HORNBY R40158 LNER, Mk4 DVT - Era 11 Coach, Grey

The 314 Mk4 coaches were produced between 1989 and 1992 at Metro-Cammell's Washwood Heath factory, specifically for use on the newly electrified East Coast Main Line, with hopes of a second order for the West Coast Main Line that never materialized. These coaches featured numerous improvements over the Mk3s, including push-button operated plug-type doors, fully sealed gangways, and a designed top speed of 140mph. The Mk4 design was largely based on the Advanced Passenger Train, with profiled sides allowing a tilt of up to 6° and newly fitted tilting bogies.

The Mk4 coaches entered service in 1989 and contributed to a significant increase in passenger traffic. Following privatization in 1996, all Mk4 coaches were sold to the Evershot Rail Group, who have since leased them to the holder of the InterCity East Coast Franchise. This franchise has been operated by various companies, including Great North Eastern Railway (GNER), National Express East Coast, East Coast, Virgin Trains East Coast, and the current operator, London North Eastern Railway (LNER), owned by the Department for Transport.

Between October 2003 and November 2005, Bombardier Transportation, under contract from GNER, commenced a refurbishment program called 'Project Mallard,' named after the record-breaking Mallard steam locomotive. This refurbishment involved the installation of new seating arrangements and the introduction of onboard Wi-Fi, a first for British rail services.

In addition to the Mk4 coaches, 32 Mk4 Driving Van Trailers (DVTs) were built by Metro-Cammell for inclusion in the InterCity 225 sets, with the bodyshell manufactured under sub-contract by Breda in Italy. While these DVTs were designed to operate with Class 91 locomotives as part of the InterCity 225 set, they have also been used with Class 90 and Class 89 locomotives.

Although the Mk4 DVTs have predominantly operated on the East Coast Main Line, they are now being cascaded down to other franchises, including Transport for Wales, due to the introduction of the Class 800 and Class 801 IEPs.

The Mk4 coaches and DVTs are currently operated by LNER and are available in the LNER livery in 1:76 Scale / 00 Gauge.

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