A Class 385 vs a Lamborghini…
On paper it looked like a no brainer. Surely a super car like a Lamborghini would triumph over any other mode of transport it was pitted against. But it’s never come up against our Hitachi Class 385 eXpress train before… or had to make its way along the M8 at 9am on a weekday.
It was a sunny Tuesday morning in Glasgow city centre, when two radio presenters from Clyde 1’s Breakfast Show prepared themselves for the challenge ahead. Amber Livingstone was to take the new Class 385 eXpress train from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley while Callum looked overjoyed at the prospect of being driven by a professional driver in a striking bright blue Lamborghini.
As 9am approached, Amber was settling into her seat, plugging in her phone to charge, sipping on a coffee… while Callum was starting to wonder if they’d even make it out of Glasgow city centre by the time the train got to Edinburgh.
With the electrification completed on the Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk High route, trains can run much faster than ever before with the quickest time being just 42 minutes. There are ten trains a day hitting this mark while the rest average between 44 and 49 minutes – still pretty speedy!
Back in the Lamborghini, Callum was starting to feel a little brighter as the car sailed down a surprisingly quiet M8. No speed limits were broken!
On the train, Amber was relaxing, enjoying the gorgeous scenery between the two cities as the train sped along. With a top speed of 100mph the eXpress was able to go a fair bit quicker than the Lambo. As Arthur’s Seat came into view, it was clear who would be winning this challenge. Amber glided easily into Waverley, a whopping 21 minutes quicker than Callum who enjoyed the lovely views of multiple traffic lights en route into the city centre.
Amber said:
“Before the challenge started, I was nervous when I saw Callum’s Lamborghini pull up, but I shouldn’t have been. The train was a breeze. I got my breakfast and put my feet up.”
Callum added:
“I honestly believed there was no way I could have lost this challenge. If a Lamborghini can’t beat the train, then no car can.”
So, next time you’re thinking of a day trip to either Edinburgh or Glasgow, save more time for the fun stuff and take the train. Off-peak return tickets are £13.70 and don’t forget, if you take the kids with you, they pay just £1 return with a Kids for a Quid ticket.