Firstly, a new Intercity Service was opened up, this one between Wolverhampton and Chelmsford. Trains also stop at Morecambe, which is unusual for an Intercity train, but the station is only used to pickup passengers on the up service, and to let down passengers on the down service, simply so that people travelling from Wolverhampton to Morecambe don't take up seats that they could get on a more local train. Downside is, the train doesn't fit the old platform
. Two HST's of 10-cars were purchased for this run.The same HST is also shown waiting for the tunnel under Treeton to clear.
Also making the news, a new DMU was purchased for runs on the west coast line, the Sprinter DMU. Four 3-car sets were purchased, marshalled into 2 sets of 6. As usual for the line, one power car was refitted to carry baggage. Following the sucess of these intial units, more were purchased, and the Metro-Cammell was finally phased out in September 1988. All of it's runs having been replaced by faster, more reliable Sprinter sets.
Already plans are being drawn up for a faster model of Sprinter, called the "Super Sprinter", which may see the final withdrawl of the Type 2 diesels, and perhaps some of the older Type 3's. Currently, aging Type 2 and Type 3's (and even some of the oldest Type 4's) are being taken to the workshop and overhauled, with new parts and a new paintjob, to extend their lifespan by another 15-20 years, although they may have worn out their welcome by then. Some of the first Type 2's, 3's and 4's to be overhauled are running around the network with whole new carriage rakes, tasked with carrying the new Mk3 coaches. Only the overhauled locomotives can haul the new Mk3's, at least until the older locomotives are brought up to speed.
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