Scotrail Class 385 Discussion

[Mingulay]

looks like it, ridiculous that they're withdrawing electric units while still not providing an electric service on SDA.

Oh well just have to like it or lump it. Dunblane commuters are clearly not a priority given the dilution of service and the false promises made over the years . I’m happy with the 365 for as long as we have them . Just a shame the new timetable took the legs from us in the commuting times . I would happpily have that timetable back with 170 as the electrics on the new timetable are no faster and often slower.

Anyway. As Donald Tusk says. There is a special place etc etc for Scotrail management who mislead thier customers.

 

[Kite159]

Oh well just have to like it or lump it. Dunblane commuters are clearly not a priority given the dilution of service and the false promises made over the years . I’m happy with the 365 for as long as we have them . Just a shame the new timetable took the legs from us in the commuting times . I would happpily have that timetable back with 170 as the electrics on the new timetable are no faster and often slower.

Anyway. As Donald Tusk says. There is a special place etc etc for Scotrail management who mislead thier customers.

Like a broken record, Still bitter over that early morning service starting from Stirling rather than some small remote town further north which only got wires due to no turnaround available at Bridge of Allen

 

[mcmad]

Its not just Dunblane that's not had the promised longer/faster/greener. Any station from Dunblane to Glasgow hasn't had the promised benefits and while those travelling to Edinburgh might partially have the greener, a 4 car 365 is shorter than a 6 car 156 and no quicker overall.

 

[scotraildriver]

There are still 30 odd 3 car 385s to be delivered to operate these services. For about the 1000th time the late delivery of these units is the reason for the lack of promised improvements.

 

[snookertam]

I’ve been told the week after next for 385s starting on the Cathcart Circle. Whether or not it happens then remains to be seen.

There was a 6 car 385 on the Cathcart Circle tonight on training or testing. Do you know what diagrams/services might be covered at all?

 

[Mingulay]

Like a broken record, Still bitter over that early morning service starting from Stirling rather than some small remote town further north which only got wires due to no turnaround available at Bridge of Allen

Not bitter. Just misled and so naturally dissapointed. Scotrail and Transport Scotland committed in writing to me and in the promotional material generally faster better services whilst the reality has been a longer commute involving an uncertain connection in a cold station with portaloos. Being from Andover you may be unfamiliar with winter weather in this remote northerly outpost. Which perhaps your apparent lack of understanding of the town it’s commuters and the other towns on this service.

 

[Mingulay]

There are still 30 odd 3 car 385s to be delivered to operate these services. For about the 1000th time the late delivery of these units is the reason for the lack of promised improvements.

Thank you. I only asked if we were the last to receive them. Not doubting they would eventually arrive. When would you estimate? May ? And will the 385 be 4 car in the morning ?

 

[snookertam]

Not bitter. Just misled and so naturally dissapointed. Scotrail and Transport Scotland committed in writing to me and in the promotional material generally faster better services whilst the reality has been a longer commute involving an uncertain connection in a cold station with portaloos. Being from Andover you may be unfamiliar with winter weather in this remote northerly outpost. Which perhaps your apparent lack of understanding of the town it’s commuters and the other towns on this service.

Did you not say you were going to start using the car? I really wish you had.

winter weather in this remote northerly outpost? Is it Stirling or Svalbard we're discussing here?

 

[Kite159]

Not bitter. Just misled and so naturally dissapointed. Scotrail and Transport Scotland committed in writing to me and in the promotional material generally faster better services whilst the reality has been a longer commute involving an uncertain connection in a cold station with portaloos. Being from Andover you may be unfamiliar with winter weather in this remote northerly outpost. Which perhaps your apparent lack of understanding of the town it’s commuters and the other towns on this service.

So the speed up from no longer calling at Polmont & Linlithgow never happened, with that 5 minute reduction in the timetable being invisible?

 

[Mingulay]

So the speed up from no longer calling at Polmont & Linlithgow never happened, with that 5 minute reduction in the timetable being invisible?

The time the train actually arrives is not often as per timetable. It’s average speed in the morning is slower. Congestion I assume so the benefits of acceleration and missing two stops are lost. My morning train typically is 1 hr 12 mins. There are some off peak services that do seem slightly faster yes. Today we additionally stopped at Linlithgow as well. I assume some earlier cancellation. No issue with that.

 

[Mingulay]

Did you not say you were going to start using the car? I really wish you had.

winter weather in this remote northerly outpost? Is it Stirling or Svalbard we're discussing here?

Thank you for your kind suggestion. But speaking for many on this route we will continue to press for the promised services and not be deflected by rail industry insiders and enthusiasts who struggle with the concept of passengers first as commuters up and down the uk deserve.

 

[scotraildriver]

Thank you. I only asked if we were the last to receive them. Not doubting they would eventually arrive. When would you estimate? May ? And will the 385 be 4 car in the morning ?

They are to be mostly 6 cars which is the reason you have the 365s as not enough 3 car 385s to make 6 car sets at the moment. The 4 car units are only for the E & G long term. Any "spare" 385s are bring used to train drivers for their use on the Shotts and Cathcart circle routes from May. It is absolutely imperative we don't have another training issue when these services start. Hitachi are claiming all the units will be delivered by May, given the current rate of 2 per week it won't be far away. Here's hoping!

 

[youngac]

Looks like the 385s made their first ever trip on the Newton branch this evening.

 

[Highlandspring]

Looks like the 385s made their first ever trip on the Newton branch this evening.

Yes, 010 and 008.

