Benjamin Britten (train)
| File:BR Class 86 no. 86209 "City of Coventry," Crewe, 31 July 1986.jpg
BR Class 86s hauled the train in the UK.
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | EuroCity (EC) (1987–1988) InterCity (IC) (1988–?) |
| Locale | Netherlands United Kingdom |
| Predecessor | Hook Continental |
| First service | 31 May 1987 |
| Former operator(s) | Nederlandse Spoorwegen British Rail |
| Route | |
| Start | Amsterdam CS |
| End | London Liverpool Street |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Electrification | 1500 V DC (Netherlands) 25 kVAC (United Kingdom) |
The Benjamin Britten was an international train service linking Amsterdam with London.
The train was named after the English composer, conductor and pianist Benjamin Britten.
Contents
History
The Benjamin Britten was one of the initial services of the 1987 EuroCity network.[1] It was operated as a boat train, the first part Amsterdam – Hook of Holland by train, the second Hook of Holland – Harwich by boat and the final part, Harwich – London, by train.
The eastbound EC Benjamin Britten and the westbound EC Admiraal de Ruijter had timed connections with the day boats. The return services had timed connections with the night boats.
Each of these trains lost its EuroCity label after one year of service because it did not meet the EuroCity criteria for service quality;[2] sometimes other rolling stock was used and the on-board catering was minimal from the start. However, both trains also remained in the timetable, as InterCity services.[3]
Formation (consist)
The Nederlandse Spoorwegen used three coupled Koplopers between Amsterdam and Hook of Holland.[4] Ferries of Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (the MS Koningin Beatrix) or Sealink (the MS St Nicholas) provided the shipping. British Rail used its most modern InterCity coaches hauled by Class 86 locomotives on the Harwich – London portion.
References
- ↑ Spoorwegen 88 p. 8
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- ↑ Spoorwegen 88 p. 37
Works cited
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Further reading
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External links
- NVBS Op de Rails - 2008 - Nr. 2 (Februari) – includes image of 86 254 with the Benjamin Britten at Harwich, 15 July 1987
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles that mention track gauge 1435 mm
- International named passenger trains
- Named passenger trains of the Netherlands
- Named passenger trains of the United Kingdom
- EuroCity
- Railway services introduced in 1987
- 1987 establishments in the United Kingdom
- 1987 establishments in the Netherlands
