HST in the Fifth Decade

HST in the Fifth Decade

The period between 2016 and 2025 saw a huge change in the High Speed Train fleet across the UK rail network. HST: In the Fifth Decade tells the story of this fascinating chapter in the history of the iconic train fleet.

In 2016, 194 of the 197 Class 43 HST power cars were in service on high-speed routes across the UK, but by the end of 2023, the fleet had been removed from those services that had been the mainstay of their work since 1976, with those surviving examples operating regional services in Devon and Cornwall for GWR and in Scotland. The book has been carefully researched and produced with the assistance and cooperation of many people who have worked with the trains over the past 10 years, telling the inside story of this important period for the train fleet.

Preservation of HST vehicles has also seen a number of Class 43 power cars and Mk. 3 trailer coaches bought by preservationists, securing the future of these vehicles for future generations.

HST: In the Fifth Decade is a 260-page A4 portrait-format softback book, containing 23 chapters, covering all of the operators that have used the HSTs between 2016 and 2025. Written by former Railways Illustrated editor Andy Coward, the book is a comprehensive record of the HST fleet during the most recent period of its operation. The chapters are as follows:

Chapter 1: The story so far ...
Chapter 2: CrossCountry
Chapter 3: Grand Central
Chapter 4: Great Western Railway
Chapter 5: The GWR Castle Class HSTs
Chapter 6: Virgin Trains East Coast
Chapter 7: London North Eastern Railway
Chapter 8: First Hull Trains
Chapter 9: East Midlands Trains
Chapter 10: East Midlands Railway
Chapter 11: ScotRail Inter7City
Chapter 12: Network Rail
Chapter 13: Colas Rail
Chapter 14: Data Acquisition & Testing Services
Chapter 15: Locomotive Services Ltd
Chapter 16: Rail Charter Services
Chapter 17: RailAdventure
Chapter 18: Romic Group
Chapter 19: Exports
Chapter 20: West Coast Railway Company
Chapter 21: Preservation
Chapter 22: The Celebrity Power Cars
Chapter 23: Storage & Scrapping
HST Class 43 Power Car List