HST Silver Jubilee Author:Colin J. Marsden It was in the summer of 1976 that a revolution in Britain's passenger railway operations occurred - the launch of the first High Speed Train services over the ex-GWR main line west from Paddington. From this start, the High Speed Train - or Intercity 125 as it was to become known - was to radically transform passenger travel over the East Coast ... more »main line between London and Edinburgh and Aberdeen, the North-East/South-West cross-country corridor and evenutally much of the InterCity network. With its high power-to-weight ratio and twin power cars, the rakes of InterCity 125s operated quickly and efficiently between the major towns and cities of the country. Without the development of the InterCity 125 it is doubtful whether the railway passenger industry would have been able to successfully compete against the massively expanded motorway network and the increasing scale of domestic airline business; in many ways, it was the 125 that was the salvation of the railway industry. It is a frightening thought that the 125 is now a quarter of a century old - in many respects it still seems as stylish as when it was first introduced - but the first year of the new Millennium marks the 25th anniversary of the type's introduction. In this lavishly illustrated book, Colin Marsden, who has been following the career of the 125 from the earliest days, pays tribute to Britain's most successful railway innovations of the late 20th century. With a foreword by Chris Green, Managing Director of Virgin Trains and one of the leading influences behind the development of the 125's role over the past quarter century, this book is a detailed account of the development and operational record of this most remarkable class of rolling stock.« less