Well getting slightly off the point I think the condition of train interiors generally is a failure of privatisation, in my view it should be compulsory over the expected life of the train to have new interiors at half life, and at least new seat covers and carpets etc at 1/4, 3/4 and further work if life expectancy gets extended and it should be the responsibility of the train owners to ensure this work is carried out.
I'm inclined to agree. British Rail under sectorisation had good form in this regard. The first refurbishment of the HST fleet started in 1983 (retaining the same IC70 seats, but changing the spacing and layout) when the oldest trains were only seven years old. Had privatisation not come around, the next refurbishment of this fleet was pencilled in to take place between 1995 and 2000, which would have been considerably more thorough, at the expected half-life of these trains, and could well have seen modern features such as electronic seat reservation displays fitted which are
still not evident on the majority of these trains.
BR Regional Railways also put into motion the refurbishment of its' Central and North West class 156 fleets in 1995, which included fitting them with entirely new seats despite the trains being only seven years old.
The disjointed nature of the privatised railway and the fairly short term of franchises means that no-one has any incentive to keep tabs on when the last refurbishment was done and when the next should ideally take place.
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I get more 170+158 five car combos or 2x158, but still only on a very few services. Without poring over the arithmetic, I can't see that they're going to offer more space than a five coach HST?
A 170+158 formation would have slightly more than a 2+5 HST (33 first, 291 standard versus 30/276 on the HST), a pair of 158s somewhat less (30 first, 246 standard). Note of course that around half of the planned Scotrail HST fleet will actually be shorter 2+4 formations, with 64 fewer standard class seats than the 2+5 formations. Although undoubtedly Scotrail will be looking to diagram the longer 2+5 sets on the busiest services where double sets do currently feature: Even 2+4 sets will certainly be an increase in capacity, and improvement in facilities and comfort, over the single 3-car 170s they will mainly be replacing.
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Interesting plans for ScotRail, I wonder if we could see a semi circular service From Edinburgh to Glasgow via Aberdeen and Inverness using the HST's with a reversal at Inverness, would up up many through journey potentials.
Is their honestly going to be that much demand for journeys between, say, Aberdeen and Aviemore, or Elgin and Pitlochry or Perth, when much of the population in this area is well dispersed and rural in nature (and hence more likely to use or have access to a car) and the railway takes such a roundabout route to get between any two destinations split between the two routes?
What stock is the long term choice for the West Highland, the 156 cant soldier on for ever. After all they have worked these services longer than than any other modern traction.
The West Highland line will be gaining class 158 units refurbished to scenic train standard, as has already been carried out on 158701.
Most of the 156s are being retained and refurbished for use on the South West rural routes, though.
