Naming ScotRail HSTs

[GusB]

There was a dedicated thread for possible names for HSTs, but it has since been closed. It would seem that one of them is to be named after Gordon Aikman, who recently died from motor neurone disease.

Source: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/about-scotrail/news/scotrail-train-be-named-after-mnd-campaigner

ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes has announced that one of ScotRail’s iconic high-speed InterCity trains will be named after the MND campaigner. Gordon Aikman was a fundraiser and campaigner for patients with Motor Neurone Disease. He was diagnosed with this most cruel of conditions at the age of just 29, and died last year. The announcement coincides with Global MND Awareness Day today (Thursday, 21 June 2018). An unveiling of the train will take place later this year.

ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes said: “Since MND Scotland were named as the official charity partner to the ScotRail Alliance in April 2017, our customers and employees have raised more than £104,000. That means we’re on track to smash our target for the three-year partnership, but, there’s still much more we can do. By naming one of our trains after Gordon Aikman, we hope to honour his memory, create a legacy, and continue to raise awareness far beyond the length of our partnership with MND Scotland.”

MND Scotland Chief Executive Officer Craig Stockton said: “This announcement is fantastic. It is a wonderful tribute to everything Gordon did to raise awareness of MND, and this train will continue to do that for years to come. We are very grateful for everything the ScotRail Alliance has done to support us this MND Awareness Week. It’s a truly great finish to the week.”

Gordon Aikman's husband Joe Pike said: "We are incredibly touched that the ScotRail Alliance has decided to honour Gordon's memory in this way. Days before he died last spring, Gordon made a video to help persuade the ScotRail Alliance to make MND Scotland its chosen charity. He would be delighted that since then the company and its people have been so enthusiastic in their support - not just fundraising over £104,000 for care and research, but raising the profile of the disease which kills so many people across Scotland each year."

 

[jingsmonty]

There was a dedicated thread for possible names for HSTs, but it has since been closed. It would seem that one of them is to be named after Gordon Aikman, who recently died from motor neurone disease.

Source: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/about-scotrail/news/scotrail-train-be-named-after-mnd-campaigner

That's a very worthwhile and appropriate name to put on an HST - especially as Scotrail are big supporters of MND Scotland.

 

[nat67]

That's a very worthwhile and appropriate name to put on an HST - especially as Scotrail are big supporters of MND Scotland.

They should do some of the ex 47/7 push-pull names. I.e, Saint Mungo and Hymarket spring to mind. Along with Charles Rennie and Robert the Bruce.

 

[jingsmonty]

Totally agree with that - was thinking the same think myself!

Think the original 47/7 names were picked with a public vote? I shudder to think of what sort of names would emerge Today if this was repeated!
Another name I suggested on the other 'Scotrail hst power car naming' thread was 'Iain Banks'...(with the other side being 'Iain M Banks', perhaps)?
Definetly NO politicians names though (or none that are still alive anyway)!

 

[DackandBlecker]

Think the original 47/7 names were picked with a public vote?

711, and 712 were competitions on Radio Forth and Radio Clyde, ISTR. The rest of the original tranche were named without too much fanfare.
Also, if I remember rightly, plates were made for 711 (William Wallace), but never fitted, or fitted and removed very soon after.

 

[route:oxford]

They should do some of the ex 47/7 push-pull names. I.e, Saint Mungo and Hymarket spring to mind. Along with Charles Rennie and Robert the Bruce.

Lady Diana Spencer was a regular on the Aberdeens, as was St Cuthbert (named after the Co-op?).

For the HSTs, wouldn't it be good to have a Royals series?

Duke of Rothesay & Duchess of Rothesay
Earl of Strathearn & Countess of Strathearn
Earl of Dumbarton & Countess of Dumbarton

 

[47271]

Lady Diana Spencer was a regular on the Aberdeens, as was St Cuthbert (named after the Co-op?).

For the HSTs, wouldn't it be good to have a Royals series?

Duke of Rothesay & Duchess of Rothesay
Earl of Strathearn & Countess of Strathearn
Earl of Dumbarton & Countess of Dumbarton

I always wondered about Cuthbert too.

We had Saint Mungo on one 47/7, fair enough the Patron Saint of Glasgow.

So we should've had Saint Giles on another on that basis. But we got Saint Cuthbert instead.

We can bring it up to date with an HST and call one 'Scotmid'.

 

[route:oxford]

I had a brief idea of another possible pairing named HSTs with Scottish & Netherland towns that are twinned. Sadly, Scottish towns don't seem to find a link with the Netherlands appealing (or vice versa). the only ones that I could find were:-

Culross & Veere
Airdrie & Arnhem

 

[Northhighland]

I always wondered about Cuthbert too.

We had Saint Mungo on one 47/7, fair enough the Patron Saint of Glasgow.

So we should've had Saint Giles on another on that basis. But we got Saint Cuthbert instead.

We can bring it up to date with an HST and call one 'Scotmid'.

These trains won't serve Edinburgh and Glasgow, they serve the other cities of Scotland. Most of the names suggested are central belt based. If they are to be named it should be names that represent the areas they serve.

 

[Northhighland]

However we don't need to get excited about naming them because we are soon in July and no sign of a set coming to Scotland to work. Now a fair bit behind. Someone should be kicking ar8e at Wabtec.

 

[capital12]

These trains won't serve Edinburgh and Glasgow, they serve the other cities of Scotland. Most of the names suggested are central belt based. If they are to be named it should be names that represent the areas they serve.

Funny, I thought they were linking 7 cities?! And I’m pretty sure Edinburgh and Glasgow were two of them!

 

[marks87]

These trains won't serve Edinburgh and Glasgow, they serve the other cities of Scotland. Most of the names suggested are central belt based. If they are to be named it should be names that represent the areas they serve.

