40 Years of Class 90 Locomotives

At the end of the 1980s a fleet of fifty Class 90 electric locomotives was to commence service for British Rail. The rail privatisation in the following decade saw the fleet divided between a number of private operators, including Virgin Trains and Rail Express Systems. Their duties extended to both passenger and freight work across most of the country’s electrified network.The majority of the fleet is still going strong approaching its fortieth anniversary in traffic. During that time, these locomotives have sported a variety of liveries, reflecting their diverse ownership and usage. Many years were spent at work on passenger duties along the West Coast Main Line as well as Great Eastern services between London and Norwich. They also made appearances on both Anglo-Scottish sleeper services and were frequently hired in to perform East Coast Main Line passenger duties between King’s Cross and Yorkshire. Both Freightliner and DB Cargo used them in pairs for their longer-distance container workings.