TRAINSPOTTERS waved farewell to an iconic locomotive when it passed through the region for the last time today.

The Inter-City 125 High-Speed Train (HST), operated by London North Eastern Railway (LNER), is making its final tour of the East Coast Main Line in old British Rail colours.

From Wednesday until tomorrow, four Inter-City 125s have embarked on a farewell tour of the route before they are replaced by LNER's modern Azuma fleet.

Today, enthusiasts assembled at stations and viewing points throughout the North-East and North Yorkshire to watch The Northumbrian on the East Coast one last time.

The train departed Edinburgh Waverley at 9.37am, crossed the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick and passed through Newcastle, Durham and York before due to arrive at Leeds at 4.20pm.

The 125s were the UK’s first high-speed trains and nicknamed “the journey shrinker” as they broke records and transformed travel times in the 1970s.

Four decades on bosses at LNER are replacing their diesel-powered workhorses with a new modern Azuma fleet, though some will survive on other lines.

David Horne, managing director of LNER, said: “After four decades of service, it’s brilliant to be recognising the contribution of the Inter-City 125 trains with one last trip along the East Coast.

“These trains had a huge impact when they were first introduced, no more so than in Scotland where it reduced journey times between Edinburgh and London King’s Cross by up to an hour.

“With the full train in its original livery, the tour gives people along the route a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the train in all its glory as it travels by world famous landmarks and landscapes.”