Our Coaches

The 114xx vehicles were the last smoking coaches built in Britain and - we believe - anywhere in Europe. They feature unique pressure-ventilated roof ducts and glass partitions similar to those fitted to the Trailer Open End TOE carriages, but they were built far later than those vehicles, as it was initially thought that first-class passengers would not require a smoking compartment.

In short – not by any fault or problem of their own! These coaches became redundant as part of the reduction in length of the InterCity 225 sets that remain in service with LNER from nine to seven cars. Reducing the trailing load of the trains enabled an improvement in acceleration, required for the implementation of the East Coast ‘Velocity’ timetable in December 2025 which delivers greater capacity and faster journeys on key routes including London to Edinburgh, Newcastle and Leeds.

These vehicles were withdrawn late last year and placed into storage. Understanding that there was no clear future for them, we approached Beacon Rail and asked to buy them. We believe that the Coach Ms are not only historically significant but also the most popular of the coaches on the InterCity 225, and so we were determined to make sure an example would survive. We also hope that by acquiring a pair of vehicles now, we can build resources, expertise and funds before the remainder of the fleet is retired in years to come.

11412 and 11426 were deemed to be in the best overall condition when withdrawn, and with the agreement of the leasing company, were set aside and not subject to any component recovery.

We are very fortunate that LNER maintained both vehicles to a very high standard; both have extremely fresh and attractive paintwork and neither requires any corrosion repairs in the susceptible areas.

Our very first job is getting them powered up, which we are working on behind the scenes as we speak. As soon as they are ‘live’, we will use them for community and charitable benefit according to our mission statement. This will include among other things, educational activities such as teaching heritage railway carriage restoration and electrical/mechanical engineering skills.

We are taking care to ensure this doesn't happen. We have an expert team of existing railway vehicle owners, together with key staff members who have driven and maintained these wonderful trains over the course of their lives, who will ensure they are kept powered up and in working order.

We also fundamentally believe in preventative maintenance. We have already, for example, begun a programme of works on the roof of 11412, which required some very minor remedial attention.

Eventually, the remainder of the InterCity 225 fleet will be withdrawn. When this happens, 225 Preservation CIC will seek to partner with other organisations to preserve a full-length set that can be used for heritage events. Our aim is for this to include at least one of 11412 or 11426, if not both.

Everything we are doing costs money. It sounds silly, but the more money that is in the bank, the more we can do - and the quicker things can be done. Alongside some minor roof repairs to 11412, the first things we will be doing are powering up the carriages and running all of the systems. We also have several exciting medium-term goals for these vehicles in the short term, including a special dining experience and enthusiast events involving a heritage bus shuttle.

The existing paintwork on 11412 and 11426 has only recently been applied and is in excellent condition, so we do not think it wise to spend money on replacing it in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, we are always willing to listen to a genuinely interested individual, group, or company wishing to fund a repaint and some bodywork restoration.

We are happy to hear from those who wish to use our carriages for filming purposes. They have a plush, modern First Class interior with 46 seats and 230V mains power sockets. Please contact us by email to discuss your requirements.