British Rail Mark 4 - Revision history

imported>Maurice Oly: After checking archive cite does not back up infomation cited

2025-12-08T00:50:22Z

After checking archive cite does not back up infomation cited

← Previous revision		Revision as of 00:50, 8 December 2025
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	\| background = #0033cc;color:white		\| background = #0033cc;color:white
	\| name = British Rail Mark 4		\| name = British Rail Mark 4
	\| image = ~~Rake of VTEC Mark 4 London Kings Cross 1~~.jpg		\| image = BR_Mark_4_buffet_(54451310373).jpg
	\| imagesize = 300		\| imagesize = 300
	\| caption = [[~~Virgin Trains East Coast~~]] Mark 4 carriages at [[~~London King's Cross~~ railway station\|~~London King's Cross~~]]		\| caption = [[London North Eastern Railway]] Mark 4 carriages at [[Leeds railway station\|Leeds]]
	\| interiorimage = VTEC Refurbished Mark 4 Standard Class Interior.jpg		\| interiorimage = VTEC Refurbished Mark 4 Standard Class Interior.jpg
	\| interiorcaption = The interior of Standard Class aboard a Virgin Trains East Coast refurbished Mark 4 TSO vehicle		\| interiorcaption = The interior of Standard Class aboard a Virgin Trains East Coast refurbished Mark 4 TSO vehicle
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	==Project Mallard==		==Project Mallard==
	<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">		<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">
	File:Mark IV TSO Interior.jpg~~\|left~~\|The interior of Standard Class aboard a GNER 'Project Mallard' refurbished Mark 4 TSO vehicle		File:Mark IV TSO Interior.jpg\|The interior of Standard Class aboard a GNER 'Project Mallard' refurbished Mark 4 TSO vehicle
	File:Mark IV FO Interior.jpg~~\|left~~\|The interior of First Class aboard a GNER 'Project Mallard' refurbished Mark 4 FO vehicle		File:Mark IV FO Interior.jpg\|The interior of First Class aboard a GNER 'Project Mallard' refurbished Mark 4 FO vehicle
	</gallery>		</gallery>

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	==Future==		==Future==
	The Mark 4s were largely replaced on the East Coast Main Line by [[British Rail Class 801\|Class 801s]] in 2019/20.		The Mark 4s were largely replaced on the East Coast Main Line by [[British Rail Class 801\|Class 801s]] in 2019/20.
	Virgin Trains East Coast were to retain seven or eight nine-carriage sets to operate extra services to [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station\|Edinburgh]].<ref>{{cite magazine \|title= Stagecoach/Virgin bid wins East Coast franchise \|magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] \|issue=1366 \|date=January 2015 \|page=6}}</ref><ref name=Rail778>{{cite magazine \|title= Review delays ORR decision on ECML train paths \|magazine=[[Rail Magazine]] \|issue=778 \|date=July 2015 \|page=10}}</ref> Virgin Trains East Coasts' successor LNER later stated this plan had been cancelled.<ref>[https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/more-new-trains-on-lner-wish-list More new trains on LNER wish list~~] {{Webarchive~~\|~~url~~=~~https://web.archive.org/web/20190809162344/https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/more-new-trains-on-lner-wish-list~~ \|date=9 August 2019 }} ~~''Rail'' 8 August 2019~~</ref> In September 2020, [[Eversholt Rail Group]] and [[London North Eastern Railway]] extended their lease to 10 by 2023. In addition, there are options to make it operational until 2024. It will be overhauled by [[Wabtec]] at [[Doncaster Works]].<ref>[https://eversholtrail.co.uk/news/ic225-fleet-lease-extension-and-overhaul/ IC225 Fleet Lease Extension and Overhaul~~] -~~ Eversholt Rail Limited~~. Retrieved~~ 2020-12-25.</ref><ref>[https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/09/lner-to-retain-10-class-91s-up-to-2023-as-overhaul-contracts-awarded.html LNER to retain 10 Class 91s up to 2023, as overhaul contracts awarded] - ~~RailAdvent. Retrieved~~ 2020-12-25.</ref>		Virgin Trains East Coast were to retain seven or eight nine-carriage sets to operate extra services to [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station\|Edinburgh]].<ref>{{cite magazine \|title= Stagecoach/Virgin bid wins East Coast franchise \|magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] \|issue=1366 \|date=January 2015 \|page=6}}</ref><ref name=Rail778>{{cite magazine \|title= Review delays ORR decision on ECML train paths \|magazine=[[Rail Magazine]] \|issue=778 \|date=July 2015 \|page=10}}</ref> Virgin Trains East Coasts' successor LNER later stated this plan had been cancelled.<ref>{{cite magazine\|last=Clinnick\|first=Richard\|url=https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/more-new-trains-on-lner-wish-list\|title=More new trains on LNER wish list\|department=News\|magazine=Rail Magazine\|date=8 August 2019}}</ref> In September 2020, [[Eversholt Rail Group]] and [[London North Eastern Railway]] extended their lease to 10 by 2023. In addition, there are options to make it operational until 2024. It will be overhauled by [[Wabtec]] at [[Doncaster Works]].<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://eversholtrail.co.uk/news/ic225-fleet-lease-extension-and-overhaul/\|title=IC225 Fleet Lease Extension and Overhaul\|website=Eversholt Rail Limited\|access-date= 2020-12-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/09/lner-to-retain-10-class-91s-up-to-2023-as-overhaul-contracts-awarded.html\|title=LNER to retain 10 Class 91s up to 2023, as overhaul contracts awarded\|work=RailAdvent\| access-date=2020-12-25}}</ref>

