In 1968 British Rail introduced a prototype train that would revolutionise rail travel, and form the backbone not only of BR services, but those of the companies that took over after the privatisation of the railways in 1994. This, of course, was the High Speed Train, which introduced 125 mph speeds to the UK and cut journey times as never before.

Other fast diesels such as the Class 220 and Class 180 followed, but none have had the impact or long-term success of the 125. The latest Azuma trains, at the current forefront of high-speed travel, are also featured.