 

[Mingulay]

They are to be mostly 6 cars which is the reason you have the 365s as not enough 3 car 385s to make 6 car sets at the moment. The 4 car units are only for the E & G long term. Any "spare" 385s are bring used to train drivers for their use on the Shotts and Cathcart circle routes from May. It is absolutely imperative we don't have another training issue when these services start. Hitachi are claiming all the units will be delivered by May, given the current rate of 2 per week it won't be far away. Here's hoping!

Thank you

6 cars would be plenty peak time and overkill off peak so that's good news. I understand more may be ordered at a later date ?

Still to sample the 385 . But will miss the 365 warmth in a cold morning and yet ability to open the windows. Would have been good to see them re-upholstered as nothing much wrong with them from a passengers perspective.

 

[Terry Williams]

They are to be mostly 6 cars which is the reason you have the 365s as not enough 3 car 385s to make 6 car sets at the moment. The 4 car units are only for the E & G long term. Any "spare" 385s are bring used to train drivers for their use on the Shotts and Cathcart circle routes from May. It is absolutely imperative we don't have another training issue when these services start. Hitachi are claiming all the units will be delivered by May, given the current rate of 2 per week it won't be far away. Here's hoping!

Does Hitachi, claiming all the units will be delivered by May, include the four that are currently being fitted out in Italy please?

 

[snookertam]

Thank you for your kind suggestion. But speaking for many on this route we will continue to press for the promised services and not be deflected by rail industry insiders and enthusiasts who struggle with the concept of passengers first as commuters up and down the uk deserve.

That's what to do then. Contact your MSP on the matter if you think the service is upto scratch. Don't see where you think there's 'deflection' coming from, more pointing out that you've posted the same thing repeatedly. Nobody on this forum is able to change it.

The issues affecting the Edinburgh-Dunblane service are the same as those affecting most routes in the east of Scotland. Abellio and Transport Scotland have got themselves into a mess - the former appear to be out their depth with the ScotRail franchise and it's questionable whether TS (admittedly with hindsight) should have agreed to a plan to introduce two different fleets of train at the same time.

When the North Clyde timetable was changed a few years back Helensburgh Central route lost it's morning express service to Glasgow as part of a change to a clockface timetable. Thanks to campaigning on the issue by users of the route this was reinstated later on, I see no reason why something similar can't potentially happen here - a workable solution might be to divert a couple of peak time services that would otherwise run via Cumbernauld to Glasgow Queen Street. These could instead run Edinburgh to Stirling or Dunblane with an separate service running from Falkirk Grahamston to Queen Street. There may be other practical issues I haven't thought of but my reading of it would be that a workable solution could potentially be found.

However, to place things in context, the journey opportunities are still there for passengers, they've merely been replaced with connecting services at certain times of the day. You're within your rights to seek to have this changed, but it's hardly as if the service has been swept away from under you.

Anyway, most of this is off topic. Anyone see any Class 385s today?

 

[InOban]

No sign of the light engine movement today, so I guess any delivery will be tomorrow.

 

[SC318250]

Move is cancelled tonight

 

[InOban]

None tonight either, but a path in for tomorrow.

 

[Deltic1961]

More problems and delays with the doors again today according to a little bird ......

 

[SC318250]

Any sightings outside factory of any units for delivery tonight?

 

[Stopper]

The time the train actually arrives is not often as per timetable. It’s average speed in the morning is slower. Congestion I assume so the benefits of acceleration and missing two stops are lost. My morning train typically is 1 hr 12 mins. There are some off peak services that do seem slightly faster yes. Today we additionally stopped at Linlithgow as well. I assume some earlier cancellation. No issue with that.

The congestion is due to 2tph extra between Camelon and Edinburgh. This in turn is due to Dunblane getting a faster service by skipping Polmont and Linlithgow.

 

[matchmaker]

Like a broken record, Still bitter over that early morning service starting from Stirling rather than some small remote town further north which only got wires due to no turnaround available at Bridge of Allen

Possibly the small remote town being a terminus for many services had something to do with it getting wired?

 

[InOban]

Doesn't seem to be any delivery tonight. First missed week since the New Year.

 

[Typhoon_93]

Doesn't seem to be any delivery tonight. First missed week since the New Year.

Path in for Monday and 385046 was outside today fully liveried and with delivery panel fitted.

 

[snookertam]

Post on the Scot-Rail group suggests that class 385s will begin operation on the Cathcart lines from this Monday. Appears to be an altered diagram in place for a unit (or two...) to operate a return working to Newton and 2x circles before returning to Corkerhill.

 

[Craig2601]

Post on the Scot-Rail group suggests that class 385s will begin operation on the Cathcart lines from this Monday. Appears to be an altered diagram in place for a unit (or two...) to operate a return working to Newton and 2x circles before returning to Corkerhill.

Yes have heard from an employee that class 385s will enter passenger service on Cathcart circle from tomorrow (Monday 18th).

 

[Sickandtired]

Thank you for your kind suggestion. But speaking for many on this route we will continue to press for the promised services and not be deflected by rail industry insiders and enthusiasts who struggle with the concept of passengers first as commuters up and down the uk deserve.

Well said mate. What an attitude. attitude of either a train buff or someone in the trade trying to ignore criticism. Appalling. Perhaps a new non trade site is required? Us customers just like it and lump it?

 

[Sickandtired]

Thank you. I only asked if we were the last to receive them. Not doubting they would eventually arrive. When would you estimate? May ? And will the 385 be 4 car in the morning ?

4 car no use. Often already full at falkirk grahamston.