	[[Grand Central (train operating company)\|Grand Central]] planned to use on Mark 4 coaches (5x5 coaches + DVT sets) on their [[Euston railway station\|London Euston]] to [[Blackpool North railway station\|Blackpool North]] services; however, these services were abandoned on 10 September 2020, due to the impact of COVID-19 on passenger numbers.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Grand Central's planned Blackpool to London route falls victim to COVID-19 {{!}} Grand Central Rail\|url=https://www.grandcentralrail.com/news/2020/grand-centrals-planned-blackpool-london-route-falls-victim-covid-19\|access-date=2020-09-10\|website=www.grandcentralrail.com\|archive-date=4 November 2020\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104093924/https://www.grandcentralrail.com/news/2020/grand-centrals-planned-blackpool-london-route-falls-victim-covid-19\|url-status=live}}</ref>		[[Grand Central (train operating company)\|Grand Central]] planned to use on Mark 4 coaches (5x5 coaches + DVT sets) on their [[Euston railway station\|London Euston]] to [[Blackpool North railway station\|Blackpool North]] services; however, these services were abandoned on 10 September 2020, due to the impact of COVID-19 on passenger numbers.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Grand Central's planned Blackpool to London route falls victim to COVID-19 {{!}} Grand Central Rail\|url=https://www.grandcentralrail.com/news/2020/grand-centrals-planned-blackpool-london-route-falls-victim-covid-19\|access-date=2020-09-10\|website=www.grandcentralrail.com\|archive-date=4 November 2020\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104093924/https://www.grandcentralrail.com/news/2020/grand-centrals-planned-blackpool-london-route-falls-victim-covid-19\|url-status=live}}</ref>
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	Twelve Mark 4 carriages were refurbished for use by [[Transport for Wales Rail\|Transport for Wales]] on an expanded [[Holyhead railway station\|Holyhead]] to [[Cardiff Central railway station\|Cardiff]] ''[[Premier Service]]'' from June 2021.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://tfw.gov.wales/whats-happening-north-wales\|title=Transport for Wales: What's Happeining in North Wales\|date=2018-06-04\|access-date=4 June 2018\|archive-date=7 June 2018\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180607043551/http://tfw.gov.wales/whats-happening-north-wales\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=https://gov.wales/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2018/railservicesupdate/?lang=en\|title=Written Statement - Update on the Procurement for the Wales and Borders Rail Service and South Wales Metro\|date=2018-06-04\|access-date=4 June 2018\|archive-date=29 October 2018\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029112244/https://gov.wales/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2018/railservicesupdate/?lang=en\|url-status=live}}</ref>		Twelve Mark 4 carriages were refurbished for use by [[Transport for Wales Rail\|Transport for Wales]] on an expanded [[Holyhead railway station\|Holyhead]] to [[Cardiff Central railway station\|Cardiff]] ''[[Premier Service]]'' from June 2021.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://tfw.gov.wales/whats-happening-north-wales\|title=Transport for Wales: What's Happeining in North Wales\|date=2018-06-04\|access-date=4 June 2018\|archive-date=7 June 2018\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180607043551/http://tfw.gov.wales/whats-happening-north-wales\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=https://gov.wales/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2018/railservicesupdate/?lang=en\|title=Written Statement - Update on the Procurement for the Wales and Borders Rail Service and South Wales Metro\|date=2018-06-04\|access-date=4 June 2018\|archive-date=29 October 2018\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029112244/https://gov.wales/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2018/railservicesupdate/?lang=en\|url-status=live}}</ref>

