5x Class 153 conversion to bike and baggage vans for Scotrail

[fgwrich]

Apologies for it being a Link from the Scotsman, however concept details and images (Including another new livery for ScotRail) have now been revealed. Apart from the slightly odd / cafe counter - and replacing the rather comfortable Richmond seats with ironing boards, they actually look rather nice.

https://www.scotsman.com/news/trans...aloXZQ-V2L23GJaBHtvOrKCDDfFdeNQISUgEbxFDegTBE

Their vivid red and blue livery would herald a new era in train travel for cyclists and snowsports fans, providing much-needed extra space to reach the Highlands by rail. Initial concept designs for Britain’s first carriages reserved for outdoor equipment have been leaked to Scotland on Sunday, showing a multipurpose interior complete with catering galley. Concept designs showing train carriages converted to carry bikes and snowboards. The internal presentation to ScotRail staff details space for 20 bikes in an area which replaces half the seats, with racks at one end for snowboards and skis. The plans show foldable shelving that could be used for other luggage instead. Ministers hope the first of five carriages will enter service next summer, coupled to existing trains. A galley area with bean-to-cup coffee machine and display fridge for sandwiches and cold drinks is also in the designs. ADVERTISING inRead invented by Teads ScotRail hopes to have the first service operating on the Fort William line next summer. However, the contract for the conversion work has yet to be awarded, which might put back its planned introduction on the Glasgow-Oban line in May. The final design may also change significantly and there are “no firm timescales” for its completion. The other four carriages are due to follow in summer 2020, when they would also operate on the Glasgow-Fort William and Mallaig line, and those between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh and Wick/Thurso. They were ordered to ease overcrowding on the routes, where passengers can struggle to find space for their bikes. The trains are planned to have a cafe on board. John McCormick, chairman of the Scottish Association of Public Transport, said: “They will be a welcome addition, providing some additional seating and an additional toilet, as well as the cycle spaces, for Glasgow-Oban services where demand has been increasing and overcrowding occurs on some services in summer.” Doug Carmichael, chairman of the Friends of the West Highland Lines, said: “The conversion is well thought out and the café hub is an excellent idea.”

Read more at: https://www.scotsman.com/news/trans...aloXZQ-V2L23GJaBHtvOrKCDDfFdeNQISUgEbxFDegTBE

 

[GrimShady]

Apologies for it being a Link from the Scotsman, however concept details and images (Including another new livery for ScotRail) have now been revealed. Apart from the slightly odd / cafe counter - and replacing the rather comfortable Richmond seats with ironing boards, they actually look rather nice.

https://www.scotsman.com/news/trans...aloXZQ-V2L23GJaBHtvOrKCDDfFdeNQISUgEbxFDegTBE

Galley area? And so many on here told me I was wrong.

Time to eat your words gents?



Agreed it does look good with the exception of the hideous seat choice!

 

[krus_aragon]

Gallery area? And so many on here told me I was wrong.

Time to eat your words gents?

True, but you could do with eating an 'r' or two as well.

 

[GrimShady]

True, but you could do with eating an 'r' or two as well.

Thanks for pointing out my autocorrect has got the wrong idea again.

 

[hexagon789]

Galley area? And so many on here told me I was wrong.

Well so many people were saying the 153s weren't going to have seats. A Galley is a nice little upgrade

 

[Ash Bridge]

Galley area? And so many on here told me I was wrong.

Time to eat your words gents?



Agreed it does look good with the exception of the hideous seat choice!

And me too Mr Shady (posting #18)

 

[GrimShady]

Well so many people were saying the 153s weren't going to have seats. A Galley is a nice little upgrade

And me too Mr Shady (posting #18)

In their defence it's still not set in stone yet. Until the first one is fitted out and is ready for service. Notice ScotRail are talking about delays already.

 

[InOban]

Personally I would have more seats and a smaller ?1/3rd space for bikes and luggage. A base where the trolley can be restocked would be reasonable.

 

[AndrewE]

Given that Summer 2020 is a long way away (and there are doubts over the actual date of introduction for the first conversion) I wonder whether they will go for the use of "classic" 153s to increase capacity as soon as they become available? Just strip out half the seats and couple them up... Then refurbish them in succession as each is completed.

 

[GrimShady]

More actual luggage racks required IMO.

 

[Aictos]

The only thing I don't understand is why do they need a different livery?

I thought that all rolling stock was mandated to have a common livery so what's wrong with these using the standard Scotrail livery?

I'm not including the Class 365s as they're a temporary solution for now.

 

[Meerkat]

That livery is awfully gaudy!
Obviously it is a splendid innovative idea and you have to take what’s available but those doors look very narrow for the very wide handlebars of proper downhill mountain bikes......
Will it be bookable? I can see it being a victim of its own success if groups of riders see that there is a special carriage - “ooh we can all go!”
My suggestion would be that if special provision is being made surely compulsory reservation and a charge is the only fair way of allocating and paying for it?

