HSTs: Around Britain 1990 to Present

For almost 50 years, High Speed Trains (HSTs) have been the mainstay for express services for many operators in the UK. While they were used extensively by British Rail, even being dubbed ‘the saviour of British Rail’, these trains have been used by other operators as well, including East Coast, Midland Mainline, and Virgin CrossCountry. However, following their mass withdrawal in 2018–19, when the Hitachi bi-mode units came on the scene, many of the HSTs were put into storage, or, sadly, scrapped altogether. Fortunately, not everyone followed suit. Some operators have been reconsidering their potential in recent times. Colas Rail acquired some to use as test trains operated for Network Rail, and Locomotive Services Ltd have two dedicated charter sets that are used throughout the UK. Illustrated with over 230 images, this book follows on from HSTs: The Western Region. It shows HSTs over the past 20–30 years, in numerous UK locations, highlighting why they have served so long and why they should be saved.