	In 2021, Transport for Wales purchased these carriages from Eversholt Rail Group~~<ref>[https://eversholtrail.co.uk/fleet/mark-iv/ Mark 4] - Eversholt Rail Group. Retrieved 2022-03-17.</ref>~~ along with the carriages that had been refurbished for use by Grand Central; this brought its fleet to 37.<ref>{{cite magazine \|title= TfW acquires former Grand Central Mk4s \|magazine=[[Rail Express]] \|issue=301 \|date=June 2021 \|page=34}}</ref>		In 2021, Transport for Wales purchased these carriages from Eversholt Rail Group along with the carriages that had been refurbished for use by Grand Central; this brought its fleet to 37.<ref>{{cite magazine \|title= TfW acquires former Grand Central Mk4s \|magazine=[[Rail Express]] \|issue=301 \|date=June 2021 \|page=34}}</ref>

	[[Grand Union (train operating company)\|Grand Union]] proposed to operate Mark 4s on its [[Paddington railway station\|London Paddington]] to [[Cardiff Central railway station\|Cardiff Central]] services.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190622221304/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/cardiff-london-open-access-plan.html Cardiff - London open access plan~~] ''~~Railway Gazette International'' 19 June 2019</ref> This plan was scrapped in favour of using newly procured Class 802 bi-mode units from Hitachi, though this never materialised as the Department for Transport ruled against Grand Union's proposal. Grand Union have also proposed to use them on other services along the [[West Coast Mainline]] from London Euston to Stirling, replacing the Class 91 locomotives with brand new Class 93 'Euro-Dual' tri-mode locomotives for use on non-electrified lines. This plan has not yet been confirmed, but will hopefully go ahead in future. As a supplement, Grand Union has stated on their official website that they will be leased Class 22x units (Class 220, 221, 222) from EMR and Avanti West Coast (Arriva CrossCountry will not be leasing their units). In September 2024, the plan was completely scrapped after Grand Union was bought out by FirstGroup.		[[Grand Union (train operating company)\|Grand Union]] proposed to operate Mark 4s on its [[Paddington railway station\|London Paddington]] to [[Cardiff Central railway station\|Cardiff Central]] services.<ref>{{cite magazine\|url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/cardiff-london-open-access-plan.html\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622221304/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/cardiff-london-open-access-plan.html\|archive-date=22 June 2019\|url-status=dead\|title=Cardiff - London open access plan\|magazine=Railway Gazette International\|date=19 June 2019}}</ref> This plan was scrapped in favour of using newly procured Class 802 bi-mode units from Hitachi, though this never materialised as the Department for Transport ruled against Grand Union's proposal. Grand Union have also proposed to use them on other services along the [[West Coast Mainline]] from London Euston to Stirling, replacing the Class 91 locomotives with brand new Class 93 'Euro-Dual' tri-mode locomotives for use on non-electrified lines. This plan has not yet been confirmed, but will hopefully go ahead in future. As a supplement, Grand Union has stated on their official website that they will be leased Class 22x units (Class 220, 221, 222) from EMR and Avanti West Coast (Arriva CrossCountry will not be leasing their units). In September 2024, the plan was completely scrapped after Grand Union was bought out by FirstGroup.

