hexagon789
Veteran Member
So first they reduce the amount if double track but now potentially will electrify it? Can using 385s help reliability on the single track sections that much with their superior acceleration I wonder.
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Scotrail Class 385 Discussion
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So first they reduce the amount if double track but now potentially will electrify it? Can using 385s help reliability on the single track sections that much with their superior acceleration I wonder.
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R
RailUK Forums
Should of been wired in the first place
hexagon789
Veteran Member
Ideally yes, but I'd argue either the orginally proposed lengths of dynamic loops if not full double track as possible is more important operationally.
Highlandspring
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The Scottish Government’s Transport Scotland agency confirmed the scheme was being examined. A spokesperson said: “We remain committed to a rolling programme of electrification, and are working with Network Rail to identify the next Scottish electrification scheme.”
Strange sort of confirmation Al....
Well they said that about Alloa. Out of interest, the wires at Alloa, are they all the way past the station and on toward the power station?.
( Site for the new Train MFR ).?.
Back on topic , there was also some videos and routes released for the Penicuick line, that is a spur off the Waverley route, just after the Single Track Viaduct over the roundabout, think it's just north of Eskbank, not sure if they will do the full loop, but it used to come in in Gala didn't it? How would that be achieved.
I mentioned it because, they would surley need more double track , potentially build a second Viaduct right up against the other .
And consideration needs to be given for the proposed extension, I was up there a while back and Folk in Melrose apparently where wondering why they can't extend to there first , allowing a full run around loop at Tweedbank for the Tourist trains .
But the 385, would be ideal on there .
Clearly of course the full reopening is needed.
Certainly the journey times From Hawick would be reduced with those trains . Are they up to ' intercity ' class inside ?.
( Site for the new Train MFR ).?.
Back on topic , there was also some videos and routes released for the Penicuick line, that is a spur off the Waverley route, just after the Single Track Viaduct over the roundabout, think it's just north of Eskbank, not sure if they will do the full loop, but it used to come in in Gala didn't it? How would that be achieved.
I mentioned it because, they would surley need more double track , potentially build a second Viaduct right up against the other .
And consideration needs to be given for the proposed extension, I was up there a while back and Folk in Melrose apparently where wondering why they can't extend to there first , allowing a full run around loop at Tweedbank for the Tourist trains .
But the 385, would be ideal on there .
Clearly of course the full reopening is needed.
Certainly the journey times From Hawick would be reduced with those trains . Are they up to ' intercity ' class inside ?.
Highlandspring
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The trouble with the Borders is due to the single line sections and the capacity of the signalling the only way you can recover the timetable after any sort of service disruption is to clear your feet by reducing the number of trains on the infrastructure, i.e. by cancelling services and keeping them at their origin. Even trying to run things express or empty up and down the line can cause significant reactionary delay so you need to be brutal. However you also have to be very careful about which services you bin due to the mix of traincrew depots that work the route; much like the Far North or Kilmarnock/Barrhead it can be very difficult to get it back on time once things start to slide.
hexagon789
Veteran Member
Which I why I feel that extending the dynamic loops is more of a priority. No point running electric trains if they are still going to be subject to the same issues as the diesels when things go awry.
Highlandspring
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Agreed!
matchmaker
Established Member
They finish at the railway station. Longannet Power Station shut down several years ago.
Exactly. Doubling or extending the loops should be a greater priority than electrification especially when other electrification projects are continually kicked into the long grass. The Scottish Government are jumping the gun - but when haven’t they?
hexagon789
Veteran Member
Well you have to think that they've already de-scoped quite an important part of the Borders Railway from an operational point of view with the result there is very little leeway when one train runs late a single line section.
I'm sure passengers would rather not have trains terminated sort or cancelled and would instead prefer a much more reliable service. Yes, electric trains have the potential to accelerate faster and cut journey times but the inherent issues with the infrastructure will still be there.
Highlandspring
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Picture the scene at Buchanan House in Transport Scotland’s press office. The phone rings...
