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FIRST MARK 4 COACHES SAVED FOR PRESERVATION

19 February 2026

225 Preservation CIC is delighted to announce that it has reached an agreement with Beacon Rail to purchase two Mark 4 Pullman Open (PO) coaches for preservation.

On Friday 6 February 2026, the preserved coaches transferred into 225 Preservation CIC's ownership and were moved to a secure location adjacent to the East Coast Mainline on which they have run for over 35 years.

As Coach 'M's on the popular InterCity 225 electric trains they worked long-distance services out of London King’s Cross until withdrawal in November 2025. They have benefited from continuous investment over their life and are in excellent condition.

The coaches are notable for their unique compartment with pressure ventilation, designed to accommodate patrons who wished to smoke on board. Not only were these among the last British Rail standalone inter-operable 'carriages' built, but we also believe they are the last specially designed smoking coaches built in Europe.

They now become the first Mark 4 coaches to enter preservation. Coming at the end of the historic ‘Railway 200’ year, they will serve as a tangible legacy to the celebrations of the past, present and future of rail in the UK.

Initially they will remain in warm storage and static use but we have ambitious goals for the future to acquire further vehicles and restore them to operational condition.

We believe that by acquiring a pair of vehicles now, we are setting ourselves up to build resources, expertise and funds before the remainder of the fleet is retired in years to come. This project required a rapid turnaround, and we are very grateful to the teams at Beacon Rail, Swietelsky UK, and RSS for their patience, kindness and support.