No trains Edinburgh to Queen Street from 29th Jan to 1st Feb ?

[snookertam]

That’s a proper railway answer.

There’s 16 days to go. Management should be bending over backwards to do it in that time.

Even if that was realistic, unlikely to be space in Central for additional 7 or 8 car 385s.

This is purely speculative and not reality, mods please move my post to Speculative Discussion if required:
If Scotrail ran a Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Carstairs going express from Central to Haymarket, would it be sufficient (and there be demand for it) for end-end passengers (ie no messing around with Bellshill and Wishaw)? How would this compare with journey times via E&G?

It would probably take around an hour, assuming it could be pathed as such (ie no conflicts with other services). Unsure if it would be sufficient but it would most likely help matters.

Unfortunately the days of such lateral thinking are gone in Scotland. There simply isn’t enough staff with the experience to think of solutions like this. Most that will happen is acceptance of ScotRail tickets on Cross Country services.

 

[hexagon789]

How would this compare with journey times via E&G?

InterCity timed it at 54-55 mins in IC225 days non-stop, or about 57 mins with a Haymarket call.

A 385 should manage a little better?

 

[Buzby]

I do Remember when this happened, fast from Central to Haymarket via Carstairs. It regularly took 75 minutes and there were always delays in getting a path at Carstairs. It was so slow we could wave at the inmates of the State Hospital.

Even with the revised junction I doubt it would be very popular.

 

[Falcon1200]

Most that will happen is acceptance of ScotRail tickets on Cross Country services.

Unfortunately, post-Covid Cross Country operate only two trains a day from Edinburgh to Glasgow, and just one from Glasgow to Edinburgh! And LNER for many years now are down to one each way per day.

Hopefully Scotrail will at least strengthen their Edinburgh/Glasgow, via Shotts or Carstairs, services.

 

[route101]

Unfortunately, post-Covid Cross Country operate only two trains a day from Edinburgh to Glasgow, and just one from Glasgow to Edinburgh! And LNER for many years now are down to one each way per day.

Hopefully Scotrail will at least strengthen their Edinburgh/Glasgow, via Shotts or Carstairs, services.

I didn't realise it was just one from Glasgow. the 0748. LNER may be on borrowed time to Glasgow.

 

[Buzby]

I didn't realise it was just one from Glasgow. the 0748. LNER may be on borrowed time to Glasgow

It’ll be a toss up between there or Inverness!

 

[Carntyne]

Even if that was realistic, unlikely to be space in Central for additional 7 or 8 car 385s.

Running an 8 vice 6 car on the 1Y/2Y Shotts, or the Carstairs services could be made to work. It's just sheer laziness not to look at the option to keep punters on trains and give up for 4 days.

 

[Frankton Junct]

I didn't find this thread, perhaps because there hasn't been a post for a fortnight, and so I opened a new one here.

The moderators closed it as a duplicate, after there were some replies.

I watched the reports on the BBC and STV local news programmes last night and the recommendation that I understood from those reports was to not travel, unless unavoidable, due to the slow journey times and limited capacity of the rail replacement buses.

Surely, an hourly fast service from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Shotts would have been possible?

 

[Acfb]

I didn't find this thread, perhaps because there hasn't been a post for a fortnight, and so I opened a new one here.

The moderators closed it as a duplicate, after there were some replies.

I watched the reports on the BBC and STV local news programmes last night and the recommendation that I understood from those reports was to not travel, unless unavoidable, due to the slow journey times and limited capacity of the rail replacement buses.

Surely, an hourly fast service from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Shotts would have been possible?

The hourly semi fast via Shotts has been in operation since December and has been running as well as the Stopper but I notice all the 385s are 3 carriages off peak on the Shotts Line not 6 , surely there would be enough 385 units to double up as the Dunblane trains are not running beyond Falkirk Grahamston? Both the stopper and semi fast usually have plenty of capacity.

 

[BlueLeanie]

On my way back to Aylesbury after a delightful weekend at Gleneagles.

So it was train to Stirling, then switch to a Falkirk Grahamstown Service that announced as an Edinburgh service all the way through.

At Falkirk we were directed to the coaches and boarded a coach with 2+3 seating. I thought the 2+3 Turbos were a shocker! The seat was really uncomfortable and it was hard for someone of my shoulder width to wear the seatbelt.