	==References==		==References==

imported>Danners430: Reverted 1 edit by 2A00:23C8:3788:5101:B4D9:4544:A4C5:CE89 (talk): Only for current operators

2025-06-05T16:00:51Z

Reverted 1 edit by 2A00:23C8:3788:5101:B4D9:4544:A4C5:CE89 (talk): Only for current operators

New page

{{Short description|Type of British railway carriage}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox train
| background = #0033cc;color:white
| name = British Rail Mark 4
| image = Rake of VTEC Mark 4 London Kings Cross 1.jpg
| imagesize = 300
| caption = [[Virgin Trains East Coast]] Mark 4 carriages at [[London King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]]
| interiorimage = VTEC Refurbished Mark 4 Standard Class Interior.jpg
| interiorcaption = The interior of Standard Class aboard a Virgin Trains East Coast refurbished Mark 4 TSO vehicle
| manufacturer = [[Metro-Cammell]]
| factory = [[Washwood Heath]], [[Birmingham]]
| operator = [[London North Eastern Railway]]<br>[[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]]
| formation = 5 or 9 carriage sets
| numberbuilt = 314
| numberservice = 144
| numberscrapped = 19
| lines = [[East Coast Main Line]]
| service = 1989 - present
| yearconstruction = 1989 - 1992
| carlength = {{convert|23|m|ftin|abbr=on}} over [[Buffer (rail transport)|buffers]] ({{convert|23.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}} over couplings)
| width = {{convert|2.73|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (over body)
| height = {{convert|3.79|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (rail to roof)
| weight = {{convert|39.9|-|43.5|t|0|lk=on}}
| capacity =
| maxspeed = {{convert|140|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}
| carbody = Fully integral, [[steel]] [[monocoque]]
| aux =
| powersupply =
| hvac =
| doors = Hinged plug, [[pneumatic]]ally operated
| bogies = SIG BT41A<ref name="German ICE 1994">"New bogie for German ICE (Intercity Express) based on BT41", C. Freitag and S. Karch, SIG Swiss Industrial Company, Proceedings of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, Vol 208, 1994.</ref>
| brakes = Triple axle mounted [[Disc brake|disc]]s, [[Railway airbrake|pneumatically]] operated
| gauge = {{RailGauge|sg|allk=on}}|
}}

The '''British Rail Mark 4''' is a class of [[Passenger car (rail)|passenger carriages]] built for use in [[InterCity 225]] sets on the [[East Coast Main Line]] between [[London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross]], [[Leeds railway station|Leeds]] and [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Edinburgh]]. Withdrawals began in 2019, with some being sold for further use with [[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]] between [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff]] and [[Holyhead railway station|Holyhead]].

==History and construction==
[[File:VTEC Refurbished Mark 4 First Class Interior 1.jpg|thumb|left|The interior of First Class aboard a [[Virgin Trains East Coast]] refurbished Mark 4 FO vehicle]]
A small build compared with the [[British Railways Mark 2|Mark 2]] and [[British Rail Mark 3|Mark 3]] designs, 314 Mark 4 coaches were built between 1989 and 1992 by [[Metro-Cammell]]'s [[Washwood Heath]] factory to operate services on the newly electrified [[East Coast Main Line]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Met-Cam scoops MkIV contract |magazine=[[Railway Gazette International]] |issue=February 1987 |page=73}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Marsden |first= Colin |title= Lid Comes Off Mk IV Stock |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] |issue=1063 |date= November 1989 |page=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Pritchard |first1=Robert |last2=Fox |first2=Peter |last3=Hall |first3=Peter |title=British Railways Locomotives & Coaching Stock 2010 |year=2010 |publisher=Platform 5 Publishing |location=Sheffield |isbn=978-1-902336-78-7 |pages=118,121–3,125 }}</ref> They were operated by [[London North Eastern Railway]] and its predecessors in 30 fixed formations of nine carriages, with a [[British Rail Class 91|Class 91 locomotive]] and [[Driving Van Trailer]].

