British Rail Class 91
LNER Class 91 passingPotters Bar
Type and origin Power type Electric Designer GEC Transportation Projects[1] Builder BRELCrewe Works Build date 1988–1991 Total produced 31 Rebuilder Adtranz Rebuild date 2000–2003 Number rebuilt 31
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B  • UIC Bo′Bo′  • Commonwealth Bo-Bo Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge Bogies BREL BP52[1] Wheel diameter 970 mm (3 ft 2.19 in)[2] Minimum curve 80.000 m (262 ft 5.61 in)[1] Wheelbase 10.500 m (34 ft5+3⁄8 in)[3] ​  • Bogie 3.350 m (10 ft 11.9 in)[3] Length: ​  • Over body 19.400 m (63 ft7+3⁄4 in)[2] Width 2.740 m (8 ft11+7⁄8 in)[1] Height 3.757 m (12 ft3+15⁄16 in)[1] Loco weight 85.25tonnes (83.90long tons; 93.97short tons)[1] Electric system/s 25 kV 50 Hz ACoverhead Current pickups Pantograph (Brecknell Willis high speed) Traction motors 4 × GEC G426AZDC[1] Gear ratio 1.741:1[1] MU working TDM[4]: 8  Train heating Electric Train Supply, index 95 (1000 V, 600 A,[4]: 9  max 475 kW) Loco brake Pneumatic (disc andtread)andrheostatic[note 1] Train brakes Pneumatic Safety systems AWS TPWS[1] Couplers DropheadBuckeye
Performance figures Maximum speed Design: 140 mph (225 km/h)[1] Service: 125 mph (201 km/h)[1] No. 2 cab leading: 110 mph (177 km/h) Aslight locomotive: 75 mph (121 km/h)[note 2] Power output: ​  • Starting 4.70 MW (6,300 hp) at rails[3][1]  • Continuous 4.54 MW (6,090 hp) at rails[1][5] Tractive effort: ​  • Starting 190 kN (43,000 lbf)[2]  • Continuous 107 kN (24,000 lbf) at 95 mph (153 km/h)[2] Brakeforce Rheostatic: 83 kN (19,000 lbf) max.[note 3]
Career Operators Current: London North Eastern Railway Europhoenix[6] Former: British Rail (InterCity) Great North Eastern Railway National Express East Coast East Coast (DOR) Virgin Trains East Coast Numbers As built: 91001–91031 Post 2000–2003 refit: 91101–91122, 91124–91132 Official name Electra Axle load class Route availability 7 Current owner Eversholt Rail Group Europhoenix[7] Disposition In service: 12 Stored: 6 Scrapped: 12 Preserved: 1

TheBritish Rail Class 91 is ahigh-speedelectric locomotive, which produces power of 4,830 kW (6,480 hp); it was ordered as a component of theEast Coast Main Line modernisation and electrification programme of the late 1980s. The Class 91s were given the auxiliary name ofInterCity 225 to indicate their envisaged top speed of 225 km/h (140 mph); they were also referred to asElectras byBritish Rail during their development and throughout the electrification of the East Coast Main Line.

The locomotive body shells are of all-steel construction. Unusually, the motors are body mounted and drive bogie-mounted gearboxes viacardan shafts; this reduces theunsprung mass and hence track wear at high speeds. The locomotive also features an underslung transformer, therefore the body is relatively empty compared to contemporary electric locomotives. Much of the engineering specification for the locomotive was derived from the research and operational experience of theAPT-P.^[2][5]

The other end of the InterCity 225 train set is formed of a Mark 4Driving Van Trailer, built with a similar body shell to the Class 91 locomotives but with only one driving cab.

