Glenmutchkin
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Any reason given for the train missing out timetabled stops?
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Borders Railway - Now Open
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LeylandLen
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The 1650 ex Edinburgh on Thursday was 2 x 2 car units. I was on it . The previous 1624 was cancelled so they connected the stock to the 1650 making a 4 car train.
TheEscapist_
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A lot of the services have been more than just 2/3 car trains. They're doing all they can to get as many people seats.
theblackwatch
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We've got a photo competition covering the Borders Line reopening, with a £10 gift voucher on offer - see http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=120485 for more information.
Thanks theblackwatch - I was just about to come and post similar myself
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Not sure how the week has gone, but last week on the opening day, each of the three diagrams was made up of 6 car sets, the longest the line can take, which was a good showing by ScotRail. I guess during the week, the stock will be a little more stretched than it was on Sunday
The car park at Tweebank was overflowing today and the largely 2 car trains packed, ticket machines had run out of ticket etc etc. They seem to have under estimated demand during the novelty period. I think people have avoided the first few days as they thought it would be too busy and possibly as the first Sunday was not as busy as expected Scot-rail thought 2 car would be enough. The result some unhappy customers. There have been late trains and a cancellation all grist to the doom merchants mills.
Tornado storms up Borthwick Bank
https://youtu.be/S9LpvtZMoBI
Tornado storms up Borthwick Bank
https://youtu.be/S9LpvtZMoBI
That 67 sounds like it was doing a bit more than just idling behind Tornado. Wonder if they were giving a bit of shove to help it up the gradients?
Altfish
Member
The Border Telegraph is not happy!
http://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/13717561.ScotRail_promise_to_make_Tweeks_to_new_Borders_service/
http://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/13717561.ScotRail_promise_to_make_Tweeks_to_new_Borders_service/
Nothing like local newspapers for making a drama out of things.
The final quote in that article:
OK, but what exactly happened?
That picture also doesn't exactly show severe overcrowding. There's space towards the middle of the carriage. Plus the display is showing "we are now approaching..." so how many of those people standing are actually just waiting to get off?
The Borders wanted a railway, and they've certainly got the full experience, crush loading and all!
Can't win for some people, though, can you? It's been over 40 years since Scotrail have had any loading data from then is obviously completely obsolete. They're pretty much guessing as to how many carriages they need. Plus, it's the first full weekend. People are using the railway more this weekend purely for its novelty value. That will die off in the next few weeks as it becomes just like any other rail service. If the train was 30% loaded, the local press would be moaning that it's not been a worthwhile project.
And, by the way Borders folk, Scotrail have the rest of the network to run as well. Using the same numbers of rolling stock. I can assure you that yours is not the only busy/crowded service in Scotland.
Can't win for some people, though, can you? It's been over 40 years since Scotrail have had any loading data from then is obviously completely obsolete. They're pretty much guessing as to how many carriages they need. Plus, it's the first full weekend. People are using the railway more this weekend purely for its novelty value. That will die off in the next few weeks as it becomes just like any other rail service. If the train was 30% loaded, the local press would be moaning that it's not been a worthwhile project.
And, by the way Borders folk, Scotrail have the rest of the network to run as well. Using the same numbers of rolling stock. I can assure you that yours is not the only busy/crowded service in Scotland.
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Zoidberg
Established Member
The Edinburgh Evening News is carrying an article about overcrowding, late running and ticket machines not 'knowing' some of the new stations at:
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.c...-row-over-delays-and-crowded-trains-1-3885713
Quite a stushie.
Extract:
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.c...-row-over-delays-and-crowded-trains-1-3885713
Quite a stushie.
Extract:
Tim R-T-C
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Some funny comments on that newspaper article - so the line is overcrowded, so that will put people off forever? Because no-one in that region would possibly consider trying the line again in a few weeks when it has quietened down, one try is all it gets then they are back to their A9 traffic jams for life. I bet many commuters have not even bothered yet and 90% of the line's users are tourists or recreational travellers.
The comments about Japan and German trains being better are as amusing as they are painfully predictable. Comparing a Japanese major high speed route to a provincial branch line, of course there will be differences.
However it does sound like ScotRail could have done more to pre-empt this. Obviously a ticket machine upgrade is needed - they have known about the stations that were going to be re-opened for several years so they have certainly had time to do something about this and all ticket machines are networked so an update could be done almost instantly.
As for the overcrowding - not overly had to predict, people always crowd to use new services like this. Obviously they are limited on stock but they could have ameliorated this, perhaps by hiring in a loco hauled set for a few weeks on another route to displace extra multiple units to use in the Borders - the cost for a few months would be marginal compared to cost of building the route as a whole and would help to reduce the problems somewhat.
The comments about Japan and German trains being better are as amusing as they are painfully predictable. Comparing a Japanese major high speed route to a provincial branch line, of course there will be differences.
However it does sound like ScotRail could have done more to pre-empt this. Obviously a ticket machine upgrade is needed - they have known about the stations that were going to be re-opened for several years so they have certainly had time to do something about this and all ticket machines are networked so an update could be done almost instantly.
