WHISKY NINE SIX LNER’s Highland Lifeline
Eight hours, 580 miles, two countries, two sets of crews and a clientele ranging from muddy hikers to movie stars and royalty; LNER’s ‘Highland Chieftain’ is a unique operation for many reasons.
Named trains always feel special, but this one is much more than just the 12.00 off ‘The Cross’. It provides a vital connection between London, Edinburgh and the Highlands, a social and economic thread that supports cities, towns and villages along the route and supports a booming Scottish tourist industry.
Anglo-Scottish traffic has been vital to railway companies since the mid-19th century, when the piecemeal construction of the two main lines to the North was completed and through trains started to operate. From the outset, railway companies competed fiercely for this lucrative business, transporting the aristocracy, wealthy families and their entourages to Scotland for hunting and fishing.
Comfort and speed were key to winning this traffic, and over the years both day and night trains became ever more luxurious, and heavier.
Flagship
Most famous of them all is the East Coast Main Line’s ‘Flying Scotsman’, which began in 1862 and is still one of LNER’s flagship trains. The ‘Chieftain’ is, by comparison, a mere toddler, having been launched by BR’s Inter-City sector in May 1984.
Over the decades, thanks to faster and more frequent trains, long-distance rail travel has become a somewhat more democratic affair, and while the tweed-clad aristocracy are no longer in evidence, trains to and from Scotland are busier than ever.
Today, LNER carries more than four million passengers a year on its Anglo-Scottish trains. On a hot Friday in mid-August, with the Edinburgh Festival in full swing, it feels like a high percentage of those are on our HST as it heads north!
Walking across the concourse at King’s Cross, the changing face of LNER is illustrated by a sleek Class 800 ‘Azuma’ mingling with the familiar HSTs and InterCity 225 sets. Only the train information boards give any clue to the unique place of the 12.00 departure among the many other LNER trains heading north every day. Walking up to nameplates. It’s partner for is No. 43309. Both are East Coast Main Line veterans dating from late 1978.
