ScotRail HST Introduction - Updates & Discussion

[twpsaesneg]

Maybe a glitch on RTT as it now says it left on time, though seems to lost a few mins after Stonehaven.

Thanks!

 

[scotrail170407]

With the HST around Dundee now, how’s she doing @Highlandspring

 

[Journeyman]

I'm the only punter in first class so far!

Have you still got it to yourself? I'd imagine that's very pleasant indeed. Can you confirm what freebies you've been offered?

Was pleased to see there's four individual airline seats in the first class vehicle, which should make it reasonably easy to bag one. I was under the impression there were fewer of them than that.

 

[Callum Waring]

Seems as if we have quite a crowed ready to board at Leuchars. It’s not huge but certainly larger than expected.

 

[nixer10]

Seems as if we have quite a crowed ready to board at Leuchars. It’s not huge but certainly larger than expected.

I noticed at Arbroath it was a lady driver who had the honour.

 

[Journeyman]

I noticed at Arbroath it was a lady driver who had the honour.

Not sure what that's got to do with anything at all. Female drivers are hardly unusual these days, I don't consider that particularly worthy of comment, and it seems a bit sexist to me.

 

[Highlandspring]

Have you still got it to yourself? I'd imagine that's very pleasant indeed. Can you confirm what freebies you've been offered?

Had first class to entirely myself from Aberdeen to Arbroath where someone else got on; I got off at Dundee. My first impressions were very good, Wabtec seem to have done a great job of the refurbishment and the ambience on board is good, it does truly feel like a step up over the 170s in terms of quality. The rest of the train was busy and from what I saw there were a lot of baffled passengers wandering up and down looking for non existent seat reservations. The first class offering is the usual ScotRail complimentary choice with the addition of porrage or a microwaved bacon roll (soup or a wrap after 11am). I had the honour of consuming the first Inter7city bacon roll...

 

[Highlandspring]

A few more photos..

 

[Journeyman]

Had first class to entirely myself from Aberdeen to Arbroath where someone else got on; I got off at Dundee. My first impressions were very good, Wabtec seem to have done a great job of the refurbishment and the ambience on board is good, it does truly feel like a step up over the 170s in terms of quality. The rest of the train was busy and from what I saw there were a lot of baffled passengers wandering up and down looking for non existent seat reservations. The first class offering is the usual ScotRail complimentary choice with the addition of porrage or a bacon roll (soup or a wrap after 11am). I had the honour of comsuming the first Inter7city bacon roll...

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Nice, thanks for the review. I know I've been critical of the project, but that does look impressive, so I just hope it all works now. Reliability is the absolutely vital factor, if they can't deliver on that it'll all be for nothing.

Glad to hear there's some actual proper food thrown in. I take it that's a shot of the self-serve area as well?

 

[Highlandspring]

Yes that’s the self service area. The roll was not bad though I’m not usually a fan of that sort of ready made microwaveable stuff. There’s no crockery or cutlery (speaking to the head of catering on board he said that was a deliberate decision to keep things simple) so it was just served on a paper napkin straight on to the table which does spoil it a bit. The only slight technical issue that I noticed was the PIS got out of sync and was be switched off after Arbroath.

 

[mullac30]

Had first class to entirely myself from Aberdeen to Arbroath where someone else got on; I got off at Dundee. My first impressions were very good, Wabtec seem to have done a great job of the refurbishment and the ambience on board is good, it does truly feel like a step up over the 170s in terms of quality. The rest of the train was busy and from what I saw there were a lot of baffled passengers wandering up and down looking for non existent seat reservations. The first class offering is the usual ScotRail complimentary choice with the addition of porrage or a microwaved bacon roll (soup or a wrap after 11am). I had the honour of consuming the first Inter7city bacon roll...

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Does the PIS work? All the photos I've seen just show a generic "Welcome aboard this service" message.

edit: perfect timing on this reply haha

 

[jingsmonty]

I had a wander down the platform at Inverness and had my first good look at a pair of the Scotrail HST's:

Even better you can see all seven cities in one go!

I noticed they were doing some work around the unused rail beside Morrisons, there was talk about the lack of capacity for the 2+5 HSTs at Inverness and there was some discussion on that unused rail being developed back into a platform - is this work anything to do with that or just some unrelated and minor tidying up?

I've heard it's for the Caledonian Sleeper to use as a stabling point during the day, to free up platform 2 for HSTs

 

[RLBH]

There’s no crockery or cutlery (speaking to the head of catering on board he said that was a deliberate decision to keep things simple) so it was just served on a paper napkin straight on to the table which does spoil it a bit.

That could get interesting with porridge - presumably disposable spoons are provided? Sound logic at least.

Looks very swanky in First Class at any rate. Hopefully the rest of the fleet will follow before long.

 

[Journeyman]

That could get interesting with porridge - presumably disposable spoons are provided?

Porridge is currently available from the trolleys on most ScotRail services, so I assume there's a spoon in the pot.

Lack of cutlery caused me bit of a problem on a TPE service recently. I'd bought a cheese and tomato pasta pot in Sainsburys for the journey, and assumed it came with a fork, but found on the train it didn't. The catering trolley on board had no eating implements of any kind at all - I had to MacGyver some chopsticks out of coffee stirrers!

