43052 and 43046 on the rear get into their stride on 1B28 0945 Nottingham-London St Pancras International passing Attenborough nature reserve in some lovely morning sunlight.

The East Midlands Trains HST fleet is currently in limbo thanks to the usual meddling by civil servants at the Department for Transport. The cancellation of the MML electrification project north of Corby means the HST fleet must soldier on in service, however the incoming accessibility regulations render the HST fleet non-compliant from 2020.

Due to the former, the leasing company is unwilling fund any major work to the fleet to remedy the latter. Thus, a derogation allowing the fleet to remain in traffic unmodified looks like the way forward when, if decisions had been made in sufficient time, a new fleet of trains could have been procured or the HST fleet could have been modified in the same way as the GWR and XC sets.

A mooted project to replace the Mk3 trailers with Mk4 stock displaced from the East Coast Main Line has struggled to get off the ground thanks to delays to the IEP introduction - yet another civil servant led project. Lesson here is civil servants should keep their fingers out and leave it to the experts.

Nevertheless, with the GWR IEP fleet continuing to grow and the LNER IEP fleet introduction at some point, the Midland Main Line looks to be one of the last widespread areas of HST operation.

Tags:   43052 1B28 Nottingham London St Pancras Attenborough EMT HST High Speed Train

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With a friendly toot from the driver, 43047 (partnered by 43052) gets into its stride with 1B33 1045 Nottingham to London St Pancras seen here passing Attenborough nature reserve.

Tags:   HST High Speed Train EMT 43052 43047 Attenborough 1B33 Nottingham British Raik Flying Banana

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The driver of 43272 gives a wave and a blast on the horn as 43272 approaches East Goscote with 5M17 1020 London St Pancras to London St Pancras via Corby, Melton Mowbray and Leicester (and vice versa) route refreshing run.

With the HSTs finishing on the Midland Main Line at the May 2021 timetable change, it is fitting to see an "original" powercar returning to the fold following the removal from traffic of the Paxman VP185 fitted power cars. Of course, prior to transfer to the East Coast Main Line franchise and fitment of a MTU power unit, 43272 was formerly 43072 and christened 'Derby Etches Park'.

Tags:   EMR LNER 43272 5M17 London St Pancras Corby Melton Mowbray

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43309 at the sharp end of 5M17 1020 London St Pancras to London St Pancras via Corby, Melton Mowbray and Leicester (and vice versa) seen here passing the Samworth Brothers food factory on the outskirts of Melton Mowbray. The church of St Peter in Kirby Bellars can be seen to the right of the front power car.

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To commemorate the retirement of the InterCity 125 fleet from the Midland Main Line, the staff at Neville Hill depot in Leeds have repainted 43102 into Intercity swallow livery.

Although fitted with an MTU engine (so technically 43302) it has also been renumbered "officially" in the railway systems to 43102.

43102 is also the world record holder for the fastest diesel train and it has been named 'The Journey Shrinker' to commemorate this record.

Seen here passing the lens at Kibworth Harcourt accelerating the 1534 London St Pancras away from the Market Harborough stop. EMR purple liveried 43274 is on the rear just out of view.

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