Passengers on the East Coast Main Line will benefit from shorter delays if trains break down or get disabled, thanks to an initiative from train operator GNER.

The East Coast train operator has successfully changed the rail industry's rules to allow its four leased rescue locomotives to run faster to reach any trains that might either break down or be disabled and damaged, due to vandalism and events beyond the railway's control.

For the past 40 years, light locos have been restricted o running speeds of 75 mph, despite having the capacity to go quicker. But now GNER's Class 67 rescue locomotives have permission to travel at a maximum speed of 100mph, as they already do on high-speed parcels services.

In test runs, this improvement has reduced rescue times by up to 15 minutes.

GNER leases four rescue locomotives, nicknamed 'Thunderbirds', from freight operator EWS. To ensure that they can arrive on the scene quickly, the locomotives are stabled at strategic locations along the East Coast Main Line - King's Cross, Doncaster, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

GNER's rolling stock engineer Dick Page said: "Getting the approvals to run the Class 67s at a higher speed for rescue operations has been a long and complex process. We are delighted to have been able to alter an outdated 40-year-old rule. The change means that there will be reduced delays in the rare event that a train fails or passengers are stuck behind a stationary train. "We are very grateful to Network Rail and ESG, the independent technical consultancy arm of EWS, for the assistance we received in obtaining the necessary funding and certifications."

Thankfully, GNER's trains now breakdown infrequently, following a multi-million pound overhaul that has delivered a five-fold improvement in the reliability of its electric fleet and made its diesel power cars more than twice as reliable.