London-Glasgow rail journey record bid fails by 21 seconds

An attempt to break the 36-year-old record for the fastest train journey between London and Glasgow has failed.

Avanti West Coast’s Royal Scot train arrived at Glasgow Central just 21 seconds behind the record of three hours, 52 minutes and 40 seconds set by British Rail in December 1984, the rail operator said.

Rail expert Mark Smith, who was on board, wrote on Twitter that 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. But it’s still the fastest train I’ve ever taken from London to Scotland.”

Thank you for all your support 🧡 In the words of So Solid Crew, we missed it by 21 seconds. But we're so proud of everyone who supported us and helped us raise money for a good cause. @NetworkRail @RailwayMagazine @ActnForChildren @RBF1858 pic.twitter.com/BjrnK7C4tS
— Avanti West Coast (@AvantiWestCoast) June 17, 2021

Before the departure of the train from London Euston at 10.36am on Thursday, Avanti West Coast said it was attempting to set a new record to highlight “the ease of travelling between the home nations”.

The firm collaborated with government-owned Network Rail, which manages rail infrastructure, to plot the train’s path around passenger and freight services on the West Coast Main Line.