I wonder if a farewell event will happen? Personally I'd consider it to be pointless, as all of that hoo-ha already happened in 2019, to appease the HST fans back when they worked their final services as the Intercity train they were notorious for being. I wouldn't say there's anything notable about their short career as little Regional things shuffling up and down at sub 90mph
[pedantic mode]
They are timed at 110mph on lines that do have a line speed of 110mph (or more), and yes, that includes part of the main line between Bristol Temple Meads and Penzance. Although I don’t know how fast drivers are permitted to drive them at.
For the record:
- South Liberty (near Parson Street station) to Uphill Junction (near Weston-super-Mare) is all 100mph.
- Uphill Junction to Huntspill (near Highbridge & Burnham station) is all 110mph.
- Huntspill to Cowley Bridge Junction (near Exeter St. Davids station) is all 100mph.
Granted, the rest of the line to Penzance is never going to trouble a Castle (or indeed any 125mph train such as an 80X) in terms of speed.
[/pedantic mode]
I too will be very sorry to see the Castle class HSTs go. I travel on them quite a lot. I don’t care what anyone else says, since the MK2 carriages and heritage DMUs were withdrawn, they have (by a long way) by far the best seats, ride quality, and apart from the occasional noise from the air conditioning, have nice quiet carriages. And they have nice big windows.
In comparison, the 150 class sprinters, 158’s, Turbos, Voyagers and 80X trains are absolutely rubbish.
Worse, it appears that the Castle class HSTs are being withdrawn without any new trains/stock to replace them. So this is pure cuts under the government’s cost cutting programme.
If they were being withdrawn and replaced with new, comfortable trains, it would be good news.
As others have said, there are likely to be cuts and withdrawals elsewhere as this Conservative government scrambles to cut whatever it thinks it can get away with.