Class 91 Electric Locomotive East Coast Mainline 30th Anniversary
The Class 91s began passenger service on 3 March 1989 when 91001 worked 1P26 17:36 London Kings Cross to Peterborough train so 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of their service on the East Coast Main Line.
The class 91 is a class of 225 km/h (140 mph) electric locomotives and was ordered as a component of the East Coast Main Line modernisation and electrification programme of the late 1980s.
The Class 91s were given the auxiliary name of InterCity 225 to indicate their envisaged top speed of 225 km/h (140 mph), and were also referred to as Electras by British Rail during their development, and throughout the electrification of the East Coast Main Line.
The asymmetric body style is streamlined at one end to allow high speed operation with the fixed sets of Mk IV coaches in push-pull operation. An additional requirement of the design was that they could operate as normal locomotives. This led to a second cab being incorporated into the 'flat end'.
The fleet was built by British Rail Engineering Limited's Crewe Works between 1988 and 1991. 91010 (now 91110) holds the British locomotive speed record at 161.7 mph (260.2 km/h), set on 17 September 1989, just south of Little Bytham on a test run down Stoke Bank with the DVT leading. Although other trains have run faster they have were all EMUs which means that the class 91 Electra is officially the fastest locomotive in Britain.
The fleet was renumbered from 910xx to 911xx as a refit was undertaken between 2000 and 2003 with the aim to improve reliability. The class had also been fitted with a power supply to to allow the Mk IV coaches to tilt but as tilting was never implemented this was removed at the same time.
With the new class 800 Azumas about to enter service on the East Coast Main Line the 91s 30 year reign is about to come to an end and the future of the class is uncertain. The following compilation of clips is my tribute to the class on its 30th birthday.
This compilation video is my tribute to the class on its 30th birthday.
Filmed at a variety of locations on the East Coast Mainline including Langford, Digswell Viaduct at Welwyn, Helpston, Woodwalton, Brookmans Park, Little Wymondley, Sandy and Harringay.
This video features Class 91 electric locomotives, which marked their 30th anniversary of service on the East Coast Main Line in 2019. The locomotives were introduced in 1989 as part of a modernisation programme and designed for high-speed operation with push-pull train sets. Several Class 91 units are identified, including 91101, 91105, and others. The video includes references to locations such as Peterborough, Crewe, and Brookmans Park, along with the headcode 1P26 associated with a service from London Kings Cross to Peterborough.
Fishplate has identified 10 locomotives in this video. We’ve also matched 1 headcode and 5 operators . Create a free account to see where they appear, unlock timestamps and locations, and view the full breakdown.
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- 9 Feb 2019 18:01
- 17 Apr 2026 21:18
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