The Mark 4 is an all-steel coach incorporating a number of improvements over the Mark 3 stock - notably the inclusion of automatic push-button operated plug-type doors, in place of manually operated slam-doors, fully sealed gangways and controlled emission toilets (CET). Body shells were built by [[British Rail Engineering Limited]] (BREL) and [[Società Italiana Ernesto Breda]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Italians to build BR high speed coaches |magazine=[[Railway Gazette International]] |issue=December 1988 |page=792}}</ref>

After a period of evaluation in 1988, Swiss [[Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft|SIG]] type BT41A<ref name="German ICE 1994" /> bogies were selected rather than BREL Type T4 bogies when BREL could not provide commercial guarantees on the demanding lateral ride comfort required for {{cvt|140|mph|km/h}} running (BT41B/C refer to the bogie types used on the Mk4 DVT).<ref name="Watts1989">"Mark IV Passenger Vehicles For East Coast Main Line Electrification", P H Watts and M S Hawkridge, Proceedings of the Institute of Electrical Engineers, 1989.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= Swiss bogie to carry BR MkIVs |magazine=[[Railway Gazette International]] |issue=September 1989 |page=667}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= A new way to travel |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]] |issue=106 |date= |pages=40–41}}</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=May 2023}}

However, during the first year of operation in 1989, complaints were made about the "lively" ride of the coaches. This required modifications to the damper and spring rates of the bogies and the fitting of inter-coach ''car coupler dampers'' to improve damping between the vehicles.<ref>"The Mk 4 and Mk 5 coaches for British Rail Inter-City Part 2: testing, commissioning and service experience with the Mk 4 coach and development of the Mk 5 specification", J A Higton and D R Temple, Proceedings of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, Vol 206, 1992.</ref> Disabled access was another priority of the design, so the door vestibules were enlarged to allow a larger turning circle for a wheelchair. With continually increasing levels of overcrowding, the 'gangway passenger' had become an important consideration, so the vestibule environment was improved with carpeted walls, better lighting, sealed gangways, and carriage doors plus four [[flip-down seat]]s per vestibule (since removed and replaced with bench style perch seats).{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

Many of these innovations came from the abandoned [[British Rail Class 370|Advanced Passenger Train]], upon which the Mark 4 was heavily based. This influence was most obvious with the profiled sides, intended to allow the retrofitting of tilt-equipped bogies derived from the APT. This would have allowed up to 6° of tilt; modified coaches would have been designated ''Mark 4 T'', but this plan was abandoned in January 1986. The business case for the Mark 4 also anticipated their operation on the [[West Coast Main Line]] as a follow-on order after the East Coast Main Line electrification, but after the failure of the [[InterCity 250]] project to gain Treasury support, British Rail ordered a small number of [[British Rail Class 90|Class 90]] locomotives to supplement existing locomotives on the West Coast Main Line.

The Mark 4 has gained widespread praise for its exceptional [[crashworthiness]], something that was proven in the [[Hatfield rail crash|Hatfield]] and [[Selby rail crash|Selby]] crashes, where experts identified the integral construction of the vehicles as being a key factor in restricting the death toll.

The [[British Rail Class 158|Class 158]] and [[British Rail Class 159|Class 159]] [[diesel multiple units]], although superficially similar, are not based on the Mark 4 bodyshell; the Mark 4 is derived from the [[British Rail Class 156|Class 156]].<ref name="Watts1989"/>

The [[Mark 4 (Iarnród Éireann)|Iarnród Éireann Mark 4]] push-pull carriages, introduced on the Irish railway system in mid-2006, are of a different design; they were manufactured by the Spanish manufacturer [[Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles|CAF]].

The Mark 4 was the first British Rail vehicle not to use [[Rail Alphabet]] typeface for interior signage and operating notices.

