London to Glasgow fastest rail journey attempt fails by 21 seconds
- Published
The attempt was supposed to show the ease of travelling between the home nations
A London to Glasgow train has failed to break a 36-year record for the fastest rail journey between the two cities by 21 seconds, Network Rail has said.
The 10:36 Avanti West Coast non-stop service, named Royal Scot, arrived at 14:29, in three hours and 53 minutes.
The nine-carriage Pendolino train failed to beat a British Rail Advanced Passenger Train's December 1984 voyage.
The train travelled at an average of 103mph on its 401 mile journey, which usually takes four-and-a-half hours.
The record has stood for 36 years
Rail expert Mark Smith, who was on board, said a temporary speed limit on the track at Carstairs, South Lanarkshire, "cost us 90 seconds".
He added: "It was a known risk but they thought we could still do it. It's still the fastest train I've ever taken from London to Scotland."
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The recorded attempt was supposed to show the ease of travelling between the home nations.
There were no regular ticketholders on board.
Instead, passengers included rail industry VIPs and subscribers to The Railway Magazine who made a charitable donation.
The money raised will go towards Avanti West Coast's charity partner Action for Children and the Railway Benefit Fund, which supports railwaymen and women and their families.
Average UK train journey times
London to Edinburgh: 5 hours 20 minutes
Glasgow to Birmingham: 5 hours 15 minutes
Manchester to Cardiff: 3 hours 30 minutes
Nottingham to Norwich: 2 hours 45 minutes
Sheffield to Liverpool: 2 hours
Source: National Rail*
*Journey times are based on average and may vary depending on the rail provider and time of travel