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Scotrail Class 385 Discussion

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InOban

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Two units! They're spoiling us. These are the Japanese units that came via Ashford, aren't they?
 
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Mingulay

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Highlandspring said:
No brake release after an AWS initiated brake application.
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In your experience are these faults entirely to be expected with a new train type in service at this stage? I assume they are and in short order they will settle down ? Would it in your view be prudent to extend the 365 lease for 6 more months to buy some insurance? Cost implications aside but putting passengers first in the decision ?
 
Highlandspring

Highlandspring

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It would, in my opinion, be extremely imprudent to extend the lease of the 365s given that they are having regular high profile failures (three at Haymarket, one at Newbridge in the last 2 months) which have caused many hours of delay. They dug ScotRail out of a hole but fundamentally they’re knackered. There have been teething troubles with the 385s but Hitachi are all over them and many of the issues that have arisen have been down to driver and conductor unfamiliarity. If I were a passenger I’d want rid of the unreliable class 365s ASAP.
 
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scotraildriver

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Mingulay said:
In your experience are these faults entirely to be expected with a new train type in service at this stage? I assume they are and in short order they will settle down ? Would it in your view be prudent to extend the 365 lease for 6 more months to buy some insurance? Cost implications aside but putting passengers first in the decision ?
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The drivers are having some issues as the AWS has to be cancelled much quicker than other trains and it's being missed occasionally causing brake applications. A software fix is ongoing for this. Equally the door issues are bring quickly overcome - a sensor issue. The 365s are causing considerable grief. They also need moved to Shields each night for maintenance via a roundabout route which is taking 2 shifts to do, taking the driver away from productivity working passenger trains. Finally we are running out of depot space as more 385s are delivered. There is no room for 10 additional units kicking about. Eastfield is choca block each night.
 
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Mingulay

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scotraildriver said:
The drivers are having some issues as the AWS has to be cancelled much quicker than other trains and it's being missed occasionally causing brake applications. A software fix is ongoing for this. Equally the door issues are bring quickly overcome - a sensor issue. The 365s are causing considerable grief.
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Thank you both that is good intel to know. I guess I view the 365 thru the prism of they are warm. Plenty space and seem cleaner and a vast improvement on the cramped misery of the refurb 158 we have endured. I await my first 385 on Dunblane in a few months
 
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Sickandtired

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Mingulay said:
Thank you for your suggestion.

I can advise you I have written to my MSP Keith Brown an SNP ex minister. And others in government. Not obsessively as some on here have suggested with no evidence or knowledge of the facts. Say 10 times in 4 years. Sadly Keith Brown does not respond to letters on Transport issues. He was the minister who,appointed Abellio so perhaps he is keeping his head down. He no longer has a ministerial role. Done a few posts and I assume none to well. There was a public meeting a few months ago with Scotrail but he did not attend. I understand he sent a representative, but they did not identify themselves.

So yes I and others have done as you suggest

I do not expect lobbying here to achieve change I merely offer the passenger perspective and it seems it's not welcome

This is off topic but I was being derided so I merely respond to some posts for the record

I do hope to sample a 385 soon. But I think it will be May unless I do a Glasgow Edinburgh at some point as I do.

Has the 385 now in full Glasgow Edinburgh service shaved the time and reduced overcrowding? I assume those commuters are content with the 385 and deem it now an improvement on before?
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The 385s on fh line are palacial in both number of seats and legroom. Very rarely need to stand. Is so depressing haveing to use the dunblane to edinbugh. Esp when some of the 158s used have the deep veign thrombosis richmond seats. Defo a postcode lottery they run.
 
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Sickandtired

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Stopper said:
I’m well aware of Dunblane having a poor service for years and my station has suffered too, and still does. However, I find it hard to believe that 4-car 365s are full/standing at Grahamston on the Dunblane-Edinburghs. Linlithgow & Polmont made up 40% of the passengers on the old Dunblane services, and they didn’t always fill a 4-car 158, and now they don’t even call there. The other day I travelled on my first train this year, the 17:18 Edinburgh to Dunblane/Alloa. This was a 5-car 170+158 and it wasn’t even half full.
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8.08 falk g to edin park is 2 158s and 3 170s ie 5 coaches and is usully standing. If the service from cumbernald is running some people just say screw it and wait for that.

Seems like u are just lucky.
 
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Sickandtired

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Stopper said:
I’m well aware of Dunblane having a poor service for years and my station has suffered too, and still does. However, I find it hard to believe that 4-car 365s are full/standing at Grahamston on the Dunblane-Edinburghs. Linlithgow & Polmont made up 40% of the passengers on the old Dunblane services, and they didn’t always fill a 4-car 158, and now they don’t even call there. The other day I travelled on my first train this year, the 17:18 Edinburgh to Dunblane/Alloa. This was a 5-car 170+158 and it wasn’t even half full.
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Ps i get that 17:18 most days and i promise u it is more than half full. The 170s fill first for obvious reasons.
 
Clansman

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Had my first trip on a 385 today. Nothing was as bad as what it everything was hyped up to be - I can't find a fault what so ever with them. Understandabley, there's grumblings over the interior choices, which I couldn't find issue with, however it'd be unfair to use this as a be all and end all judement of the 385s themselves.

Absolutely superb units. In my opinion they're the most Intercity-esque multiple unit ScotRail have in service just now.
 
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