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ScotRail HST Introduction - Updates & Discussion

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jingsmonty

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Will it increase the likelihood of an HST-booked service operating with an HST?

Or are 170/158 substitutions still very possible/likely?

I can't really answer that - I'm a driver, not a train planner! All I can say is that there should be sufficient train crew trained to run the current HST service, as diagrammed. Any substitutions could be for technical reasons rather than staffing reasons.
 
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jingsmonty

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I think if the cancellations had lasted for a shorter overall duration people would be more accepting, but they've been going on for a while now.

And isn't there still the risk of short terms cancellations even now? It just seems to be dragging on and on.

I do appreciate that it's short-term pain for long-term gain, but I'm not sure your average passenger sees it that way nor necessarily understands that either as such.

I think maybe the point is being missed here - it's not just the fact that the HSTs are needed for passenger service, it's also that there just aren't any spare crews to deliver the training anyway. All of us that are Driver Instructors have Trainee Drivers - they work to the instructors shifts/diagrams. If the instructor is pulled away to work at the practical handling side of HST training, not only is there a Trainee Driver who's having their training impacted, there's 2 weeks where a Driver Instructor's shifts need to be covered. Factor in the requirement to have annual leave/sickness/lieuday cover, then maybe you can see the issue.

There should be enough drivers trained on HSTs (in Inverness anyway) to deliver the timetable. There's a separate 'non HST' roster for the small no. of drivers who haven't been trained yet. All the Conductors (as far as I'm aware) are HST trained now.
 

hexagon789

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I can't really answer that - I'm a driver, not a train planner! All I can say is that there should be sufficient train crew trained to run the current HST service, as diagrammed. Any substitutions could be for technical reasons rather than staffing reasons.

I appreciate that, I was just sort of generalising a bit.
 

hexagon789

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I think maybe the point is being missed here - it's not just the fact that the HSTs are needed for passenger service, it's also that there just aren't any spare crews to deliver the training anyway. All of us that are Driver Instructors have Trainee Drivers - they work to the instructors shifts/diagrams. If the instructor is pulled away to work at the practical handling side of HST training, not only is there a Trainee Driver who's having their training impacted, there's 2 weeks where a Driver Instructor's shifts need to be covered. Factor in the requirement to have annual leave/sickness/lieuday cover, then maybe you can see the issue.

There should be enough drivers trained on HSTs (in Inverness anyway) to deliver the timetable. There's a separate 'non HST' roster for the small no. of drivers who haven't been trained yet. All the Conductors (as far as I'm aware) are HST trained now.

So they are splitting the drivers into two seperate groups in order to try and ensure there are HST-trained drivers for the HSTs thus increasingly the likelihood of an HST booking being an HST.
 

chuff chuff

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So they are splitting the drivers into two seperate groups in order to try and ensure there are HST-trained drivers for the HSTs thus increasingly the likelihood of an HST booking being an HST.

Yes rosters have been altered for that reason.
 

jingsmonty

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I appreciate that, I was just sort of generalising a bit.

No worries. Hopefully it will remove one of the causes of substitutions - just need to get on top of the reliability now. The modification programme will tackle this - not sure how far on this is
 

jingsmonty

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So they are splitting the drivers into two seperate groups in order to try and ensure there are HST-trained drivers for the HSTs thus increasingly the likelihood of an HST booking being an HST.

Pretty much, yes. I can't speak for all depots, but certainly at mine, the majority of Drivers (& all the Conductors) are HST trained now.
 

hexagon789

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Yes rosters have been altered for that reason.

Thank you.

No worries. Hopefully it will remove one of the causes of substitutions - just need to get on top of the reliability now. The modification programme will tackle this - not sure how far on this is

I hope so too, it must be frustrating for staff as much as passengers.

Pretty much, yes. I can't speak for all depots, but certainly at mine, the majority of Drivers (& all the Conductors) are HST trained now.

Cheers.
 

Railperf

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Can anyone confirm whether 15.08 glasgow to inverness and the 18.54 inverness to edinburgh will be an hst today? Also the 19.43 Aberdeen Glasgow. If not..the 20.44 Ab Glasgow
 

InvHst

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So no HSTs to Inverness today now at all except LNERs one?

Who knows as clearly something is not right and not working in scotrail? Diagrams that are meant to be hsts now 170s again but no communication saying so. Question does anybody actually know what diagrams are now HSTS cause seems like nobody knows
 

jingsmonty

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How many Inverness to Aberdeen services are HSTs?

To be honest, I don't know. There's no through trains from Inverness to Aberdeen until August now, that will have an impact. I haven't seen the new diagrams yet, so not sure what turns are HST turns
 

jingsmonty

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Looks like the 0453 (Edinburgh), 0600, 1102 and 1713 are all HSTs, but I'd take that with a pinch of salt.

Definetly take that with a pinch of salt! Don't forget, trains are suspended between Inverurie & Dyce just now, as of 20/6, trains will only be running to/from Inverness & Huntly (& presumably, Aberdeen to Dyce too). The redoubling work has started again...
 

hexagon789

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Definetly take that with a pinch of salt! Don't forget, trains are suspended between Inverurie & Dyce just now, as of 20/6, trains will only be running to/from Inverness & Huntly (& presumably, Aberdeen to Dyce too). The redoubling work has started again...

I know that, I meant that's what appears to be booked HST ordinarily. Sorry if that wasn't clear.
 

Class83

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I've yet to see current diagrams for the new timetable, be interesting to see what is actually booked HST now.
Indeed, how many of the Inter7City diagrams are booked as HSTs (classic or refurb) and how many are booked as 170/158?
 

hexagon789

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Indeed, how many of the Inter7City diagrams are booked as HSTs (classic or refurb) and how many are booked as 170/158?

That's what I've wanted to know since it was first said there would be 15 HST diagrams this timetable period.
 

ER158715

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That’s what they are booked for until the block starts at Huntly. From middle of June they are both meant to be 158 jobs according to the diagrams, then when the line fully reopens in August, both go back to HSTs.
 

jingsmonty

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I know that, I meant that's what appears to be booked HST ordinarily. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

No worries, it's just that some through jobs to Aberdeen booked for HST might not be if they're only running to Inverurie or Huntly & back. The whole summer will probably be a bit hit & miss on the Inverness to Aberdeen line. A better bet for some 'HST action' would be the Highland Mainline, or South from Aberdeen.
 

hexagon789

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No worries, it's just that some through jobs to Aberdeen booked for HST might not be if they're only running to Inverurie or Huntly & back. The whole summer will probably be a bit hit & miss on the Inverness to Aberdeen line. A better bet for some 'HST action' would be the Highland Mainline, or South from Aberdeen.

At a complete guess, perhaps the Inverness-Aberdeen diagrams will therefore be far more fluid in teens of booked traction than the other InterCity routes.

I also wonder if all the Inverness-Aberdeen are going to be units, what will happen to the HSTs that were otherwise going to operate services on that route.
 
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