Pullman train (UK)

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Pullman Shield seen on the sides of the company's coaches

Former Brighton Belle Pullman carriage at London Victoria, now part of the Venice Simplon Orient Express fleet

A former East Coast Main Line Pullman car built by Metro-Cammell in 1960, now in preservation. Seen at Swanage station in 2005.

The Blue Pullman DMU

The Blue Pullman recreated by Hertfordshire Rail Tours

Pullman trains in Great Britain were mainline railway services that operated with first class carriages and a steward service, provided by the British Pullman Car Company.

1 Origins
2 Nationalisation
3 Continuation
4 Notable Pullman trains
5 See also
6 References

[edit] Origins

The PCC was formed in 1882 and named after the Pullman concept pioneered in the United States by the American railroader George Pullman^[1]. The company entered into contracts with the railway companies to operate Pullman services over their lines.

As opposed to regular mainline services, Pullman trains were noted for their more luxurious carriages. The PCC had its own workshops at Brighton. Pullman Car manufacture was also carried out by Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co. and Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co.. The PCC services traditionally operated with a brown and cream livery, and named carriages. Pullman trains were locomotive hauled, although from 1932 the electrified Southern Railway and successors operated electric multiple units, the British Rail Class 403 as the Brighton Belle.

The Pullman agreements were continued by British Railways upon nationalisation in 1948, whilst the Pullman company remained privately owned. During World War II all Pullman services were suspended. They were restarted shortly thereafter. By the late 1950s the image of Pullman trains remained luxurious but the rolling stock was increasingly outdated.

[edit] Nationalisation

The PCC was eventually bought by the public body the British Transport Commission (BTC) in 1954. The BTC decided to relaunch Pullman services as part of the 1954 British Railways Modernisation Plan with diesel powered rolling stock, resulting in the building of the diesel multiple unit Blue Pullman trains. These would go on to operate the "Midland Pullman" and "Western Pullman" services from London to Manchester and Bristol respectively. These were joined in 1960-61 by new Pullman carriages built by Metro-Cammell for the East Coast Main Line Pullman services.

Despite new rolling stock the Pullman company was experiencing difficulties. Although its equity was wholly owned by the BTC, its separate staffing and operations became an anomaly on the state-owned railway system, and staffing of the new Blue Pullman had created some union disputes. The National Union of Railwaymen urged its nationalisation, which was completed in 1962. The company was thus taken over by British Rail, but Pullman trains continued to be operated.

The Blue Pullman rolling stock was a relatively short lived venture, with only 5 units built and operated, withdrawn by 1973. This had been hastened by the introduction of the upgraded air-conditioned Mk II stock and the faster InterCity 125 trains, which also resulted in the demise of the remaining Mk 1 non air conditioned Pullman services, with the exception of the Manchester Pullman. The Yorkshire Pullman and Hull Pullman were the last East Coast Main Line Pullmans and were withdrawn in 1978. The Manchester Pullman continued until the privatisation of the West Coast Main Line in the 1990s.

[edit] Continuation

The Venice Simplon Orient Express company has recreated they heyday of Pullman travel prior to World War II by purchasing much of the previous brown and cream Pullman stock from preservation trusts or general storage, and after restoration, commenced operations in April 1982.

In 2006 the Blue Pullman was recreated with new locomotive hauled rolling stock (none of the original Blue Pullman DMUs were preserved), first with the Blue Pullman (Hertfordshire Rail Tours) railtour, superseded by the Blue Pullman (Cotswold Rail) rail tour.

In 2008, the Eddie Stobart Group launched a Pullman style railtour company as the Stobart Pullman.