The railway connecting Peterborough and London is celebrating 170 years of service this month, and to mark the anniversary, Great Northern has released a series of videos to celebrate the transformation of the route.
Designed by the Cubitt family, the Great Northern Railway was opened in 1850 and helped Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire grow.
Since September 2014, Govia Thameslink Railway has operated the Great Northern brand, and three new fleets of trains are now in service, meaning more trains are running than ever before.
This includes Class 387s connecting London with King's Lynn, the Class 717s that deliver more capacity on the lines running into Moorgate. High-capacity Class 700s are in operation that are providing cross-London journeys to new destinations.
As part of the celebrations, a series of videos have been released by the operator and are presented by British enthusiast, Michael Portillo.
Steve White, Chief Operating Officer at Govia Thameslink Railway commented: “It is 170 years since the first Great Northern Railway train carried passengers between Peterborough and London. The railway has a proud history and a bright future. It is now undergoing a Digital transformation.
“We have introduced new fleets and expanded services increasing connectivity and accessibility. In the last independent passenger survey Great Northern was the most improved operator. We are proud to be the custodian of the iconic Great Northern name. This railway continues to serve as a vital route into London and, together with Network Rail and the East Coast Upgrade project, we will continue to invest and transform this railway for the benefit of customers.”
Michael Portillo added: “The line from Peterborough to London King's Cross is steeped in railway history, and it was great to be involved in marking this significant milestone for the railway. The East Coast Mainline is one of Britain's most important railway arteries. Over the years it has played a key part in the growth of towns and cities along the route, and still does today – which is definitely worth celebrating.”
Another two videos can be viewed below:
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Happy 170th Anniversary Great Northern Railway. Hope that GTR will retain the TSGN franchise and to add more additional trains and services not just on Great Northern and Thameslink. But also on Southern with new trains for Southern to replace the Class 455 and Class 313. As Great Northern replaced the Class 313 with the Class 717 on the Moorgate Line and Hertford Loop Line.
Maybe Great Northern (franchised by Govia Thameslink Railway) could operate on its own with another franchise when GTR loses its TSGN franchise next year. With Thameslink and Southern to separate and to operate with another franchise. Or will Govia/Go Ahead extend the TSGN franchise. And to add more trains to cope with the rush hour commute on the Great Northern routes and to order new trains to replace the Southern Class 455 and Class 313 units. But anyways happy anniversary Great Northern.