ScotRail cycle unit allocation

[ashkeba]

Is it me, or are the services chosen not an awful lot of use for "adventure cyclists" or whatever they said, because they're timed for a day trip to Glasgow and not one to FW or a weekend there? Never realised Glasgow was a cycling Mecca.

You may smile, but isn't Glasgow to host the cycling world championship?

But the key route for this is clearly to /from the stations near John O'Groats. Will it ever?

 

[Techniquest]

You may smile, but isn't Glasgow to host the cycling world championship?

But the key route for this is clearly to /from the stations near John O'Groats. Will it ever?

It is in August, 6-18th I recall without checking. The UCI World Championship is on its way to Glasgow this year, and having fallen in love with watching track cycling during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, I'm excited for it! I rather want to go and watch it live, hoping to get some time off work for it. When I'm not at work, and not able to be in Glasgow, I'll be spending a lot of time watching it all on TV and iPlayer!

I'd absolutely recommend watching it to those who haven't, events like the points race, the elimination race (I can't recall if it features in the Championship or not) and the madison are all fantastic to watch!

Ahem, before I get sidetracked any further, I have to agree that the bike trains definitely have a good home on the Far North. It might well happen, at least they're finally going to Fort William now!

 

[adamedwards]

Given the article in Modern Railways, the solution for the Far North probably needs to be more cycle spaces in the 158s based in Inverness, not 153s. (Highly speculatively. could a single car from a 158 be turned into a detachable Highland Explorer car cost effectively?)

What the West Highland needs is a revamped timetable so the 153s can be deployed more effectively. For example an 07:30 departure south from Fort William or 05:20 from Oban is too early for the liesure market, but the only train a 153 can be added to because of the max 6 car train length rule for the whole route. I know a new timetable was planned to have been brought in by now, but Covid stopped that. A question for anyone in ScotRail is are they working on a new timetable for implementation anytime soon. For example, does electrification of the Barrhead line free up more units needed to enable this change to happen?

 

[trei2k]

ScotRail retweeted the following post on twitter:

https://twitter.com/moorofrannoch/status/1647147204493078529

What a difference 24 hours makes!

@ScotRail passes #Rannoch with its new Highland Explorer bike carriage in tow.

There is also an included video of the 153 going across Rannoch.

Edit:

0603 Mallaig to Glasgow Queen Street today: 2 coach 156 with a 153: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G11081/2023-04-15/detailed#allox_id=1

1823 Glasgow Queen Street to Mallaig, again two coach 156 and a 153: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G11070/2023-04-15/detailed

 

[JohnMcL7]

I've noticed Scotrail have updated their site so it now shows the cycle availability on each train without having to select a train which is a huge improvement.

 

[Techniquest]

That's a good move forward, definitely going to be useful if the spring weather actually arrives soon!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I do wonder if, part of the problem for the 153s, was their short period with Northern. I don't recall them being ultra reliable at GW, But Exeter certainly knew the inns and outs of the units (I mean, they aren't the vaunted saviour of the South West, the 150/2) but I think Northern's was always the least reliable of the 153 fleet. I briefly had 380 on it's short Northern Holiday and the thing was certainly being thrashed.

It's probably more likely that the 153s are just a bit rubbish. It's not as if they were an unknown quantity at Northern when they were moved there temporarily, as Northern had its own fleet of 153s and 155s for decades before the extras arrived from Exeter.

 

[driverd]

There were very few issues with the units at Northern, quite rare to have one fail in fact (as per the 155s).