UK West Coast new speed record attempt failed
![](https://www.railtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Avanti-Pendolino-at-Wigan-Avanti-960.jpeg)
An attempt to break a 37-year old speed record on Europe’s busiest mixed-traffic route has failed, by just 21 seconds, on a journey lasting almost four hours. Passenger operator Avanti West Coast, with cooperation from the infrastructure agency Network Rail and other operators, attempted a non-stop run between London Euston and Glasgow Central in an effort to beat the 1984 speed record for the journey. An unforeseen temporary speed restriction just a few miles from the final destination put paid to the attempt, with the train pulling to a halt just 21 seconds outside the record.
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When APT was cancelled British Rail sold the patents for the world’s first active tilt train mechanism to Fiat Ferroviaria which built the Pendolino trains in Italy so the Avanti West Coast trains use adapted from APT tilt technology.
How interesting that after 37 years the record still stands. The APT has certainly proved itself, and is the forefather of Pendolino, according to Jason Leahy´s comment, which I was not previously aware of. It is a shame that we do not have the confidence to do things ourselves rather than believing that there are others in different countries who can do things better. There are so many examples where similar things have happened in other industries including aerospace and auto engineering.
This is worth looking at for lessons learned.