40 Years of Class 90 Locomotives

At the end of the 1980s a fleet of fifty Class 90 electric locomotives was to commence service for British Rail. The rail privatisation in the following decade saw the fleet divided between a number of private operators, including Virgin Trains and Rail Express Systems. Their duties extended to both passenger and freight work across most of the country’s electrified network. While some examples have been sidelined, the majority of the fleet is still going strong approaching its fortieth anniversary in traffic. During that time, these locomotives have sported a variety of liveries, reflecting their diverse ownership and usage. The class spent many years at work on passenger duties along the length of the West Coast Main Line as well as Great Eastern flagship services between London and Norwich. These stalwarts even made appearances on both Anglo-Scottish sleeper services and were frequently hired in to perform East Coast Main Line passenger duties between King’s Cross and Yorkshire. Often operating in pairs, the class was used by both Freightliner and DB Cargo for their longer-distance container workings. John Jackson highlights the diversity of the class with photographs from all electrified corners of the UK railway network across their four decades at work, proving they retain their worth on the network today.