Class 90 spotting guide
The Class 90 is a familiar sight under the wires of the West Coast and Great Eastern main lines. Built for fast electric haulage, the fleet now works mainly freight, with a handful still seen on passenger and charter duties.
Photo: Peter_Glyn · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The Class 90 is a Bo-Bo 25 kV AC electric locomotive built by BREL at Crewe between 1987 and 1990.
About the Class 90
The Class 90 is a Bo-Bo 25 kV AC electric locomotive built by BREL at Crewe between 1987 and 1990. Fifty were constructed for fast mixed-traffic work on the newly electrified West Coast Main Line.
History
Introduced from 1987, the Class 90 took over express passenger and freight duties on the electrified West Coast Main Line. Over time many passed to freight operators and to Greater Anglia for London–Norwich services; today the fleet is largely freight-focused, with some examples in preservation-era liveries.
How to identify it
Look for a boxy electric locomotive with a pantograph on the roof and a full-width cab at each end, always running under the overhead wires. Running numbers are in the 90xxx series, in liveries such as Freightliner, DB Cargo and GB Railfreight — and some still in former EWS maroon.
Fleet numbers
Fifty locomotives, numbered from 90001, split between freight operators and a few passenger and charter duties.
Operators
Typical workings
- West Coast Main Line freight
- Container and intermodal services
- Occasional passenger and charter work
Where to see the Class 90
Crewe ★★★★★
One of Britain's most famous railway junctions — a classic West Coast Main Line spot with heavy passenger and freight variety.
Nuneaton ★★★★★
A busy Trent Valley junction on the West Coast Main Line, where cross-country routes meet the fast line — and a strong freight location.
Stafford ★★★★☆
A major West Coast Main Line junction where the Stoke and Birmingham routes diverge — strong passenger flow with steady freight.
Collect the Class 90 fleet
Turn everyday sightings into a collecting challenge — track the running numbers you've caught.