The Capitals Limited was a named passenger train operating in the United Kingdom.[1]
 Up Capitals Limited at Wymondley, south of Hitchin, on 8 September 1951 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Passenger train |
| First service | 23 May 1949 |
| Last service | 1952 |
| Successor | Elizabethan |
| Former operator(s) | BR |
| Route | |
| Termini | London King’s Cross Edinburgh Waverley, through coaches to Aberdeen |
| Service frequency | Daily |
History edit
After the Second World War the Flying Scotsman was re-instated as an intermediate stop train, instead of holding its former position as the non-stop London to Edinburgh service. British Rail introduced a new summer-only non-stop express called the Capitals Limited on 23 May 1949[2] which was scheduled to leave King's Cross at 9.30am, with the service in the return direction leaving Edinburgh at 9.45am.[3] The journey time was 8 hours.
In 1951 the service was accelerated to offer a journey time between Edinburgh and London of 7 hours 20 minutes.[4] In 1953, the train was renamed the Elizabethan, to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and at the same time the journey was reduced to 6 hours 45 minutes.[5]
References edit
- ^ Allen, Cecil J. (1967). Titled Trains of Great Britain. Ian Allan Ltd. p. 75.
- ^ "New Express Service Inaugurated". The Scotsman. Scotland. 24 May 1949. Retrieved 27 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "The London Letter". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 22 April 1949. Retrieved 27 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Faster Scots expresses". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 2 July 1951. Retrieved 27 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Speed up of Main Line Trains". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 16 May 1953. Retrieved 27 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.