Chris
Member
Spotted this on bbc news, some good news if the pendos can cope.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4518282.stm
High-speed tilting train on track
Pendolino
Pendolinos will now travel up to 125 mph on the main line
Tilting trains have begun operating at 125 mph between Glasgow and London following a rail network upgrade.
The first of the £11m Pendolino trains to undertake the journey at 125 mph set off from Glasgow Central to London Euston at 0945 GMT on Monday.
The train did the journey in four hours and 40 minutes, slightly more than the planned four-and-a-half-hours.
Network Rail said the move, part of an £8bn upgrade of the West Coast Main Line, would improve rail travel.
Spokesman Hugh Wark said passengers would be able to enjoy faster and more reliable journeys.
The top speed of the Pendolino was 110mph until the West Coast Main Line upgrade was completed.
The upgrade involved re-laying about 1,000 miles of track along the route in the last three years.
TILTING TRAINS
British Rail tried and failed to launch tilting trains in the 1980s
The first Pendolino train was launched in July 2002
The trains were originally forced to run in non-tilt mode
Features on the trains include video and audio entertainment
Virgin Trains claim journey times are cut by 25%
Network Rail chief executive John Armitt said passengers would reap the rewards of engineers' hard work to ensure the upgrade was completed on time.
The first stage in the route improvement programme involved an upgrade of the section between London and Manchester, enabling trains to travel at up to 125mph.
In June this year the second upgrade between Crewe, Preston and Liverpool was completed. This week saw the final section completed in Scotland and north west England.
A new timetable will be introduced next week, Network Rail said.
It also plans a number of major projects along the route to further reduce journey times and increase line capacity by 2008.
Transport Minister Alistair Darling, who travelled on the first train to make the journey on Monday, promised further improvement in journey times.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4518282.stm