From the archive
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100 YEARS AGO
OCTOBER 1923
GWR speed to Chester
MUCH interest has been occasioned by the acceleration of the GWR service between London and Chester, and hopes of a‘race’were in some quarters indulged in.
The LMS, however, made no move and is apparently satisfied with its lead of 23 minutes, over a route 16¾ miles shorter. The best LMS run is by the 9.30am from Chester to Euston, 7 minutes quicker than the best down train (10.30am ex-Euston).The up train stops only at Crewe and Rugby, and has an inclusive speed of 51.2mph.
The GWR best run is performed by the 10.20am from Paddington, which calls at Birmingham only and is due at Chester at 2.13pm, an inclusive speed of 50.2mph. The feature of the GWR acceleration is the elimination of all stops between Birmingham and Chester.