enables high speeds to be reached with rapid acceleration. Lightweight construction also helps to conserve fuel and reduce track maintenance. Disc brakes and special wheel-slide protection equipment on coaches' axles enable the HST to be brought to a halt from its maximum speed within the same distance as that taken by other inter-city trains travelling at speeds of 100 mph. Passenger coaches are of the latest Mark III design, incorporating features current in all new inter-city rolling stock, such as air-conditioning throughout the train, ergonomically designed seats, fluorescent strip lighting, public address facilities and wide entrance doors. Automatic sliding doors between coaches enable passengers to move through the train more easily than on a conventional train, particularly if they are carrying bulky luggage, or food or drink. First-class and second-class coaches seat 48 and 72 passengers respectively. Improved suspension and bogie design contribute to a very smooth ride. Noise levels are minimised as a result of double-glazed sealed windows and thorough insulation of the coach floor, sides and roof against sound. The new HST catering vehicles have been specially designed and, with their modern equipment, such as microwave oven provide a wider choice of food and drink than on previous trains.
Inter-City 125 services on British Rail's Western Region are operated between London (Paddington) and Bristol/Weston-super-Mare, and Paddington and south Wales (Cardiff and Swansea) with one service a day to Carmarthen in west Wales. In their first full year of operation, British Rail estimates that the rail share of the passenger market between London and Bristol rose from some 21 per cent in 1976 to 31 per cent in 1977 and further increases are expected. British Rail's Western Region has 27 HSTs to operate this route and each weekday (Monday to Saturday) runs 90 Inter-City 125 services. Journey times have been substantially reduced. The fastest train covers the 112 miles from Paddington to Bristol (Parkway) in 1 hour 8 minutes, 21 minutes less than previously, while other examples of reduced journey times, from Paddington, are: to Cardiff, 1 hour 43 minutes (previously 2 hours 16 minutes); and Swansea 2 hours 43 minutes (3 hours 22 minutes). Every weekday ten trains average more than 98 mph between London and Reading, the highest average speeds ever achieved in Britain over such a distance and the fastest in the world for a diesel train; from May 1979 two daily services will average more than 104 mph between Stevenage and Peterborough on the Eastern Region.
Inter-City 125 services on the route from London (King's Cross) to York, Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh were inaugurated by British Rail's Eastern Region in May 1978 with the flrst six of its 32 HSTs. The fastest scheduled journey for the 393 miles between London and Edinburgh was reduced from 5 hours 28 minutes to 4 hours 50 minutes. Other examples of current fastest journey times by Inter-City 125 from King's Cross are: to York, 2 hours for 188 miles; and to Newcastle upon Tyne, 3 hours 1 minute for 268 miles. Since their introduction, there has been a rise of 10 per cent in the number of passenger journeys between Edinburgh and London by rail. The other Eastern Region HSTs. have been introduced gradually and the rest of its fleet will be operating from May 1979. Inter-City 125 services are now also operated on the King's Cross-West Yorkshire (Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate) route. Up-grading of track and the extension of modern colour-light signalling have facilitated higher speeds; eventually the London-Edinburgh route will be controlled from only six signalling centres. Another two HST projects have been prepared by British Rail and approved by the Secretary of State for Transport and, when these are in full operation, the number of HSTs will rise to 91. The first of 14 HSTs to operate between London (Paddington) and the west of England will be introduced in the summer of 1979. From October 1979 new high speed schedules will start and the fastest journeys from Paddington to Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance will be reduced by between 15 and 25 minutes. Further reductions in journey times will take place in May 1980 when all the 14 should be in service. Eighteen HSTs have been ordered for Inter-City 125 services on the cross-country route linking Edinburgh, Newcastle upon Tyne, Birmingham and south Wales or south-west England. Construction of these HSTs should be completed by the end of 1980.
Research undertaken by the Railway Technical Centre into the guidance and stability of railway vehicles led to important advances in suspension design and the development of the APT. An experimental APT was built to undertake a three-year development programme, completed in mid-1976, which involved extensive trials of about 22,000 miles on a special test track and on British Rail main lines and provided valuable experience for the APT's future development.
In July 1975 the experimental APT became the fastest train ever to run in Britain when it travelled at 149 mph on the line between Swindon and Reading; the following month it reached 152 mph.
The development of the APT has been the most important achievement of the Railway Technical Centre and its construction has involved close co-operation between the Centre and the two BREL works, both in Derby, which built the vehicles for the three pre-production electric APT's. The most notable feature of the APT is its unique suspension system, which allows it to operate at faster speeds on curves. Incorporated into the bogie is an electro-hydraulic/pneumatic roll (that is, tilting suspension) so that on curves all coaches tilt (or 'bank') by up to 9° under automatic control to maintain passenger comfort. About half of British Rail's major routes are made up of curves and half of these are relatively sharp. APTs are designed to negotiate these curves at speeds some 20 to 40 per cent above those of conventional trains, leading to higher average speeds and also saving energy as less braking and acceleration are required. Pre-production APTs will have one or two 4,000-horsepower power cars, which will be in the centre of the train, and up to 11 or 12 'trailer' vehicles (passenger coaches). At each end of the train there will be a driving trailer car, incorporating a driving cab and aerodynamically shaped nose, and with 52 second-class seats. Ordinary APT first-class and second-class coaches are designed to seat 47 and 72 passengers respectively. Coaches are being built of aluminium alloy, resulting in a saving of 40 per cent in weight compared with conventional steel coaches, but with no loss of strength. Several features, such as full air-conditioning, double glazing and power-operated sliding doors, will be similar to those contained in HST passenger coaches. Hydrokinetic brakes will ensure that the APTs will be able to stop within the, distances allowed for by current trains running at 100 mph.
The first pre-production electric APT has been completed and is being used for testing purposes and crew training. Later in 1979 British Rail plans to introduce this APT on the electrified London (Euston)-Glasgow route, running to the existing timetable at speeds of up to 100 mph. The other two pre-production APTs are expected to be brought into service in 1980. When all three are in operation, new schedules will be introduced so that the APTs will run at speeds of up to 125 mph, leading to the journey time for the 401 miles between the two cities being reduced from 5 hours by conventional train to 4 hours 15 minutes, some 35 minutes less than would be taken by an HST running at 125 mph where possible, but observing existing speed restrictions on curves.
Following these trial operations, British Rail plans to build APTs for use on all its main daytime services between London and Glasgow. In the longer term it plans to operate a substantial fleet of APTs and a diesel-powered version may be developed for use on non-electrified lines.
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