Of course they’re serving Edinburgh and Glasgow.

They won’t be running Edinburgh to Glasgow, but that’s not the same thing.

 

[DackandBlecker]

Funny, I thought they were linking 7 cities?! And I’m pretty sure Edinburgh and Glasgow were two of them!

They're not linking Edinburgh and Glasgow directly.
These trains are about the Cities outside the Central Belt, and should be named after those, if they're going to name them at all.

 

[nixer10]

They're not linking Edinburgh and Glasgow directly.
These trains are about the Cities outside the Central Belt, and should be named after those, if they're going to name them at all.

Please no more Royal nameplates.

 

[mcmad]

They're not linking Edinburgh and Glasgow directly.
These trains are about the Cities outside the Central Belt, and should be named after those, if they're going to name them at all.

They're linking Edinburgh and Glasgow directly to the other cities no reason some of the names shouldn't reflect all 7 cities and the places inbetween

 

[marks87]

They're not linking Edinburgh and Glasgow directly.

So?

Edinburgh and Glasgow are destinations for these trains in the same way as the other five cities. Hence the Inter7City branding, not Inter5City, and the inclusion of Edinburgh and Glasgow landmarks in the power car livery.

 

[Northhighland]

They're linking Edinburgh and Glasgow directly to the other cities no reason some of the names shouldn't reflect all 7 cities and the places inbetween

Absolutely. Not the direction this thread was going though. Scotland is dominated by parochial central belt thinking.

Also we need to look forward, who really cares about St Mungo, whoever he was? Not really relevant to today. Should be names that push the idea of a vibrant new rail service.

So perhaps celebrate the industrial success maybe name a train after ROY MACGREGOR, Iain Wood?

 

[Girner]

Lady Diana Spencer was a regular on the Aberdeens, as was St Cuthbert (named after the Co-op?).

For the HSTs, wouldn't it be good to have a Royals series?

Duke of Rothesay & Duchess of Rothesay
Earl of Strathearn & Countess of Strathearn
Earl of Dumbarton & Countess of Dumbarton

No. Why is there the urge to name everything after the Royal Family? We don't all support their existance.
Here's something controversial, why don't we not bother naming trains? It's all a bit silly if you ask me.

 

[Thunderer]

They should do some of the ex 47/7 push-pull names. I.e, Saint Mungo and Hymarket spring to mind. Along with Charles Rennie and Robert the Bruce.

That would be nice.."Haymarket" springs to mind as they will be serviced there along with names like "Waverley" and "Greyfriars Bobby" and why not go for the obvious but appropriate ones too like "City of Aberdeen","City of Dundee", "City of Inverness", "City of Edinburgh" etc

 

[43096]

That would be nice.."Haymarket" springs to mind as they will be serviced there along with names like "Waverley" and "Greyfriars Bobby" and why not go for the obvious but appropriate ones too like "City of Aberdeen","City of Dundee", "City of Inverness", "City of Edinburgh" etc

I do like the idea of place names for them and not just the seven cities. Whilst we are about it, be good if a) cast plates were used and b) they went back to the original HST style plate including crest.

 

[Thunderer]

I do like the idea of place names for them and not just the seven cities. Whilst we are about it, be good if a) cast plates were used and b) they went back to the original HST style plate including crest.

I couldn't agree more..yes nice cast plates painted Red with the appropriate crests, if named after Scottish Cities or famous people/stately homes. The HST will be a fantastic acquisition for Scotrail's main Inter-City services and will transform travel and the customer experience between the major Scottish Cities. The HST has got at least another good 10-15 years left in service and when in full operation, it will probably draw more passengers back to the rails there.

 

[mde]

I had a brief idea of another possible pairing named HSTs with Scottish & Netherland towns that are twinned. Sadly, Scottish towns don't seem to find a link with the Netherlands appealing (or vice versa). the only ones that I could find were:-

Culross & Veere
Airdrie & Arnhem

That would be a present to the RMT and TSSA (and on a lesser note, ASLEF), who use Abellio's Dutch connections as a constant mud slinging target.

 

[InOban]

You could use all the rivers the routes cross, but given that each train has two power cars, you're going to needs lot of names.

 

[318266]

Give them the names of landmarks in the 7 cities.

 

[mde]

Give them the names of landmarks in the 7 cities.

Given the livery on the power cars and the use of landmarks elsewhere on ScotRail's branding (cups and so on), this would be a good choice. Islands could be another.

 

[Macwomble]

Personally, I'd like the see the damned things in Scotrail service before we worry about names etc, etc

 

[59CosG95]

Personally, I'd like the see the damned things in Scotrail service before we worry about names etc, etc

Agreed - while names are nice and all that, ScotRail have a railway to run, not an almanac on wheels.

 

[Rick1984]

Doddie Weir and Bill McLaren

 

[Rail Blues]

Lady Diana Spencer was a regular on the Aberdeens, as was St Cuthbert (named after the Co-op?).

For the HSTs, wouldn't it be good to have a Royals series?

Duke of Rothesay & Duchess of Rothesay
Earl of Strathearn & Countess of Strathearn
Earl of Dumbarton & Countess of Dumbarton

Given that the Royal Family are far from universally popular in Scotland, probably isn't a good idea.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16238128.Poll_reveals_scale_of_gap_in_support_for_the_monarchy/

 

[JohnMcL7]

I do like the idea of place names for them and not just the seven cities. Whilst we are about it, be good if a) cast plates were used and b) they went back to the original HST style plate including crest.

I like the idea of places or similar rather than the obvious ones like the city names, does 43305 still carry the City of Inverness name? I would hope they don't get royal names at all.

John