ScotRail HST Introduction - Updates & Discussion

[InOban]

But no reports of any completed sets outside at either Doncaster or Kilmarnock ready for despatch.

 

[Northhighland]

But no reports of any completed sets outside at either Doncaster or Kilmarnock ready for despatch.

Kilmarnock surely could have built a new set from scratch the time they gave had. Must be a few in the final throws of handover.

 

[Highland37]

Kilmarnock surely could have built a new set from scratch the time they gave had. Must be a few in the final throws of handover.

Maybe Scotrail have commissioned Santa to deliver the sets for Christmas.

 

[59CosG95]

Two movements to/from Ely Papworth today; 47813 took 4 Mk3s to Doncaster Wagon Works, while 43026 & 43148 took 7 Mk3s (HA07 & HA10, minus 1 TGS) from Haymarket to Ely.

 

[weatherman222]

1312 Inter7City Aberdeen to Edinburgh didn't make as far as the Dee Bridge, engine fault, had to reverse back to station. Replacement 170, held up slightly by signal problems at Stonehaven... I see the 1207 had been cancelled due to a train fault, starting at Dundee instead, so it's pretty busy

 

[fishquinn]

I see the 1207 had been cancelled due to a train fault, starting at Dundee instead, so it's pretty busy

The 1207 is unit in case anyone was wondering.

 

[Brian Spence]

The new Scotrail timetable next month will see a considerable number of extra services between Montrose and Inverurie. Has Scotrail got the capacity to run these services considering the delays in establishing the refurbished HSTs?

 

[Deltic1961]

Already pointed this out in the separate a2i thread.

I tweeted Scotrail and they are confident it will run as planned. Ha ha ha. They can't even run what they have now properly let alone all those new services.

 

[Clansman]

Don't get me started on they services!

 

[trebor79]

Saw 2 power cars in inter7city livery coupled back to back head north through Peterborough about 1610 this afternoon.

Assume they came from Ely? But what had they been doing there?

 

[59CosG95]

Saw 2 power cars in inter7city livery coupled back to back head north through Peterborough about 1610 this afternoon.

Assume they came from Ely? But what had they been doing there?

Dropping off 2 unrefurbished rakes (HA07 & HA10).

 

[John Bishop]

Saw 2 power cars in inter7city livery coupled back to back head north through Peterborough about 1610 this afternoon.

Assume they came from Ely? But what had they been doing there?

See post 10474 above!

 

[marks87]

Already pointed this out in the separate a2i thread.

I tweeted Scotrail and they are confident it will run as planned. Ha ha ha. They can't even run what they have now properly let alone all those new services. View attachment 70928

What do you expect the person manning Twitter to say?

As it stands, their plan is to run all the services. If and when that changes, the first you hear of it won't be in response to a question on Twitter...

 

[Deltic1961]

Surely they know if there are going to be staffing issues, especially since they can't even fulfill the current schedule due to lack of drivers.

No point in the Social Media team asking for questions if they won't answer them honestly, is there?

 

[marks87]

Surely they know if there are going to be staffing issues, especially since they can't even fulfill the current schedule due to lack of drivers.

No point in the Social Media team asking for questions if they won't answer them honestly, is there?

They're only allowed to provide the answers their bosses allow them to.

People expect far too much of those who run companies' social media accounts.

 

[Deltic1961]

So why even ask questions then?

 

[InvHst]

1312 Inter7City Aberdeen to Edinburgh didn't make as far as the Dee Bridge, engine fault, had to reverse back to station. Replacement 170, held up slightly by signal problems at Stonehaven... I see the 1207 had been cancelled due to a train fault, starting at Dundee instead, so it's pretty busy

the HST didn't even leave the station in Aberdeen ha19 Speedo fault

 

[mcmad]

1642 Glasgow to Aberdeen was a 2 car 158 tonight. The 3 car 170 on the Anniesland service on the adjacent platform just rubbed even more salt into the wound

 

[marks87]

So why even ask questions then?

Yes, because any and all questions that could possibly be asked will relate to information that the social media team aren’t allowed to share.