 

[InOban]

In their franchise, Abellio were meant to have special tourist trains, and I think this may be the last refuge of that commitment.

 

[dk1]

To say I am impressed would be an understatement. I know these 'impression' photos do leave a lot to be desired in reality but if the Scud comes out half as good as that it will still be all positive in my book. As posted many times by other drivers let's just hope the small cab, if being retained, is buried in at all times.

 

[craigybagel]

To say I am impressed would be an understatement. I know these 'impression' photos do leave a lot to be desired in reality but if the Scud comes out half as good as that it will still be all positive in my book. As posted many times by other drivers let's just hope the small cab, if being retained, is buried in at all times.

You must have short legs - I'm 6 feet tall and it's a nightmare trying to fit in the drivers seat of the big cab! It's a lot easier to cash up in there then in the small cab though..... I always prefer working from the small cab as a guard unless I've got paperwork to do.

 

[dk1]

You must have short legs - I'm 6 feet tall and it's a nightmare trying to fit in the drivers seat of the big cab! It's a lot easier to cash up in there then in the small cab though..... I always prefer working from the small cab as a guard unless I've got paperwork to do.

Oh my days. You are the first person I've heard to prefer them. I was hand clappingly excited l sat week when both small cabs where buried in on my 15:50 Lowestoft & 17:45 Sheringham.

 

[Ken H]

This scheme is surely a non-starter. Are any 153's coming off lease in the near future? They seem to be fully utilised in England.

 

[43096]

This scheme is surely a non-starter. Are any 153's coming off lease in the near future? They seem to be fully utilised in England.

The five 153s for this are currently on short-term lease to Northern. The ScotRail lease was agreed in advance so Northern will have to release them.

 

[Alfie1014]

This scheme is surely a non-starter. Are any 153's coming off lease in the near future? They seem to be fully utilised in England.

How about pretty much all of them, none are PRM TSI compliant and unlikely to made be, so unless permenantly coupled to a compliant unit have a very limited life beyond 2020. GAs and LNWs come off lease in the next 12 months.

 

[GrimShady]

If they can sort out the garbage seats then they're on to a winner IMO even if they are DMUs. That's goes for both 153 and 156/158s.

 

[jagardner1984]

These look great and will surely improve service levels on the West Highland Line which is so badly needed.

Don’t really understand the livery but I guess something which marks these trains as “special” is probably good. Saltire livery with some vinyls would surely have done the trick !

However. An ironing board seat is uncomfortable from Glasgow to Edinburgh. To Fort William ? Seriously. Forget it. Surely the seats currently in them, reconfigured, would be preferable ?

 

[Wst71Pa2]

Livery wise I would have done the same base blue but with basic "icon" type graphics of Bike/Ski/Ice Axe sort of thing. I remember what the roundel groups ideas were for basic indicative graphics as opposed to anything too complicated

 

[hexagon789]

In their defence it's still not set in stone yet. Until the first one is fitted out and is ready for service. Notice ScotRail are talking about delays already.

Fair enough, but it's the first I'd heard of a galley being fitted.

 

[GrimShady]

I like the idea of a separate livery, the saltire livery is so very dull. A WHL livery for a units would be nice.

Notice the image shows the unit coupled to a 156, no 158s to be seen.

 

[craigybagel]

Oh my days. You are the first person I've heard to prefer them. I was hand clappingly excited l sat week when both small cabs where buried in on my 15:50 Lowestoft & 17:45 Sheringham.

I was working a 153 today so I took photos to illustrate my point but I can't work out how to upload them here, but basically in the big cab my knees press up against the cabinet under the control panel - so I need to sit slightly sideways. In the small cab I can sit straight and still have a couple of inches to spare!

 

[_toommm_]

Let's hope they sort out the extremely small cab at the end from when it used to be a 155.

 

[Welly]

How about two more nicknames for the Class 153?
ScottieBox
JockBox?

 

[Clayton]

Oh yeh why go further and have a full blown Coffee Shop, a Bar, a Bistro and a Children Play Area!

Personally I think its fine as long as those who might use this baggage train pay the full cost of it and its not subsidised by the rest of us through taxes or the ticket price.

Ha ha! I’m not paying for that little road that goes past your house, or for that hospital appointment you’ve got booked, in that case

 

[diffident]

How about two more nicknames for the Class 153?
ScottieBox
JockBox?

JockBox has made me giggle. That's very quick thinking there!!

 

[hexagon789]

How about two more nicknames for the Class 153?
ScottieBox
JockBox?

A few more suggestions:

Scotboard
Scottie Skateboard
ScotScud