There were just a handful of passengers on board and we made smooth and decent progress, with an unexpected Brighton detour. Unfortunately ScotRail hadn't closed the car park so the coach had to travel past and do a three point turn outside the Brighton Cross Premier & Post Office and go back again.

Clear run via Hermiston Gate and drop off at Edinburgh Park.

It all worked and I suspect many people have followed Scotrails warnings not to travel.

Out of interest, would we have gotten away with travelling Gleneagles - Perth - Edinburgh Gateway instead? Our tickets were to Edinburgh Airport including tram.

The 3 of the 3+2 on the coach.

 

[kaysha]

Out of interest, would we have gotten away with travelling Gleneagles - Perth - Edinburgh Gateway instead? Our tickets were to Edinburgh Airport including tram.

I would have been surprised if you were challenged.

 

[Bungle965]

On my way back to Aylesbury after a delightful weekend at Gleneagles.

So it was train to Stirling, then switch to a Falkirk Grahamstown Service that announced as an Edinburgh service all the way through.

At Falkirk we were directed to the coaches and boarded a coach with 2+3 seating. I thought the 2+3 Turbos were a shocker! The seat was really uncomfortable and it was hard for someone of my shoulder width to wear the seatbelt.

There were just a handful of passengers on board and we made smooth and decent progress, with an unexpected Brighton detour. Unfortunately ScotRail hadn't closed the car park so the coach had to travel past and do a three point turn outside the Brighton Cross Premier & Post Office and go back again.

Clear run via Hermiston Gate and drop off at Edinburgh Park.

It all worked and I suspect many people have followed Scotrails warnings not to travel.

Out of interest, would we have gotten away with travelling Gleneagles - Perth - Edinburgh Gateway instead? Our tickets were to Edinburgh Airport including tram.

The 3 of the 3+2 on the coach.

It's quite interesting that you got given a coach with 3+2 seating, given that I am aware of at least 1 TOC (no doubt there is a lot more) than ban these from use on planned RRB work.
I wonder there is a similar clause for ScotRail and that it was simply the fact that it was all they were going to be able to get or if no such exists.

 

[Peter0124]

-Deleted-

 

[och aye]

Any reports of how busy (or quiet) the trains going to/from EDB-GLC were yesterday?

 

[RLBH]

Out of interest, would we have gotten away with travelling Gleneagles - Perth - Edinburgh Gateway instead? Our tickets were to Edinburgh Airport including tram.

Very likely that you'd have no issues at all. Gleneagles - Perth - Edinburgh is a permitted route; it's not normally convenient, but sometimes the journey planner will suggest it if the connections at Stirling are bad. Even if you've got an Advance ticket that doesn't allow stopping short, ScotRail crews tend to be pretty understanding of passengers doing odd things, especially when there's disruption.

 

[route101]

Any reports of how busy (or quiet) the trains going to/from EDB-GLC were yesterday?

The roads were busy today but cant comment on the trains.

 

[Peter0124]

1Y89 15:57 EDB-GLC looked quite busy when it passed by Newton. It was only a 3 car though.

 

[hexagon789]

By contrast the 1228, arriving at 1355 was 6-cars and barely 1/4 full when I saw it arriving at Central.

 

[Class 170101]

I’m not sure how many drivers and conductors sign that route these days…

I know Perth crews used to when they worked a Glasgow Queen Street to Markinch evening peak service (pre Covid) and Glasgow to Aberdeens used to be diverted along there too if there was engineering work between Stirling and Perth.

I don’t know if any other depots ever had it?

Glasgow to Aberdeen diverting via Inverkeithing appears to have been abandoned. 3/4 February is a bus from Glasgow to Perth.

Engineering works: Edinburgh and Perth | National Rail

Buses replace trains between Edinburgh and Perth via Dunblane on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 February. See details of routes affected by planned engineering works, including when they take effect, alternative timetables, advice for alternative travel, including info about engineering work and why it...

www.nationalrail.co.uk

 

[Scotrail314209]

Some services seen today definitely seemed to be much busier.

The 15:50 Edinburgh to Glasgow Central via Carstairs (3 car only) had a lot of standees when I passed it at Carstairs, while my train (15:42 Glasgow to Edinburgh) was very light loaded (although it was a 6 car!)

There was also quite a crowd at Haymarket for the 17:02 to Glasgow Central via Shotts. This was a 6 car service however it seemed quite busy on arrival into Haymarket, with it departing relatively full.