Scotrail Class 68 Diagrams

[matt]

Yes there is the 17:08 Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton and the 17:18 to Cardenden

 

[route101]

Yes there is the 17:08 Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton and the 17:18 to Cardenden

I see , still going . Once these services were merged and went to Cardenden.

 

[MatthewRead]

Yes there is the 17:08 Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton and the 17:18 to Cardenden

When I went to Edinburgh the other week I was trying to get one of those services and I saw one of them leave at 16:45 and the 17:08 was cancelled could somebody explain?

 

[221129]

When I went to Edinburgh the other week I was trying to get one of those services and I saw one of them leave at 16:45 and the 17:08 was cancelled could somebody explain?

Empty Stock most likely

 

[MatthewRead]

Empty Stock most likely

Yes I saw it running empty through Kirkcaldy it only stopped to deposit it's guards and then I overtook it on a siding near Inverkeithing.

 

[Rhydgaled]

So, how busy are the evening peak services out of Edinburgh towards the Fife circle? I think I have three options for my trip in October if I start the morning in Fort William:

• 16:46 off Haymarket to Inverkeithing (where I would alight and await the LHCS)
• 16:52 off Edinburgh Waverley to Inverkeithing (where I would alight and await the LHCS)
  
• 17:08 Edinburgh Waverley to Edinburgh Waverley LHCS throughout

What are the odds of finding two seats for my mother and I to sit together with each of those options? Have the loadings on the 17:08 thinned out enough by Inverkeithing to make boarding the service there worthwhile? And are the mark 2s like the ones on the Cumbrian coast, with all seats in bays of 4 around tables that align with the windows?

 

[route101]

So, how busy are the evening peak services out of Edinburgh towards the Fife circle? I think I have three options for my trip in October if I start the morning in Fort William:

• 16:46 off Haymarket to Inverkeithing (where I would alight and await the LHCS)
• 16:52 off Edinburgh Waverley to Inverkeithing (where I would alight and await the LHCS)
  
• 17:08 Edinburgh Waverley to Edinburgh Waverley LHCS throughout

What are the odds of finding two seats for my mother and I to sit together with each of those options? Have the loadings on the 17:08 thinned out enough by Inverkeithing to make boarding the service there worthwhile? And are the mark 2s like the ones on the Cumbrian coast, with all seats in bays of 4 around tables that align with the windows?

Loadings thin out after Dunfirmline . Hardly anyone by Glenrothes . Funnily enough the guard who worked the loop then worked a 380 that took to Glasgow , so i got my ticket checked by him 3 times. You are better getting at Edinburgh as you will get a seat . Loads get on at Haymarket and South Gyle

 

[route101]

Yes same seating with annoying fixed armrests , no airline seating though.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Yes same seating with annoying fixed armrests , no airline seating though.

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, the fixed armrests can be annoying but at least I won't have to worry about having a window pillar to look at.

 

[route101]

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, the fixed armrests can be annoying but at least I won't have to worry about having a window pillar to look at.

The left side is best for views with bridges on left and coast coming back down the coast

 

[GrimShady]

I still haven't been in these yet. Are they usually packed?

 

[158820]

I did the full circle on the 17.08 on a Friday last May starting at Edinburgh and there was plenty of room in the front coach anyway.

 

[GrimShady]

I did the full circle on the 17.08 on a Friday last May starting at Edinburgh and there was plenty of room in the front coach anyway.

Cheers

 

[route101]

I still haven't been in these yet. Are they usually packed?

Busy until Dunfirmline . Haymarket and South Gyle is where most get on

 

[causton]

Haven't taken them for a couple of years but yes agreed, boarding at Edinburgh if you are there when the empty stock comes in you will be able to get a seat no worries. Everyone boards at the next couple of stops after Edinburgh!

 

[Rhydgaled]

Loadings thin out after Dunfirmline . Hardly anyone by Glenrothes . Funnily enough the guard who worked the loop then worked a 380 that took to Glasgow , so i got my ticket checked by him 3 times. You are better getting at Edinburgh as you will get a seat . Loads get on at Haymarket and South Gyle

The left side is best for views with bridges on left and coast coming back down the coast

Haven't taken them for a couple of years but yes agreed, boarding at Edinburgh if you are there when the empty stock comes in you will be able to get a seat no worries. Everyone boards at the next couple of stops after Edinburgh!

Thank you both for the advice. I did the whole trip from Waverley to Waverley earlier this week; it got busy at Haymarket (and busier still after that) as you said it would. Can't say I noticed a mass-emptying anywhere but there was indeed only a few left on board by the time we headed back down the coast.

 

[158820]

17.08 to Glenrothes with Thorton cancelled tonight due to train fault.

 

[Photohunter71]

I hear the first one coming round the sub in the morning usually around the 05:50 mark en route to Waverley. Normally around 6-ish and sometimes later, they head back round the sub going for gold (good to hear them going for it!, and occasionally if the weather is good, I'll open the sittingroom window to see them).
If you want to view them, get the 5 from town to Asda the Jewel, and walk across the car park to the Fort Kinnaird path, there's a footbridge across the lines from Millerhill and the ECML to the sub, cracking views there. My flat is adjacent!

 

[Rhydgaled]

Sorry to did this old topic up again, but I was unable to find any more-recent discussion regarding these sets. While I did get to enjoy a ride behind a 68 last October I was unable to try and photograph one of these sets on or near the Forth bridge due to the earlier sunset at that time of year. Therefore, I thought I would check if they were still running; the Frequently Requested Diagrams topic suggests they finished in December 2018 (which is plausable given the extension of electrification which has presumably freed up DMUs) but then again it only had ScotRail HST diagrams to 7th December (2018, I assume) and they must still be running.

 

[Highlandspring]

The loco hauled services are still running.

 

[Photohunter71]

I can confirm that they are still running. I see them heading to Waverley at 4pm and 5pm or thereabouts, and I see the return of one of the Fife circles around the 19:50 mark rumbling past my flat. I know they run in the morning but I think one goes past my flat about 05:50/55 ish.

 

[InOban]

I'm sure there was an announcement about the extension of the leases, but I can't remember whether it was until next month or until December. After all, a few more DMUs will be released by the Shotts line next month.

 

[Highlandspring]

Extended to December.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Thanks for the confirmation that they are still running. However as noted above the Frequently Requested Diagrams topic is out of date and suggests they finished in Dec2018, so are the diagrams the same (and likely to remain so after the May timetable change) or are they running different workings now?

 

[Highlandspring]

Nothing has changed.

 

[Altnabreac]

Also just to confirm that the Scotrail performance improvements plan included a lease extension to at least May 2020 with an option for December 2020 if required.

 

[pt_mad]

Extended to December.

Also just to confirm that the Scotrail performance improvements plan included a lease extension to at least May 2020 with an option for December 2020 if required.

Any further update on whether the class 68s will continue on these diagrams after December (19)?
Is there a derogation in place to exempt the mk2s from the PRM regulations coming into force on 1st January?

 

[MatthewRead]

Any further update on whether the class 68s will continue on these diagrams after December (19)?
Is there a derogation in place to exempt the mk2s from the PRM regulations coming into force on 1st January?

Yes there is.

 

[Photohunter71]

So are we looking until May/June 2020 and that's the end of their service around the Fife circle?

 

[Altnabreac]

So are we looking until May/June 2020 and that's the end of their service around the Fife circle?

There’s an option in the performance recovery plan to extend until December 2020. Given it’s extremely unlikely that HST availability will be resolved by May I’d be reasonably confident that it will be extended to December 2020.