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The ''Midland Pullman'' was the name given to a former express passenger train service operating on
The operation attracted criticism because being a fixed-formation train it required a full spare set, making poor use of expensive assets. Critics also noted that the new service was not best timed for priority business use: initially the up ''Midland Pullman'' did not leave Manchester until 09:00.
Other commentators, however, praised the speed and smoothness of the journey and the luxury of the trains. Trains were later re-timed to suit business travellers better.
The service was withdrawn in 1966 and replaced by the electric-locomotive-hauled ''
British Railways
British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
' old Midland Main Line between and via and Millers Dale
Millers Dale (Ordnance Survey: Miller's Dale) is a valley on the River Wye in Derbyshire, England, where there is also a hamlet of the same name.
It is a popular beauty spot in the Peak District of England, much of the area being preserved ...
. The train completed the journey in 3 hours 15 minutes.
This service is not to be confused with the first Midland Railway Pullman coach introduced in 1874, named "Midland" which was of clerestory
In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both.
Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...
roofed design, imported from the Pullman Company in the US and assembled in Derby.
Blue Pullman
In July 1960 the ''Midland Pullman'' was relaunched as a luxury all-first-class service using two new Blue Pullman six-car diesel-electric units, aimed at covering the high end of the Manchester-London business market while services on the West Coast Main Line were disrupted during electrification. It called only at (now closed), and made the journey from London to Manchester in a record 3 hours 15 minutes. The best time between the two cities immediately previously had been 3 hours 50 minutes. The ''Midland Pullman'' ran every weekday, up to London in the morning and down to Manchester in the evening. To fill in between these turns, there was an afternoon return trip from St Pancras to Bentley, C., (1997) British Railways Operating History: Volume One, The Peak District, Carnarvon: XPress Publishing. described by railway staff as "The most luxurious ECS in the world." The train had two kitchens, and a full meal service was provided at every seat.
The operation attracted criticism because being a fixed-formation train it required a full spare set, making poor use of expensive assets. Critics also noted that the new service was not best timed for priority business use: initially the up ''Midland Pullman'' did not leave Manchester until 09:00.
Other commentators, however, praised the speed and smoothness of the journey and the luxury of the trains. Trains were later re-timed to suit business travellers better.
The service was withdrawn in 1966 and replaced by the electric-locomotive-hauled ''Manchester Pullman
The ''Manchester Pullman'' was a first-class-only Pullman passenger train operated by British Rail, targeted at business travellers. The service began in 1966, operating between and , and offered an at-seat restaurant service to all passengers ...
'' running from to via the newly electrified West Coast Main Line, with a much-reduced journey time of 2 hours 30 minutes, marking the end of the Midland line as a significant route for Manchester-London traffic.
An attempt was made to find work for the train units on the East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line (ECML) is a electrified railway between London and Edinburgh via Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle. The line is a key transport artery on the eastern side of Great Britain running broa ...
but, plagued as they were by rough-riding bogies, they were never run in revenue-earning service. The two units were eventually transferred to the Western Region to work alongside the Western Pullman
Western may refer to:
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*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
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units, which were eight-car units and included second class coaches.
Notes
{{notelistSee also
* British Rail Classes 251 and 261 * Pullman train (UK)References