The origins of the Class 91 are closely associated with theEast Coast Main Line (ECML) on which it has been primarily operated. During the 1950s,British Rail had considered electrification of the ECML to be of equal importance to theWest Coast Main Line (WCML), but various political factors led to the envisioned electrification programme being delayed for decades; as an alternative, high-speed diesel traction, theDeltic and then theInterCity 125, was introduced upon the route during the 1960s and 1970s.^[8] During the 1970s, a working group of British Rail andDepartment of Transport officials determined that, out of all options for further electrification, the ECML represented the best value by far. Its in-house forecasts determined that increases in revenue and considerable reductions in energy and maintenance costs would occur by electrifying the line.^[9]

Accordingly, between 1976 and 1991, the ECML was electrified with25 kV ACoverhead lines. The electrification was installed in two phases: The first phase between London (King's Cross) andHitchin (including theHertford Loop Line) was carried out between 1976 and 1978 as theGreat Northern Suburban Electrification Project, using Mk. 3A equipment,^[10] covering 30 miles (48 km) in total.^[9][8] In 1984, the second phase commenced to electrify the northern section toEdinburgh andLeeds. During the late 1980s, the programme was claimed to be the longest construction site in the world, spanning more than 250 miles (400 km).^[9]

In 1989 the InterCity 225 was officially introduced to revenue service.^[11][12] That same year, the ECML had been energised through toYork;^[9] two years later, electrification had reached Edinburgh, allowing electric services to begin on 8 July 1991, eight weeks later than scheduled. The ECML electrification programme was completed at a cost of £344.4 million (at 1983 prices), a minor overrun against its authorised expenditure of £331.9 million. 40 per cent of the total cost was on new traction and rolling stock and 60 per cent for the electrification of the line.^[9]

The electrification of the ECML necessitated the procurement of new high speed electric traction. The options and requirements for this trainset were hotly deliberated for a number of years. On 7 June 1978, the electric-powered prototypeAdvanced Passenger Train (APT) was unveiled; it was at one point intended for the APT to be the next major intercity express train.^[13] However, due to various factors including technical issues, the APT programme was curtailed during the summer of 1983. Shortly thereafter, two alternative options were explored, an electrified version of theInterCity 125 (known as theHST-E), and theClass 89 mixed-traffic locomotive; these were both intended to a peak service speed of 125 mph.^[14]

Some officials within British Rail pushed for more demanding requirements for the future Intercity trainset; reportedly, BR's Director of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (M&EE) was a strong proponent for increasing the top speed to 140 mph.^[14] To facilitate this,tilting train technologies developed for the APT were explored. While BR's board had approved the ordering of a single Class 89 as a prototype, the Strategy Committee queried why the type had been favoured over a proposed 80-tonne Bo-Bo locomotive.^[14] While the Class 89 was thought to be a low-risk option for multi-purpose traction, it offered little advantage over the existingClass 87 in terms of speed. At the time, the 1950s eraClass 81 andClass 85 electric locomotives were nearing the end of their viable service lives and were quite unreliable, but their withdrawal had effectively been ruled out by a national shortage of newer electric traction, in part caused by the APT's cancellation.^[14]

A key advantage of the InterCity 225 concept over a Class 89-hauled consist was the lower weight of the former, resulting in less slippage and greater acceleration over the latter.^[14] Appraisals also determined that the Class 89 was comparatively inferior in financial terms, in part due to the InterCity 225's prospective compatibility with WCML traction, reducing its development costs. A further cost-saving measure was the decision to base the InterCity 225's technologies on the APT. BR reportedly stated that it had derived 90% of the former's engineering from the latter.^[14] Thus, the study group recommended that the InterCity 225 be pursued as the preferred option, while the Class 89 and HST-E initiatives serve as back-ups. Despite this, the HST-E effort was promptly aborted, whileBrush Traction decided to de-prioritise work on the Class 89 after learning that it was unlikely to lead to volume production.^[14]

By spring 1984, favour was being given towards the adoption of a tilting carriage, tentatively designated as the Mk 4; this was viewed as superior to the existing Mk 3 and enabled a single design to be shared between the ECML and WCML.^[14] At one point, it was envisaged that the InterCity 225 would be extremely ubiquitous, even potentially having the capability built into it to operate over the southern third-rail network and within theChannel Tunnel; by mid 1984, such proposals were curtailed. Furthermore, it was decided to reduce the freight haulage capabilities of the InterCity 225, as traction for this sector was instead intended to be served via other platforms.^[14] The emergence of theClass 90, derived from the existingClass 87, somewhat reduced the pressure for the InterCity 225, reducing the prospective numbers to be built of the latter. Without tilting carriages, it had little speed advantage over the Class 90 on the WCML.^[14]

