61. GC's 5Z90-01.06.20

With Grand Central shutting down its complete operation during the COVID pandemic and having a very doubtful future on the railways it has had to cancel its planned Blackpool to London services that were due to start this summer. With a set of former LNER stock and a smartly repainted Class 90 sitting in Wembley Yard since January awaiting testing and staff training runs (the unused twice daily slots have been in the working timetable since March) the time had come for everything to head north to await any developments. I hope that GC survives and that the new services are introduced bringing locomotive-hauled services back to the WCML for the first time since 2011.