when was the east coast main line electrified
East Coast Main Line On 1 January 1948, the LNER and the ECML alike were nationalised by the state-owned British Rail. During the early 1960s, the line's steam locomotives were replaced by Diesel-electric counterparts, such as the powerful high-speed Deltic locomotives, while sections of the route were upgraded to enable trains to be routinely run at speeds of up to100 miles per hour (160 km/h). As the demand for higher speed intensified, British Rail introduced the High Speed Train (HST) between 1976 and 1981. During 1973, the prototype of the HST, the Class 41, was recorded as having achieved a top speed of 143 mph (230 km/h) in one test run on the line. Capable of 125 mph (201 km/h) in regular service, the HST proved to be a popular and iconic train on the line. During the 1980s, the line was electrified, allowing a new generation of electric traction, such as the Intercity 225, to be introduced.