It was decided to hold a competitivetender for the InterCity 225 programme; this measure was aimed at avoiding the difficulties experienced with the APT programme.^[14] A pre-qualification document was formalised, in which various requirements for the type were laid out; these included the need to perform mixed-traffic duties (day and night passenger, parcel and mail, and overnight heavy freight services), the haulage of both tilting and conventional rolling stock, a top speed of 225 km/h, a maximum cant deficiency of 9° without the provision of tilt equipment, and that the maximum unsprung mass could not exceed 1.8 tonnes. Furthermore, BR stated its readiness to sub-contract with the successful bidder for the supply of technical information, advice and testing.^[14] The prequalification document was issued toBREL, Brush Traction and theGeneral Electric Company (GEC), as well as the French firmAlsthom and Germany'sKrauss Maffei. The inclusion of foreign manufacturers was in part due to the limited domestic experience with trainsets capable of such high top speeds.^[14] A total of three companies,ASEA, Brush Traction and GEC, submitted tenders for the design and construction of the Class 91 locomotive.^[15]

On 14 February 1985, the BR board approved the substitution of the Class 91 for Class 89 for the ECML programme.^[14] The tendering process was relatively complex, but a decisive move appeared to have been GEC's offer of a sub-contracting arrangement to BREL for the construction of the locomotive's mechanical elements. It would be GEC's submission that would be selected as the winner; after which a contract for the construction of 31 Class 91 locomotives, along with an option for 25 more for the WCML, was awarded during February 1986.^[9][14] Shortly thereafter, BREL established a production line for the type at itsCrewe Works.^[14]

The first passenger service to be operated by a Class 91 locomotive was the 17:36 King's Cross toPeterborough on 3 March 1989. From 6 March, members of the fleet began to work services between London andGrantham, and from 11 March services between London andLeeds.^[16] With the completion of theEast Coast Main Line electrification programme, Class 91 trains reachedNewcastle upon Tyne for the first time in service on 10 June 1991, thenEdinburgh on 12 June.^[16]

In service, as a part of the InterCity 225 sets, the fleet worked alongsideClass 90 locomotives andClass 317 electric multiple units. Diesel trains displaced by the Class 91 introduction were reallocated predominantly to theMidland Main Line.^[9] The InterCity 225's introduction correlated with a significant increase in passenger numbers using the ECML within two years; one station recorded a 58 per cent increase in passengers.^[9]

In the early 1990s, after the cancellation ofInterCity 250, British Rail examined the option of ordering a further set of ten Class 91s to operate on theWest Coast Main Line with UK Treasury support, however the business case for these failed to prove sufficiently worthwhile.^[17] and led to the electricNetworker Classes365,465 and466 EMU Networker stock's procurement being taken forward.^{[citation needed]}

The locomotive body is asymmetric; streamlined at the 'front' (Number 1) endto allow for high-speed operation^{[citation needed]}, but left 'blunt' at the Number 2 end so as to visually blend with the fixed sets of Mark 4 coaches in normal push-pull passenger service. Because of a design requirement that the class be able to function as normal locomotives if so required, a full driver's cab is also provided at the Number 2 end – but the locomotive's maximum speed is reduced to 110 mph (180 km/h) when this cab is at the front of a train.

During theprivatisation of British Rail ownership of the Class 91 fleet passed toEversholt Rail Group, which in turn leased the fleet to its various operators.^[16] Eversholt put all 31 locomotives through a £30 million heavy overhaul and refit process (known asProject Delta^{[citation needed]}) between 2000 and 2003, seeking to improve the fleet's reliability.Rail Magazine described it in March 2001 as being necessary because "eight out of ten failures on Class 91s were caused by the sub-standard electrics", and further noted that problems withrelays in particular were the "third-biggest" cause of failures.^[16] The refit was performed byAdtranz (laterBombardier Transportation), with technical support fromAlstom, and involved upgrades to the bogies, electrical systems,air compressors, and parking brakes; alterations to the cab layout at the Number 1 end; the replacement of the original gearboxes with newly designedVoith models; and the installation ofTPWS and a new air-cooling system.^[16] Overhauled units had their numbers increased by 100; thus 91001 became 91101 and so on – with the exception of 91023, which was renumbered 91132 due to sensitivity around its involvement in both theHatfield andSelby accidents.^[16]

