While any extra capacity would be welcome my recent trips on the WHL suggest the 153s aren't on their own going to scratch the surface of the issues this plan is due to address. I know there are issues with longer trains, so decoupling Oban and Fort William services into separate paths, so longer services to each can reflect demand and an increase in frequency from Glasgow to Fort William are essential.
A couple of weeks ago I had to literally shove people to make space to board a rammed Southbound 156 at Tyndrum Lower that was already around 15 minutes late due to the level of overcrowding. I got on the third door I went to after not even trying to get on through the first 2 doors I tried - the stacks of luggage made any attempt futile! There were push chairs perched on top of luggage, luggage on tables, passengers on tables, there were people standing in the toilet, and it wasn't just a case of people in the vestibules, the entire length of the coaches were full of standees. In the end a group of four backpackers who were waiting with me never boarded and went off to hitch hike.
I’ve made 4 recent trips on the WHL and if not throughout then for at least a substantial part it’s been full and standing with the luggage situation farcical. Last Friday I queued for 26 minutes to use the toilet.... Shortly after Corrour there was a PA announcement that the toilets were out of use. The PIS didn’t work most of the trip, when it came to life it was wrong causing confusion and panic amongst tourists. This resulted in the guard and trolley person shoving their way through trying to shout destinations! Manual PA announcements when they worked mostly couldn’t be heard, simply nowhere near loud enough for the numbers crammed in. On boarding in Glasgow and at subsequent stops where people did manage to board there were numerous incidents of 2 or 3 people with reservations for the same seat, which unsurprisingly lead to heated arguments.
There are things here and now that are/were in ScotRail’s power and they continue to shoot themselves in the foot and leave the front line staff unfairly in the firing line . Seat reservations should just stop until all new and refurbed stock are in use, the PA and PIS not being fit for purpose on the refurb 156s is inexcusable and must be addressed for the 153s.
I've asked ScotRail by email about the Class 153 conversions and the response was a generic we'd like to see them in service but we have no further information or date for service.
It's not for specific events or at certain times of day, because of the limited service frequency it's all day every day for an increasing proportion of the year. The Tourism industry is of huge economic importance, if there isn't the infrastructure and service levels to support the level of visitation that is on an upwards trajectory there is going to be a sudden breaking point where the feedback from visitors becomes so toxic that the bottom simply falls out of the market almost overnight. The trials and tribulations of CairnGorm Mountain should serve as sufficient warning to all not to take visitor markets for granted, things need to change rapidly and dramatically.
Recent experiences on the WHL and the HML are of a service that is at breaking point, the staff are being put into such a situation that I'd not be surprised if industrial action isn't in the offing and I wouldn't blame them in the slightest. The fact is I know people who simply wont go near either rail route to the Highlands because of the situation on the trains, and when the alternative is the A82 around Loch Lomond in the summer that is saying something... So it is almost certain that the grossly overcrowded services and poor offering is suppressing demand - both routes could carry significantly more passengers if the service was up to scratch.
So the 153s are very much needed however it looks like it will be nowhere near enough... So what is needed to boost services on the WHL - is the use of only one platform at Corrour for example a limiting factor, would using both enable an uplift in service frequency. Would a somewhat nuclear option of starting WHL trains from and terminating them at Dumbarton Central allow a frequency increase or longer 156 services?