“Hello it’s Alistair Dalton here. Are you going to electrify the borders railway?”
“Well we are considering a number of different options.”
“Is that a yes then?”
“We remain committed to a rolling programme of electrification, and are working with Network Rail to identify the next Scottish electrification scheme.”
...and the next day it’s printed in the Scotsman as an exclusive. I think if anyone is jumping the gun it isn’t the Scottish Government.
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That's a fair point
hexagon789
Veteran Member
Quite possibly, but the media always does anyway...
kidman123
Member
Some of observation I have seen.
Some 385s have pids (pasinger information displays)on side of trains but other 385s don't how come this is the case not that it is a big thing but thought this would be uniformly across the board.
Some 385s have pids (pasinger information displays)on side of trains but other 385s don't how come this is the case not that it is a big thing but thought this would be uniformly across the board.
hexagon789
Veteran Member
I thought they all did?
kidman123
Member
Not all of them
Not all of them have
hexagon789
Veteran Member
Both 3 and 4-car seem to have an external PIS display on the side of the intermediate vehicles from looking at photos and certainly the 4-car I travelled on last Monday had them on the second trailer.
Just a reminder this thread is about Class 385 trains.
If anyone wishes to discuss ideas for routes they'd like to see electrified please use an alternative thread in the infrastructure section of the forum.
I have moved three posts to: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...-routes-including-the-borders-railway.184459/
If anyone wishes to discuss ideas for routes they'd like to see electrified please use an alternative thread in the infrastructure section of the forum.
I have moved three posts to: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...-routes-including-the-borders-railway.184459/
GLC
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Talking of the PIS, the information they display seems odd to me. I really dislike how Glasgow Central is Glsgw Ctrl or whatever nonsense they have written. Showing the coach number too, in theory it’s useful, but since it’s just a random number squashed on the left hand side, it seems a bit arbitrary. There are also a few “dead spots”, where you can sit and there is no PIS visible from your seat. For a brand new train, the technology seems lacklustre
hexagon789
Veteran Member
Yes, on other units it scrolls the full name which is better in my view. I agree the carriage number isn't really of much use to passengers that I see.
Ben Conlin
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It it just me or does anyone else not like the new 385 Announcements. I like that they have detail but the new style of the voice i find a tad annoying.
hexagon789
Veteran Member
It's quite hesitant - more so than the 380 ones and pretty soft too, making it hard to hear sometimes.
With regards to the coach nunbers, are these inputted manually by the driver from the cab? I.e. when two units join before forming a service? Or does the driver enter a headcode and they appear in the internal dot matrix displays automatically? The system seems to know which coaches will not call at which stations due to short platforms and I believe these coaches automatically read out an announcement about moving forward? All quite clever really.
hexagon789
Veteran Member
Well I've only been them twice, but I think i must have tuned all that out. I only remember hearing the station calls which was worded slightly differently from other traction.
snookertam
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I think they're ridiculous if I'm honest. By the end of a journey on the Cathcart Circle on one you've got a headache. It literally does not shut up.
I personally don't find the announcements annoying in the slightest. I find the voice rather soothing compared to some of the London Centric stock for example. At least there's a regional accent as opposed to someone who sounds like the Orange-Answerphone lady from 1998.
In this health and safety based society we live in now we're bound to hear constant announcements such as mind the gap when you step off the train and please check your have all your belongings with you before you leave the train. The latter presumably helpful in preventing some incidences of lost property.
In this health and safety based society we live in now we're bound to hear constant announcements such as mind the gap when you step off the train and please check your have all your belongings with you before you leave the train. The latter presumably helpful in preventing some incidences of lost property.
Is this coach numbering system something exclusive to class 385s at present or do any other TOCs use this system as well? There are still some classes where you are just asked to move into the front X carriages for next stop, with no letters or numbers available (Not ScotRail). Presumably the PIS isn't able to display seperate coach letters or numbers for different sets on some older EMU stock.
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