During the overhaul process, GNER hired inClass 90 locomotives to provide cover for their services.^[18]

In November 2012, number 91114 had a second pantograph added as a pilot project conducted jointly by Eversholt,East Coast, DB ESG,Wabtec, andBrecknell Willis. The new design uses the same mounting positions as a conventional pantograph but pairs two pantograph arms in an opposing configuration. If there is an ADD (Automatic Dropping Device) activation or the pantograph becomes detached, the train can keep going, so the system provides redundancy in the event of a pantograph/OLE failure.^[19][20]

Locomotive 91010 (now 91110) holds the British speed record for electric locomotives, reaching 161.7 mph (260.2 km/h) while on a test run down the East Coast Main Line'sStoke Bank on 17 September 1989.^[21] Locomotive 91012 (now 91112) holds the separate record for the fastest non-stop journey betweenLondon King's Cross andEdinburgh Waverley; 3 hours 29 minutes on 26 September 1991,^[9][22] running within the 140 mph (230 km/h) speed limit but hauling a shortened set of only five coaches plus DVT. The time converts to an average speed of 112.5 mph (181.1 km/h).

Despite these successes, however, Class 91 locomotives have never used their 140 mph top speed in regular service, because testing conducted by British Rail in 1988 established that drivers could not interpret and act upon line-side signal aspects with sufficient consistency and accuracy when driving at speeds exceeding 125 mph (201 km/h).^[23] Regulations throughout Britain were subsequently amended to require the use ofin-cab signalling whenever running service trains at speeds above 125 mph,^[23][24] an option that BR were unwilling to pursue at the time.

When British Rail was privatised, the InterCity livery was progressively removed and new operatorGNER applied their corporate livery of blue and vermilion. When GNER lost their franchise in 2007, the vermilion stripe was replaced by a white stripe containing the words National Express and East Coast. National Express East Coast originally planned to repaint all of their InterCity 225 sets in the white and silver NXEC corporate livery within two years. However, the collapse of NXEC in 2009 and its replacement with East Coast saw this repainting programme cancelled. As a result, 91111 was the only locomotive to receive the full National Express livery.

In June 2010, a new silver livery with a purple stripe was unveiled by East Coast.^[25] By February 2011, locomotives 91101,^[26] 91106, 91107 and 91109 carried this livery. Locomotive 91101 was soon given maroon vinyls, with Flying Scotsman branding. Locomotive 91107 was given promotional"Skyfall" vinyls for a time during 2012–3. The locomotive later returned to conventionalVirgin Trains East Coast livery. Locomotive 91110 carries 'BBMF' Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight livery. By 2013, all locomotives carried the standard East Coast livery of silver/grey with a purple stripe. 91118 was the last locomotive to carry GNER/NXEC livery. All Mark 4 coaches and DVTs have since been repainted. On 14 October 2014, atNewcastle station, locomotive 91111 was unveiled in a commemorativeWorld War I livery and named 'For The Fallen'.^[27]

The Class 91 fleet has carriednameplates applied in various batches and themes. Immediately after repainting into GNER colours in the late 1990s, all locomotives were briefly nameless. Having initially been applied to only a few locomotives in the early 1990s using cast-iron plates, eventually the whole fleet was named, many multiple times, until all were removed in 2008. In 2011, in response to customer requests, East Coast resumed the practice. It began by naming No. 91109 asSir Bobby Robson with cast-iron plates, unveiled in a ceremony at Newcastle station on 29 March by his widow Elsie andAlan Shearer.^[28][29]

Operator	Years	Livery	Image
InterCity	1988–1996	Intercity Swallow (red, white, and black)
Great North Eastern Railway	1996–2007	Navy blue with gold and vermilion detailing
National Express East Coast	2007–2009	Interim livery (GNER navy blue with white stripe and National Express East Coast branding)
	2008–2009	National Express corporate grey and white (only used on 91111)
East Coast	2009–2013	Interim livery (GNER navy blue with NXEC white stripe and East Coast branding)
	2010–2012	Interim livery (NXEC grey/white with East Coast branding) (only used on 91111)
	2010–2015	East Coast silver with purple stripe
Virgin Trains East Coast	2015–2016	Interim livery (East Coast silver with purple stripe and Virgin red stripe)
	2015–2018	Virgin Trains corporate red and white
London North Eastern Railway	2018–2023	LNER red and white (VTEC red/white with LNER branding)
	2022–present	LNER InterCity 225 (red, white, andoxblood)[59]
Europhoenix	2019–present	Europhoenix grey, silver, and red (with a phoenix motif branding)

The fleet, which was previously operated byInterCity and thenGNER,National Express East Coast,East Coast andVirgin Trains East Coast, is currently run byLondon North Eastern Railway.

