"The fitting of buffers was to reduce the risk of blocking the ECML in the event of train failure, as it takes time to apply the emergency drawbar
Furthermore, the Class 91 could run round and attach directly to the HST power car, with greater ease" ............ not that the ECML was used to running HSTs with no buffers by that date - nor that they then saw the need to fit the rest of the fleet with them !