How silly of me to forget that.

 

[option]

Surely they know if there are going to be staffing issues, especially since they can't even fulfill the current schedule due to lack of drivers.

No point in the Social Media team asking for questions if they won't answer them honestly, is there?

So why even ask questions then?

You might have noticed that that is the ScotRail twitter account?
Not a 'ScotRail in the future' account...

It's for simple quick answers to simple questions about current & maybe next day stuff.

 

[option]

now back on topic...

How long could the refurb HSTs realistically last?

 

[Deltic1961]

Well we have a "climate emergency" in Scotland apparently, so the Scottish government will obviously electrify the whole network ASAP and these outdated environmentally unfriendly trains will be off to the scrappy.

 

[PG]

Well we have a "climate emergency" in Scotland apparently, so the Scottish government will obviously electrify the whole network ASAP and these outdated environmentally unfriendly trains will be off to the scrappy.

It (electrification) might not reach Aberdeen then as Aberdeenshire Council alone amongst its neighbouring councils deny the existence of the "climate emergency".

Aberdeenshire Council leaders have been accused of being "out of touch" for failing to back climate change concerns raised by opposition members.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/f...council-leaders-reject-climate-change-appeal/

 

[alangla]

1642 Glasgow to Aberdeen was a 2 car 158 tonight. The 3 car 170 on the Anniesland service on the adjacent platform just rubbed even more salt into the wound

To be fair, it was probably on the Aberdeen or Inverness service an hour or so behind. Anniesland services get binned at the drop of a hat as it is.

On the HA19 failure- was this a power car with ATP fitted or have they all now been converted to standard speedometers?

 

[Altnabreac]

now back on topic...

How long could the refurb HSTs realistically last?

Franchise ends 2025.

We think there is a guaranteed usage commitment on the HSTs until 2028.

They might try and keep some a few years after that. Say 2030.

By that point there should be a significant portion of electrification so can be replaced with at worst Bi Modes.

 

[alangla]

They might try and keep some a few years after that. Say 2030

55 years old. Has any railway in Europe ever run such geriatric stock on long distance services?

 

[option]

Franchise ends 2025.

We think there is a guaranteed usage commitment on the HSTs until 2028.

They might try and keep some a few years after that. Say 2030.

By that point there should be a significant portion of electrification so can be replaced with at worst Bi Modes.

I assume the GWR sets will be up for replacement at a similar time.
XC could be looking for replacements at a similar time, or at least ordering them knowing there's a multi-year lead time & to have all the 22x's replaced by 2040.

So, 10 years to get wires up from Dunblane to Aberdeen, & the Kirkcaldy line.

 

[GLC]

55 years old. Has any railway in Europe ever run such geriatric stock on long distance services?

I’ve no idea when they will be replaced, but TGV Sud-Est trains are of a roughly similar vintage to a HST. Of course electric stock tends to last longer than diesel, so perhaps not as surprising

 

[trebor79]

55 years old. Has any railway in Europe ever run such geriatric stock on long distance services?

Does it really matter? If you took someone blindfolded and sat them down in.a Night Riviera lounge coach, for example, took the blindfold off and asked them when the train was built I'd wager a lot of money they wouldn't say in the 1970s...
By all accounts the refurbed ScotRail coaches provide a very nice travelling environment. Wouldn't be beyond the wit of man to bang an electric loco on one end and a DVT on the other when the wires are up everywhere.

 

[Speed43125]

Does it really matter? If you took someone blindfolded and sat them down in.a Night Riviera lounge coach, for example, took the blindfold off and asked them when the train was built I'd wager a lot of money they wouldn't say in the 1970s...
By all accounts the refurbed ScotRail coaches provide a very nice travelling environment. Wouldn't be beyond the wit of man to bang an electric loco on one end and a DVT on the other when the wires are up everywhere.

Reminds me of the proposals way back when where ScotRail wanted InterCity to give them HST half sets (4/5 cars with DVT on other end) for E&G services.
Then again, the differences between MK.3A and HST Mk.3 would no doubt prohibit replacement of 43s with Electrics.