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ScotRail HST Introduction - Updates & Discussion

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Stoney1979

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Maybe it's needed in service, perhaps? Staff were invited too - I can't go, but was told that other public viewings are planned.

Yeah, fair enough, I hadn't thought of that, it'll be needed to useful things so perhaps not much time to spare - as long as it is doing them, of course.
 

najaB

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On the actual point, the overcrowding could have been solved by simply increasing the number of carriages on the Edinburgh-Aberdeen services as the stops concerned are served by East Coast HSTs so platform length isn't an issue, except possibly Markinch which I think is limited to 6 carriages.
Or, alternatively (and easier), move the demand to where there's capacity. Scotrail didn't have loads of 170s sitting around not doing anything after all.
 
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Which service was it that was given the extra stops?

This discussion isn't entirely off topic, with or without the political element, since it's very likely that the final HST timetables will be very limited in their provision of calls south of Dundee or Perth.
1B07, departing from Aberdeen at 05:48 on weekdays.
This now makes a Dalmeny call at 08:02 because the 07:58 train is usually short-formed leaving many passengers behind on the platform. Very sensible and something that ScotRail staff identified some time ago. A pretty easy 'rammed versus spacious' solution as per Class83's first point. However no action was taken until the matter was raised at Holyrood, as per Class83's second point. I suspect that's because there's an over-riding principle that trains from the Aberdeen area shouldn't be making local stops near their destination, regardless of short distance passengers being unable to board their own trains. This may well be politically influenced.
Anyway, hopefully the rolling stock issues will be resolved soon and we'll see smiling faces on all staff, passengers and MSPs. If not 365s.
 

najaB

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I suspect that's because there's an over-riding principle that trains from the Aberdeen area shouldn't be making local stops near their destination, regardless of short distance passengers being unable to board their own trains.
TBH, I don't really mind if trains *to* Edinburgh make calls at Dalmaney, Queensferry, etc. It's when I can't get on a train to Dundee or further north at Waverly that rankles, knowing that it will be half-empty by Kirkcaldy.
 

cadder toad

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Trailing power car on 1741 from QueenSt to Aberdeen today was 43135. The 838am Aberdeen train today was an HST too.
 

Scotrail88

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Not been on the new refurbished unit yet but does this have electronic seat reservations or are we still 1950s paper tickets in seat backs.
TIA
 

jingsmonty

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Not been on the new refurbished unit yet but does this have electronic seat reservations or are we still 1950s paper tickets in seat backs.
TIA

Old skool labels. One thing about having labels on the seats is that it's easier to see at a glance from outside whether a seat is reserved or not - it's annoying with electronic reservations that you have to pick a coach & board it before you can see if it's reserved or not!
Anyway, not a major issue - I just wish that external PIS screens had been put on the coaches!
 

AndrewE

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Old skool labels. One thing about having labels on the seats is that it's easier to see at a glance from outside whether a seat is reserved or not - it's annoying with electronic reservations that you have to pick a coach & board it before you can see if it's reserved or not!
Anyway, not a major issue - I just wish that external PIS screens had been put on the coaches!
and from inside the coach: I often find the Pendolino reservation "displays" almost impossible to read, as if the backlighting has failed, and the type is so small that I need to get up close and use my proper reading glasses. That's before we get onto the stupid single word "reserved," when you often find the seats aren't used at all.
 

route101

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Old skool labels. One thing about having labels on the seats is that it's easier to see at a glance from outside whether a seat is reserved or not - it's annoying with electronic reservations that you have to pick a coach & board it before you can see if it's reserved or not!
Anyway, not a major issue - I just wish that external PIS screens had been put on the coaches!

The 3 HSTs ive been on with Scotrail have had all there seat reservations in the front standard coach only , plenty of unreserved seating in other coaches , though means probably all the advances are bunched together.
 

route101

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Trailing power car on 1741 from QueenSt to Aberdeen today was 43135. The 838am Aberdeen train today was an HST too.

The 838 and 938 are probably best bets for HSTs after that you will have wait till these get back to Glasgow
 

jingsmonty

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The 3 HSTs ive been on with Scotrail have had all there seat reservations in the front standard coach only , plenty of unreserved seating in other coaches , though means probably all the advances are bunched together.

Yes, that's my experience too. Same on 170s - reservations start in Coach A (disabled toilet coach) & migrate to the middle coach. You know a train is busy if Coach C has reservations! I'd assume the HST coaches are allocated reservations in a similar manner?

Sometimes, the old ways are the best....:D
 

Stoney1979

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Great to hear that more HSTs are out and about, and presumably being mechanically reliable as far as anyone can tell?
 

scotraildriver

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The problems we have had with them have generally been a result of trains sitting around for training. They don't like bring shut down for long periods without shore supply and have caused alot of trouble on the training trains. Now that they are basically running all day long the reliability has been pretty good.
 

Stoney1979

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The problems we have had with them have generally been a result of trains sitting around for training. They don't like bring shut down for long periods without shore supply and have caused alot of trouble on the training trains. Now that they are basically running all day long the reliability has been pretty good.

Thanks, that's good news. Perhaps ironic that, they more the run, the more reliable they are.
 

alangla

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The problems we have had with them have generally been a result of trains sitting around for training. They don't like bring shut down for long periods without shore supply and have caused alot of trouble on the training trains. Now that they are basically running all day long the reliability has been pretty good.
All those cold starts in training must be doing wonders for the remaining engine life! Hopefully there will be more shore supply soon. On the flip side, Rolls Royce announced a huge loss today, so they could do with the cash for overhauling some HST engines.
 

jingsmonty

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0944 Inverness to Waverley should have been an HST Today - I passed an HST heading for Inverness from Aberdeen earlier
 
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