LONDON — Great Western Railway is retiring its Castle Class trains following their final passenger service on Saturday, Dec. 13.
The Class 43 locomotives and Mark 3 coaches have been in service on the Great Western network for nearly 50 years. Originally introduced in 1976, they were the mainstay of Intercity services across the country.
The trains stopped operating long-distance GWR routes in May 2019, following the introduction of the Intercity Express Train. They were then refurbished to support regional services between Cardiff and Penzance.
They will be replaced by GWR’s existing fleet, along with its 26 recommissioned Class 175 trains, which will be gradually rolled out throughout 2026.
To help manage expected interest from those wishing to mark the last journeys, an additional service will operate a round-trip between Plymouth and Penzance on the day.
The last service left Plymouth at 3:16 p.m., stopping at Par, before returning from Penzance at 5:32 p.m., again stopping only at Par, and arriving in Plymouth at 7:17 p.m.
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