[[Via Rail|Via Rail Canada]]'s [[Renaissance (railcar)|Renaissance]] fleet of inter-city and sleeper coaches are derived from British Rail's Mark 4. They were built for the abortive ''[[Nightstar (train)|Nightstar]]'' services to Europe and were adapted by [[Bombardier Transportation]] to meet Canadian requirements.

==Project Mallard==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">
File:Mark IV TSO Interior.jpg|left|The interior of Standard Class aboard a GNER 'Project Mallard' refurbished Mark 4 TSO vehicle
File:Mark IV FO Interior.jpg|left|The interior of First Class aboard a GNER 'Project Mallard' refurbished Mark 4 FO vehicle
</gallery>

Between October 2003 and November 2005, [[Bombardier Transportation]], under contract from [[Great North Eastern Railway|GNER]], rebuilt and refurbished the carriages under ''Project Mallard''. Trains with rebuilt coaches became known as ''Mallard''s to distinguish them from unrefurbished sets during the upgrade programme, named after the [[LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard|steam locomotive ''Mallard'']], built in the 1930s by the [[London and North Eastern Railway]] and holder of the world speed record for [[steam locomotive]]s.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Bombardier confirmed for Mk4 refurbishment |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] |issue=1220 |date=December 2002 |page=69}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= Queen launches Mk 4 coaches at King's Cross |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]] |issue=473 |date=29 October 2003 |page=12}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= GNER unveils last Mallard |magazine=[[Today's Railways UK]] |issue=473 |date=January 2006 |page=62}}</ref>

The Mallard refit gave the coaches all-new interiors with new seats, carpeting and power points at every seat. The vestibule areas lost their flip-down seats near the entrances, with perch-type seats being put in their place. The buffet coach was turned around with first class seating converted to standard. Wheelchair-width doors were fitted and the seating capacity was increased by fitting airline-style seats in place of the previous groupings of pairs of seats facing each other across a table.

Additionally, GNER introduced [[WiFi]] internet connectivity as a trial from December 2003 and then into service from April 2004, making it the first service of its kind in the United Kingdom. Prior to [[National Express East Coast]] (NXEC) taking over the franchise in December 2007, WiFi was free in first class and chargeable in standard class; under the new NXEC franchise access, it became free for all passengers. In October 2010, under [[East Coast (train operating company)|East Coast]] operation, charges for standard class passengers were reintroduced.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/on-board-our-trains/In-your-coach/WiFi---Internet-Facilities/ |title=Free Wi-Fi for everyone |access-date=1 November 2010 |archive-date=18 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091118223124/http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/On-Board-Our-Trains/In-your-coach/WiFi---Internet-Facilities/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

All coaches were revinyled in [[East Coast (train operating company)|East Coast]] livery with the last completed in April 2013.<ref>"Last GNER blue Mark 4 set to Wabtec" ''Today's Railways UK'' issue 138 June 2013 page 68</ref> They were revinyled in [[Virgin Trains East Coast]] livery in 2015.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= VTEC's first HST in vinyl-based red enters traffic |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]] |issue=778 |date=8 July 2015 |page=30}}</ref> In February 2016, a refurbishment programme called ''Plush Tush'' commenced with new seat covers, carpets and purple mood lighting in First Class.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= First refurbished Mark 4 sets in traffic |magazine=[[Today's Railways UK]] |issue=173 |date=May 2016 |page=69}}</ref>

