The Weekend Commute

About

Commuting in Great Britain in the 1990s: the average one-way commute to work is now 38 minutes in London, 33 minutes in the south-east, and 21 minutes in the rest of the country.

Join the NVR in a celebration of the 1990 Train Commute as we hand over our services to remember the commuter days of the 1990s.

• Travel the Commute on the HST and Pacer on the same day
• HST and Pacer Fletton Branch Services
• Buffet Car and Trolley Services
• Change trains at stations with the regular timetable
• Wansford Cafe (9am - 4pm) and Shop (9am - 3pm) Open
• Overton Team Room Open (10am - 3pm)
• HST Driving Experience Courses 9th August and 12th August

HSTs were originally developed by British Rail (BR) in the early 1970s to be used as a short-term stopgap while it developed the tilting advanced passenger train (APT). In the event, the APT project was a failure and the HSTs became a big success. The HSTs, or InterCity 125s, are now widely regarded as one of the most successful trains to have operated on the British railway network, both in terms of their initial impact and their longevity.

Their introduction into service between 1976 and 1982 resulted in significantly reduced journey times and large increases in customer numbers on the routes on which they were operated. The trains have proved to be a reliable workhorse, remaining in front-line service for decades. The first withdrawals began in 2017 – 41 years after they were first introduced – to be replaced with more modern trains.

Please be aware that we do not currently have wheelchair access on our HST services. Please call to discuss limited accessibility access.

Pacer was the operational name of the British Rail Class 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 diesel multiple unit railbuses, built between 1980 and 1987. They were inexpensively developed using a passenger body based on the Leyland National bus on top of a chassis based on the HSFV1 research vehicle. The railbuses were intended as a short-term solution to a shortage of rolling stock, with a lifespan of no more than 20 years. As modernised replacements were lacking, the Pacer fleet remained in service on some lines until 2021 – 37 years after their introduction in 1984.