Avanti West Coast attempts new rail speed record - and it's passing though the West Midlands and Staffordshire

Operator Avanti West Coast has announced it will try to break a long-standing record for the fastest train journey between London and Glasgow.

The attempt will travel on the West Coast Mainline, taking it through Stafford and stations in the West Midlands at speeds that are normally deemed illegal.

The record of three hours, 52 minutes and 40 seconds was set by a British Rail prototype Advanced Passenger Train in December 1984.

It was allowed to travel in excess of today’s mainline speed limit of 125mph.

A first attempt by Avanti West Coast to break the record in June 2021 failed by 21 seconds.

The operator will make another bid in the spring, with a Pendolino train renumbered 390200 for Railway 200, a series of events to mark the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger train service.

It was also revealed today that the UK’s largest gathering of historic railway vehicles will take place in the summer to mark the anniversary.

Midlands train manufacturer Alstom announced its factory in Derby will open to the public for the first time in more than half a century to host the Greatest Gathering event between August 1 and 3.

More than 50 rolling stock exhibits from the past, present and future of the railways will be on display, featuring a combination of those powered by steam, diesel and electricity.

The historic locomotives include LNER Class A4 Sir Nigel Gresley, built in 1937; Southern Railway Merchant Navy Class British India Line, built in 1945 and Class 37 Cassiopeia, built in 1963.

Up to 30,000 people are expected to attend the three-day event, which will form part of the wider Railway 200 festivities.

The industry is embarking on a year-long celebration named Railway 200 to mark the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in north-east England on September 27 1825, which is credited as being the birth of the modern railway.

Alstom’s Europe region president Gian Luca Erbacci said: “The Greatest Gathering, presented by Alstom for Railway 200, is a unique opportunity to celebrate not only the incredible progress of the past two centuries but also the bright future of rail.

“This event is about bringing people together to reflect on what we’ve achieved collectively and to inspire the next generation to push the boundaries of what’s possible in sustainable transport.”

Tickets go on sale from 9am on Friday at alstom.com/greatest-gathering, with all profits split between five charities.