==Future==
The Mark 4s were largely replaced on the East Coast Main Line by [[British Rail Class 801|Class 801s]] in 2019/20.
Virgin Trains East Coast were to retain seven or eight nine-carriage sets to operate extra services to [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Edinburgh]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Stagecoach/Virgin bid wins East Coast franchise |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] |issue=1366 |date=January 2015 |page=6}}</ref><ref name=Rail778>{{cite magazine |title= Review delays ORR decision on ECML train paths |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]] |issue=778 |date=July 2015 |page=10}}</ref> Virgin Trains East Coasts' successor LNER later stated this plan had been cancelled.<ref>[https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/more-new-trains-on-lner-wish-list More new trains on LNER wish list] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809162344/https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/more-new-trains-on-lner-wish-list |date=9 August 2019 }} ''Rail'' 8 August 2019</ref> In September 2020, [[Eversholt Rail Group]] and [[London North Eastern Railway]] extended their lease to 10 by 2023. In addition, there are options to make it operational until 2024. It will be overhauled by [[Wabtec]] at [[Doncaster Works]].<ref>[https://eversholtrail.co.uk/news/ic225-fleet-lease-extension-and-overhaul/ IC225 Fleet Lease Extension and Overhaul] - Eversholt Rail Limited. Retrieved 2020-12-25.</ref><ref>[https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/09/lner-to-retain-10-class-91s-up-to-2023-as-overhaul-contracts-awarded.html LNER to retain 10 Class 91s up to 2023, as overhaul contracts awarded] - RailAdvent. Retrieved 2020-12-25.</ref>

[[Grand Central (train operating company)|Grand Central]] planned to use on Mark 4 coaches (5x5 coaches + DVT sets) on their [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] to [[Blackpool North railway station|Blackpool North]] services; however, these services were abandoned on 10 September 2020, due to the impact of COVID-19 on passenger numbers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grand Central's planned Blackpool to London route falls victim to COVID-19 {{!}} Grand Central Rail|url=https://www.grandcentralrail.com/news/2020/grand-centrals-planned-blackpool-london-route-falls-victim-covid-19|access-date=2020-09-10|website=www.grandcentralrail.com|archive-date=4 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104093924/https://www.grandcentralrail.com/news/2020/grand-centrals-planned-blackpool-london-route-falls-victim-covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref>

Twelve Mark 4 carriages were refurbished for use by [[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]] on an expanded [[Holyhead railway station|Holyhead]] to [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff]] ''[[Premier Service]]'' from June 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tfw.gov.wales/whats-happening-north-wales|title=Transport for Wales: What's Happeining in North Wales|date=2018-06-04|access-date=4 June 2018|archive-date=7 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180607043551/http://tfw.gov.wales/whats-happening-north-wales|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://gov.wales/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2018/railservicesupdate/?lang=en|title=Written Statement - Update on the Procurement for the Wales and Borders Rail Service and South Wales Metro|date=2018-06-04|access-date=4 June 2018|archive-date=29 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029112244/https://gov.wales/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2018/railservicesupdate/?lang=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2021, Transport for Wales purchased these carriages from Eversholt Rail Group<ref>[https://eversholtrail.co.uk/fleet/mark-iv/ Mark 4] - Eversholt Rail Group. Retrieved 2022-03-17.</ref> along with the carriages that had been refurbished for use by Grand Central; this brought its fleet to 37.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= TfW acquires former Grand Central Mk4s |magazine=[[Rail Express]] |issue=301 |date=June 2021 |page=34}}</ref>

[[Grand Union (train operating company)|Grand Union]] proposed to operate Mark 4s on its [[Paddington railway station|London Paddington]] to [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff Central]] services.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190622221304/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/cardiff-london-open-access-plan.html Cardiff - London open access plan] ''Railway Gazette International'' 19 June 2019</ref> This plan was scrapped in favour of using newly procured Class 802 bi-mode units from Hitachi, though this never materialised as the Department for Transport ruled against Grand Union's proposal. Grand Union have also proposed to use them on other services along the [[West Coast Mainline]] from London Euston to Stirling, replacing the Class 91 locomotives with brand new Class 93 'Euro-Dual' tri-mode locomotives for use on non-electrified lines. This plan has not yet been confirmed, but will hopefully go ahead in future. As a supplement, Grand Union has stated on their official website that they will be leased Class 22x units (Class 220, 221, 222) from EMR and Avanti West Coast (Arriva CrossCountry will not be leasing their units). In September 2024, the plan was completely scrapped after Grand Union was bought out by FirstGroup.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|British Rail Mk4 coaches}}

{{British Rail Coaches|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:British Rail coaching stock|Mark 4]]
[[Category:Train-related introductions in 1989]]