Eversholt Rail has announced that they have extended the lease of seven Inter-City 225 trains with London North Eastern Railway.
The lease now runs up to Summer 2023, with an extension possible to Summer 2024.
This extension includes ten Class 91 locomotives, including 91101 ‘Flying Scotsman', 91107 ‘Skyfall', 91109 ‘Sir Bobby Robson', 91110 ‘Battle of Britain Memorial Flight', 91111 ‘For The Fallen', 91114 ‘Durham Catherdral' and 91130 ‘Lord Mayor of Newcastle'.
An additional two Class 91 locomotives are expected to be contracted, providing LNER with five spare locomotives.
Eversholt has also awarded Wabtec with a contract to complete overhauls of the LNER IC225 fleet at their Doncaster facility.
The locomotives will receive a G exam, which includes an overhaul of their bogies, gearboxes, wheelsets, cardan shafts, compressors and traction motors. A number of improvements are also planned to be completed.
The Mark 4 fleet will have an OH1 exam, which will include the overhaul of bogies, couplers, doors and an interior saloon exam.
This work will be completed in January 2022.
Steve Timothy, Stakeholder Director, Eversholt Rail says, “We are pleased to continue to work with both LNER and Wabtec, to provide a safe and high-quality train experience for East Coast Main Line rail passengers.”
Andy Derbyshire, Group Managing Director, Wabtec Faiveley UK, says “The award of this contract is excellent news for Wabtec Faiveley UK and our facility at Doncaster. We have developed a longstanding involvement with the IC225 fleet having worked on the vehicles since 2006. This continued collaboration has also been supported by the great working relationship we enjoy with both Eversholt Rail and LNER, which contributes to the overall success of contracts and projects like this”.
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I’m looking forward to bring back of LNER Class 91 on East Coast until 2024, and I would be repainted into Azumas livery? I hope see bring back the Class 89 on the East Coast Main line again.
LNER wants to keep hold of the Class 90 Mk4s for 3 years before they go off lease as most of them have been replaced by the Class 800 & Class 801 Azumas. Not a bad idea to retain 10 of them for 3 years. Perhaps they are suitable for London Kings Cross-Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley.
Class 90s? Where??? I only know of Class 91s! There’s quite a difference!
Wonderful news. Suppose LNER will keep them for London KX-Leeds, York, Edinburgh Waverley and Newcastle. With most of the Class 800 and Class 801 Azumas in service. And maybe LNER to retain some of the Class 43 Mk3 HSTs for Leeds-Edinburgh Waverley.
LNER don’t run services from Leeds to Edinburgh Waverley.
Great news for the enthusiast traveller. But why not more Azumas? This is not keeping L.N.E.R. at the front as the U.K. premier line. Or have L.N.E.R. other front line ideas to match a future long distance rival.
Richard Law
Welcome news that LNER are to retain the Class 91’s and coaches…..
We are now assured that we have a choice and can travel on a ‘proper’ train rather than one of the Hitachi’s….
Rather like the benefits of choosing to travel to the West Country by HST rather than in one of the Voyagers….
Let’s hope they differentiat between the Class 91’s and the Hitachi’s in the timetables, giving us the choice….
Oh and yes…..they could go one better and also get rid of the ugly yellow warning panels too……..an abomination on our railways for decades….
Front end running lights make them unnecessary.
If Mr. Henningham had worked on the railway, as I did for 48 years, he would have grown to appreciate the safety value of yellow panels in giving valuable warning of approaching trains!
Class 800… 😱🤢🤢🤮 Awful things they are! There was nothing wrong with HSTs for the non electrified lines into Scotland, and Class 91s for the LKX to Edinburgh services.