As for the overcrowding - not overly had to predict, people always crowd to use new services like this. Obviously they are limited on stock but they could have ameliorated this, perhaps by hiring in a loco hauled set for a few weeks on another route to displace extra multiple units to use in the Borders - the cost for a few months would be marginal compared to cost of building the route as a whole and would help to reduce the problems somewhat.
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Zoidberg
Established Member
Just to clarify, it's the A7 which carries traffic from Gala to Edinburgh. The A9 has it's own issues.
Zoidberg
Established Member
I wonder how many folk will recognise the entry for Stow by its Sunday name of Stow of Wedale as per the entry in the pic of the ticket machine.
Seems designed to confuse.
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Trainfan344
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Went to the TVM in Stoke-on-Trent today, you can select Galashiels as a destination, but it comes up with an error when moving onto the fare selection stage.
Altnabreac
Established Member
If they needed to use more than just Stow to avoid confusion with Stowmarket then Wedale would make sense.
Because of the history of Stow using something like Ashford (Surrey) or High Street Glasgow wouldn't work for Stow.
Traditionally Stow was in Midlothian not any of the Border counties of Peeblesshire, Selkirkshire, Roxburghshire or Berwickshire. It was bumped into Scottish Borders in 1975 but plenty of locals don't consider it to be in the Borders.
Using Wedale avoids causing any offence.
It also achieves maximum obscurity.
And it might be assumed to be a typo for the far better known Weardale.
Altnabreac
Established Member
Not for anyone local. And you aren't going to get many non locals heading for Stow.
It is the proper name for the village so no one in the Borders is going to be confused. Just nearly everyone shortens it in speech.
Surely it should have just been Stow (Borders Railway) on the TVM? No danger of offending anyone and everyone is clear where it is.
Altnabreac
Established Member
That would be the most offensive thing! Midlothian folk are already very grumpy about everyone always going on about the Borders Railway when most of the stations (and likely revenue) are in Midlothian.
So anything implying that Midlothian is part of the Borders (even when it has been for 40 years!) is red rag to bull time.
Everyone in Stow (and Lauder) know where Stow of Wedale is. Anyone else is unlikely to need to go there.
Zoidberg
Established Member
I don't see the scope to confuse Stow with Stowmarket, unless folk are in the habit of referring to Stowmarket as Stow.
Should just have been Stow. Just my opinion, of course.
I have passed through Stow many times and was quite unaware of the name. There are no signs saying 'The Stow of Wedale welcomes careful drivers'. And if anyone fancied a day's country walking in the area, they would need to go there. After all, the railway is supposed to be attracting droves of tourists with its jaw-dropping scenery. Wedale is not shown on the OS map. Stow (Borders) is the obvious designation.
Altnabreac
Established Member
It's slightly old fashioned but people know what it means. A bit like Bo'ness vs Borrowstounness. Nothing wrong with educating visitors about a new fact.
The fact that you think this demonstrates a distinct lack of local knowledge on your part. Not only do most people accept that Stow is indeed part of the Borders, but you'd struggle to find someone who would refer to it as 'Stow of Wedale' even as a formality, never mind in common parlance. Even if it were the case that it was known as such by locals, the ticket machines should be judged on one thing and one thing alone: user experience. To call the station 'Wedale', or even 'Stow of Wedale' is so deliberately obfuscating that it is highly detrimental to user experience.
Altnabreac
Established Member
I've never heard anyone say Borrowstounness but everyone in West Lothian knows where it is.
I know people who passionately fight for the Midlothian heritage of the valley, albeit they are from Heriot rather than Stow.
if you were to do a random poll of people living in the borders and Midlothian I would reckon more than 90% of people would not know that stow of wedale was in fact the village of stow in the borders
on the subject of overcrowding , late trains etc well !!! of course it will settle down soon but scotrail should have been better prepared for what was obviously going to be a busy service in the first few weeks
on the subject of overcrowding , late trains etc well !!! of course it will settle down soon but scotrail should have been better prepared for what was obviously going to be a busy service in the first few weeks
Honest questions, no irony intended:
1. Is there a River We or a We Water or a Water of We?
2. Are there any other places in Wedale except Stow of Wedale? If I Google "Wedale" it only seems to find stuff about Stow.
1. Is there a River We or a We Water or a Water of We?
2. Are there any other places in Wedale except Stow of Wedale? If I Google "Wedale" it only seems to find stuff about Stow.
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Altnabreac
Established Member
My understanding was that Wedale translated as Holy Valley and thus specifically related to Stow as it was a traditional pilgrimage site.
The historic link of the Kirk in Stow to the bishop of St Andrews was also the reason Stow was located in Midlothian despite being on the wrong side of the watershed.
A few years ago I almost got married in Stow so visited the church quite a few times. Ended up getting married in Yarrow instead which was the parish of David Steel's father for another Borders Rail link.
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