As time goes by, progression is always happening across the UK rail network, and a major aspect of this is the trains that operate on the network. The replacement of the trains is a significant part of this process. Train operating companies around the country periodically undertake the removal of some of their life-expired, older trains in preparation for newer, much more modern units to take over the day-to-day operations of passenger work as the numbers of people travelling on the railways rises every year. Once removed from service, the next destination of these units varies as they are either transferred, stored or sent for scrap.

With fascinating illustrations and informative captions, Adam Head looks at the final months of a variety of elderly EMUs operating all over the UK network in their many different liveries and locations.