In July 2019, 91108 was the first of the class to be withdrawn.^[64] Following the withdrawal of the InterCity 125 fleet in December 2019, it was previously thought that the InterCity 225 fleet would be fully withdrawn by June 2020.^[65] However, LNER announced on 29 January 2020 that they would be retaining a limited number of the InterCity 225 fleet to deliver all of the benefits of their December 2021 timetable.^[66] LNER later confirmed that they would be keeping 10 sets in service.^[67]

In September 2020,Eversholt Rail Group and London North Eastern Railway extended their lease to ten by 2023. In addition, there are options to make it operational until 2024. It will be overhauled at the Wabtec Doncaster plant.^[68][69]

At the end of service on 15 January 2021, the remaining serviceable InterCity 225 sets went into storage temporarily as part of the East Coast Upgrade.^[70] Originally, the plan was to return the sets to service for 7 June 2021, but instead the first set re-entered service on 11 May 2021 due to a number ofAzuma sets having to be taken out of service.^[71]

Europhoenix purchased 91117 and 91120 in September 2019. They were repainted atBounds Green TMD before moving toUK Rail Leasing'sLeicester depot. They were to be re-geared for freight operation in Europe.^[72] In September 2022, 91120 moved toCrewe Heritage Centre on long-term loan from Europhoenix.

Rail Operations Group have taken a pair of Class 91s for use in testing of the newly electrifiedMidland Main Line prior to the introduction of regular electric services betweenBedford andCorby.^[73] The company has also expressed interest in using the Class 91s on high speed logistics trains.^[74]

Grand Union proposed to operate InterCity 225s onLondon Paddington toCardiff Central andLondon Euston toStirling services.^[75][76]

91132 was the first Class 91 to be scrapped, atSims Metals scrapyard inNottingham in 2021.^[63]

91131 was nominated by theRailway Heritage Committee to be preserved upon its retirement;^[77] in March 2023, it moved to preservation at theMuseum of Scottish Railways at theBo'ness and Kinneil Railway.^[62][78]

In June 2021, the225 Group was launched; their intention is to preserve a further Class 91 and an InterCity 225 set.^[79]

In September 2022,Crewe Heritage Centre received 91120 on long-term loan from Europhoenix.^[54]

• P.J. Donnison; G.R. West (25–28 September 1989), Institution of Electrical Engineers (ed.),"The design and development of the class 91 locomotive",IEE Conference Publication (312):294–298,ISBN 978-0-85296-384-5{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
• P.C. Bennett (25–28 September 1989), Institution of Electrical Engineers (ed.),"Aspects of the design, construction and testing of BRB's Class 90 and 91 locomotive transformers",IEE Conference Publication (312):279–283,ISBN 978-0-85296-384-5{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
• R. Dettmer (12 May 1998),"The Class 91 locomotive. Learning from the APT",IEE Review,34 (5):188–189,doi:10.1049/ir:19880072 (inactive 8 July 2025),ISSN 0953-5683{{citation}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
• Broom, M. L.; Smart, G. W. (1990). "The design, manufacture and assembly of the wheelset for the British Rail Class 91, 25 kV, 225 km/h locomotive".Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit.204 (26): 141.doi:10.1243/PIME_PROC_1990_204_200_02.S2CID 111232510.

• Clinnick, Richard (28 November – 11 December 2012). "Second pantograph fitted to '91' in bid to cut failures".RAIL. No. 710. Peterborough: Bauer. p. 6.ISSN 0953-4563.OCLC 49953699.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toBritish Rail Class 91.

• Coxon, Dave."IC225 and Class 91 commissioning".Testing Times.Archived from the original on 22 April 2022.
• Fabricius, Paul (director) (1988).Running to Time (Television production). Equinoxe. London: Channel Four Television Company.

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