It took me ages to eat, but thankfully I didn't make too much of a mess, and only a little bit ended up on the floor.

 

[ainsworth74]

I feel a bit like I'm flogging a dead horse here but just a reminder that this thread is about the introduction of ScotRail HSTs it is not a thread for discussing sending an 800 from Penzance to Thurso and neither is it for discussing the future of HSTs on LNER and it is also not for discussing the causes of delays in the introduction of 800s on LNER.

Please try and keep to topic and for a new subject start a new thread in the appropriate section.

 

[Esker-pades]

Some poor-quality phone shots from Edinburgh just now:

 

[Stopper]

Saw the HST on Platform 20 earlier today. It looked quite spectacular from the outside, I’m seriously looking forward to taking it to Inverness one day!

 

[connormill]

Does anyone know what time a HST will be leaving Edinburgh tonight?

I need to get to Kirckaldy this evening and may change my plans and get a connection just to try out the HST

 

[Highlandspring]

2143 Edinburgh - Aberdeen, arrives Kirkcaldy 2214.

 

[gingertom]

Some poor-quality phone shots from Edinburgh just now:

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nothing wrong with these shots. Keep snapping!

 

[jopsuk]

the times are further up thread here - the evening Edinburgh-Kirkcaldy is at 2143

 

[connormill]

Little too late for me, but thanks anyway.

Do we know if that timetable will be the standard for this set or is it going to be mixed up a bit

 

[Mordac]

Had first class to entirely myself from Aberdeen to Arbroath where someone else got on; I got off at Dundee. My first impressions were very good, Wabtec seem to have done a great job of the refurbishment and the ambience on board is good, it does truly feel like a step up over the 170s in terms of quality. The rest of the train was busy and from what I saw there were a lot of baffled passengers wandering up and down looking for non existent seat reservations. The first class offering is the usual ScotRail complimentary choice with the addition of porrage or a microwaved bacon roll (soup or a wrap after 11am). I had the honour of consuming the first Inter7city bacon roll...

I'll never understand why so many organizations insist on not allowing you to have a bacon roll after 11am. Gregg's is the same thing. Yet I find they make a much more pleasant quick lunch than a cold sandwich/wrap. A one man operation food van will happily sell you bacon rolls at all times of day, I don't see why these big corporations find the concept so challenging.

 

[Deltic1961]

Running a wee bit late on the way up from Edinburgh but still on schedule to be in Dyce at 16:30

Definitely heading over for a look.

 

[duffield]

Porridge is currently available from the trolleys on most ScotRail services, so I assume there's a spoon in the pot.

Lack of cutlery caused me bit of a problem on a TPE service recently. I'd bought a cheese and tomato pasta pot in Sainsburys for the journey, and assumed it came with a fork, but found on the train it didn't. The catering trolley on board had no eating implements of any kind at all - I had to MacGyver some chopsticks out of coffee stirrers!

It took me ages to eat, but thankfully I didn't make too much of a mess, and only a little bit ended up on the floor.

I always have a (metal) teaspoon in my ever-present rucksack, can use it to eat almost any food and seems safer than carrying any sort of knife or even a fork these days (can't really be seen as a weapon!).

Anyhow to keep this post ontopic, the refurbished 1st Class looks very smart but I think they might have fitted a couple more seats in, the luggage rack plus adjacent storage area for water etc. together seem to take up a lot of room, I'm sure an extra pair of airline seats (admittedly with a very poor view) could have been fitted in.

 

[Darandio]

Not sure what that's got to do with anything at all. Female drivers are hardly unusual these days, I don't consider that particularly worthy of comment, and it seems a bit sexist to me.

Oh, you were being serious?

Thanks @Highlandspring for the roving report and pictures, looks very nice.

 

[fgwrich]

A few more photos..

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All I'm going to say is, Scotland - Enjoy them! Im pleased to see that the best First Class still remains and has been upgraded from it's FGW days, same for the standard too. The HST isn't dead yet!

 

[CC 72100]

All I'm going to say is, Scotland - Enjoy them! Im pleased to see that the best First Class still remains and has been upgraded from it's FGW days, same for the standard too. The HST isn't dead yet!

Indeed - looks the class product we hoped it would be. Agree that reliability will however be the key success criteria.

 

[Callum Waring]

Definitely the best Scotrail has to offer currently! I got it to edinburgh from Leuchars and back and don’t regret the upgrade cost what so ever! This is serious rivalry (once more sets arrrive) to LNER north of Edinburgh. Plenty of pleasantly suprised people on both the 10:30am Leuchars - Edinburgh and 13:30 Edinburgh - Leuchars as well; so it looks like it’s being revived positively by the public!

 

[Deltic1961]

Some photos of the HST in Dyce this afternoon. It sat for a while so I had a chat with the driver. Said he was amazed it had made it this far without catching fire! (Not sure if he was joking or not)

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• Deltic1961
• 15 Oct 2018

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• Deltic1961
• 15 Oct 2018

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• Deltic1961
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• Deltic1961
• 15 Oct 2018