There may be others here who, like me, do not usually spend much time in the rolling stock forum, so I think it right to draw attention to this new thread on the new trains needed for the decarbonisation programme. Scotrail Trains is seeking tenders for legal services in connection with the procurement.
An advert for a tender for legal services for the above (https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG455691) gives some more detail on the fleet plan ScotRail Trains (SRT) plans to replace 65% of its train fleet (around 675 carriages) in the period 2027 to...
www.railforums.co.uk
ScotRail Trains (SRT) plans to replace 65% of its train fleet (around 675 carriages) in the period 2027 to 2035. Nine of the eleven sub fleets of trains currently operated will be replaced as leases expire and it becomes uneconomical to life extend trains for continued operation. As part of this programme SRT will decarbonise our entire train fleet helping Scottish Government deliver a key milestone in transitioning Scotland to a net zero economy. All existing diesel trains will be withdrawn and replaced with new trains powered by overhead electric wires, batteries or hydrogen. As well as eliminating carbon emissions from passenger rail services in Scotland, this will transform our customer offer improving journey comfort, accessibility and reliability. We will reduce operating costs and improve the consistency of offer to customers by consolidating the number of different sub fleets we operate from the existing eleven to, ideally, five.
This transformation will be delivered through three procurement competitions:
- Phase 1 2022-23 - we will procure a new fleet of suburban trains which will enter passenger service between 2027 and 2030. These trains will connect local communities with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen.
- Phase 2 2024-25 (indicative) we will procure a new fleet of trains for our rural routes.
- Phase 3 2025-26 (indicative) we will procure a new fleet of intercity trains to connect the central belt with Aberdeen and Inverness.
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I've been hoping for a while that one of the magazines would soon run a major feature on Scottish electrification. There's an article in the current RAIL (#963) that looked promising at first sight (8 pages including photos) but it turns out to answer few of my many outstanding questions on the current plan, and is largely historical, including a long list of dates of pre-2020 electrifications.
However I see that a photo caption on page 41 includes the precise endpoints and dates of the proposed Fife partial electrification.
South end: Kinghorn, 23 miles 1600 yards
North end: Ladybank, 40 miles 539 yards
Between these points to be wired by December 2024
West end: a point between Lochgelly and Cardenden, 29 miles 519 yards. Thornton to here to be done by December 2025.
As announced in the press release, Haymarket to Dalmeny is to be done by December 2024. A figure of 9 miles 1000 yards is mentioned, I think this is the location of the end of the wires at Dalmeny.