The Manchester Pullman was a first-class-only Pullman passenger train operated by British Rail, targeted at business travellers. The service began in 1966, operating between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston, and offered an at-seat restaurant service to all passengers. It was hauled by electric locomotives (usually British Rail Class 86). It replaced the Midland Pullman (operated by the diesel Blue Pullman units) upon completion of the electrification of the West Coast Main Line.
The train consisted of purpose-built British Rail Mark 2 carriages in a special Pullman livery, pearl grey with blue window surrounds (a reversal of the normal British Rail InterCity livery of the period). For a while in the late 1970s, the Manchester Pullman was the only remaining regular Pullman service in Britain.[1]
The rolling stock eventually came to be seen as dated, and also could not be hauled by Class 87 locomotives because it had no air-braking.[2] In May 1985 it was therefore replaced with Mark 3 stock, when non-Pullman standard-class coaches were also added. This was part of a revival of the Pullman brand by InterCity, with Merseyside and Yorkshire services being launched on the same day.[3]
After the withdrawal of the East Coast Pullman trains, the Manchester Pullman once again remained as the only Pullman train on British Rail. The West Coast Main Line InterCity services were taken over by Virgin Trains in 1997 and the Manchester Pullman name was dropped.