- Location
- Toronto, ON, CA
“…the APTs, while the flagship of British Rail for twenty years, were notorious for a wide variety of technical faults and design issues.
The project was subject to frequent delays and cost overruns - to the point that an entirely new train, the High Speed Train, was developed in parallel because of doubts that it would even be finished. It led to several strikes due to its single-manned cabs…
…The presence of the power cars in the centre of the multiple unit caused many operational problems and safety concerns, as it inhibited the ability to safely and quickly evacuate passengers. All units after the first eight were built with power cars that partially integrated the cafe cars for the trains, allowing passengers to walk the entire length of the train and allow APTs to be operated as shorter multiple units. However, many design issues persisted with the trains even after they were rolled out nationwide.
Most notable of these are the problems with the APT’s tilting system. While British Rail long disputed claims that their trains induced motion sickness - and some recent studies have suggested that a lot of these nauseous experiences may have been placebo effects induced by the train’s reputation - what was undeniable were the constant faults that would cause the tilting mechanism to jam in a titled position. These were caused mostly by short circuits and corrosion issues, with the fault become much more common after 1995. Following the 2000 Preston Incident, where an APT entered tilt on a straight section and caused dozens of serious injuries among the passengers, the tilting mechanism was turned off.
This in turn led to slower scheduled journeys on the West and East Coast Main line and significant disruption, at a time when British Rail was facing a serious shortage of motive power and significant delays to infrastructure projects. BR Class 393 EMUs and Class 95 locomotives were both designed in part to replace the ATPs but their rollout was delayed, and when they did arrive they could not be used to replace the increasingly unreliable APTs due to their being designated for the soon-to-be completed electrification of the Great Western Main Line.
The majority of APTs were withdrawn from service after 2004, owing to the completion of the first stage of the InterCity One high speed line between London and Rugby and the rollout of replacement rolling stock. Some APTs ran on this high speed line but struggled to sustain the top speeds of 160MPH they were originally built for.
The APTs were most problematic on BR’s Southern (later SouthEastern) Region. Twenty units were fitted with third rail shoes to enable them to run interregional trains from the north and the midlands to Brighton and Dover, as well as international trains through the Channel Tunnel. The antiquated 750V third rail system did not get along with the APTs, which were limited to a top speed on 90MPH south of White City. APTs often struggled to draw power and hold the limited top speed and the powerful EMUs frequently wreaked havoc on the power grid. The units were nicknamed “black widows” by SouthEastern staff for their tendency to induce power-related failures on electric multiple units unlucky enough to cross paths with the high speed trains. On at least two occasions the presence of multiple APTs on the Brighton Main Line caused a catastrophic region-wide power failure that paralyzed the southern half of London’s railway network for an entire day.
That the final revenue service for the APT in 2010 was the Brighton - Glasgow “Sussex Scot”, was seen by some railway workers as a final insult, especially since this heavily loaded final special was blamed for several highly disruptive electrical failures around Clapham Junction that day which paralyzed services out of London Victoria and Waterloo just in time for the evening rush hour…”
The project was subject to frequent delays and cost overruns - to the point that an entirely new train, the High Speed Train, was developed in parallel because of doubts that it would even be finished. It led to several strikes due to its single-manned cabs…
…The presence of the power cars in the centre of the multiple unit caused many operational problems and safety concerns, as it inhibited the ability to safely and quickly evacuate passengers. All units after the first eight were built with power cars that partially integrated the cafe cars for the trains, allowing passengers to walk the entire length of the train and allow APTs to be operated as shorter multiple units. However, many design issues persisted with the trains even after they were rolled out nationwide.
Most notable of these are the problems with the APT’s tilting system. While British Rail long disputed claims that their trains induced motion sickness - and some recent studies have suggested that a lot of these nauseous experiences may have been placebo effects induced by the train’s reputation - what was undeniable were the constant faults that would cause the tilting mechanism to jam in a titled position. These were caused mostly by short circuits and corrosion issues, with the fault become much more common after 1995. Following the 2000 Preston Incident, where an APT entered tilt on a straight section and caused dozens of serious injuries among the passengers, the tilting mechanism was turned off.
This in turn led to slower scheduled journeys on the West and East Coast Main line and significant disruption, at a time when British Rail was facing a serious shortage of motive power and significant delays to infrastructure projects. BR Class 393 EMUs and Class 95 locomotives were both designed in part to replace the ATPs but their rollout was delayed, and when they did arrive they could not be used to replace the increasingly unreliable APTs due to their being designated for the soon-to-be completed electrification of the Great Western Main Line.
The majority of APTs were withdrawn from service after 2004, owing to the completion of the first stage of the InterCity One high speed line between London and Rugby and the rollout of replacement rolling stock. Some APTs ran on this high speed line but struggled to sustain the top speeds of 160MPH they were originally built for.
The APTs were most problematic on BR’s Southern (later SouthEastern) Region. Twenty units were fitted with third rail shoes to enable them to run interregional trains from the north and the midlands to Brighton and Dover, as well as international trains through the Channel Tunnel. The antiquated 750V third rail system did not get along with the APTs, which were limited to a top speed on 90MPH south of White City. APTs often struggled to draw power and hold the limited top speed and the powerful EMUs frequently wreaked havoc on the power grid. The units were nicknamed “black widows” by SouthEastern staff for their tendency to induce power-related failures on electric multiple units unlucky enough to cross paths with the high speed trains. On at least two occasions the presence of multiple APTs on the Brighton Main Line caused a catastrophic region-wide power failure that paralyzed the southern half of London’s railway network for an entire day.
That the final revenue service for the APT in 2010 was the Brighton - Glasgow “Sussex Scot”, was seen by some railway workers as a final insult, especially since this heavily loaded final special was blamed for several highly disruptive electrical failures around Clapham Junction that day which paralyzed services out of London Victoria and Waterloo just in time for the evening rush hour…”