• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

ScotRail HST Introduction - Updates & Discussion

Status
Not open for further replies.

380101

Member
Joined
18 Feb 2015
Messages
996
Plenty of refurbs running on the Highland Main Line today.

The classics have been withdrawn now from regular service. Due to the reduced timetable in place they only need 9 HSTs daily, so plenty of spare refurb sets if required.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

47271

Established Member
Joined
28 Apr 2015
Messages
2,983
I was making the point about the refurbs on the HML more to say that there are as many HSTs running as normal, and that they've not reduced use of them versus 170s and 158s.

You can't really see into an HST because of the reflective windows they have, but the one 170 I saw appeared to have no passengers at all on board.
 

CJSwan

Member
Joined
23 Aug 2017
Messages
153
I was making the point about the refurbs on the HML more to say that there are as many HSTs running as normal, and that they've not reduced use of them versus 170s and 158s.

You can't really see into an HST because of the reflective windows they have, but the one 170 I saw appeared to have no passengers at all on board.

The 11:29 Aberdeen to Glasgow HST ran without a single passenger as far as Perth, where one person boarded.
 

DirtyJohn

Member
Joined
24 Mar 2019
Messages
15
They could perhaps have done that instead, Kilmarnock given all the work for stripping the trailers and Doncaster the fitting-out.

That might have been quicker overall bar the delivery by road as each would've been concentrating on a specific part of the refurbishment rather than the whole thing

That would have slowed the production down. Once a vehicle has been stripped, it goes straight to the weld shop, and from the weld to the next station. That is usually the team who work on the underframe. Also in between stations there is sometimes arising work from previous stations.
I mentioned in a previous post about extra work being needed that slowed down the rebild, such as asbestos found on the body panels that needed removing, before any build up could be started. Vehicles going to wabtec that had been stood for ages had got mouldy, so that was setting back work on the carriages. In all honesty i think the work that needed doing was underestimated, its certainly got better these past 6 months.
 

hexagon789

Veteran Member
Joined
2 Sep 2016
Messages
15,713
Location
Glasgow
That would have slowed the production down. Once a vehicle has been stripped, it goes straight to the weld shop, and from the weld to the next station. That is usually the team who work on the underframe. Also in between stations there is sometimes arising work from previous stations.
I mentioned in a previous post about extra work being needed that slowed down the rebild, such as asbestos found on the body panels that needed removing, before any build up could be started. Vehicles going to wabtec that had been stood for ages had got mouldy, so that was setting back work on the carriages. In all honesty i think the work that needed doing was underestimated, its certainly got better these past 6 months.

So more a case of more work to be done, obviously thus taking more time, than was originally appreciated when ScotRail started off on their HST plans?
 

scotraildriver

Established Member
Joined
15 Jun 2009
Messages
1,626
The previously used Slateford depot is currently being cleared for re use as an HST stabling point. Not sure if the HA31 - 33 will move here too to be stripped, but it will reduce pressure on Haymarket depot which has had to close to any more trains on a few occasions recently due to being full. This has caused some congestion in Waverley as trains cannot move to the depot. I wonder how the local NIMBYS will react, given the relentless moaning they did last time Slateford was in use.
 

mcmad

Member
Joined
11 Mar 2015
Messages
977
Given that the residents stopped Slateford being used before I await with interest if this ever actually happens. Seem to recall it was more than relentless moaning and went as far as legal action.
 

ld0595

Member
Joined
1 Aug 2014
Messages
569
Location
Glasgow
The previously used Slateford depot is currently being cleared for re use as an HST stabling point. Not sure if the HA31 - 33 will move here too to be stripped, but it will reduce pressure on Haymarket depot which has had to close to any more trains on a few occasions recently due to being full. This has caused some congestion in Waverley as trains cannot move to the depot. I wonder how the local NIMBYS will react, given the relentless moaning they did last time Slateford was in use.

What was the original plan to stable HSTs before this? Surely they must've known beforehand whether they had enough space in Haymarket or not, or is it just because most HSTs aren't in use at the moment?
 

InOban

Established Member
Joined
12 Mar 2017
Messages
4,208
What residents? The main Carstairs line is between the vacant area and the nearest houses and on the other side is the link to the Sub and then some playing fields. Unless it's the road access from Shandon Place. If the access was easier it would have been sold for housing.
 

47271

Established Member
Joined
28 Apr 2015
Messages
2,983
What was the original plan to stable HSTs before this? Surely they must've known beforehand whether they had enough space in Haymarket or not, or is it just because most HSTs aren't in use at the moment?
In the early days there was quite a bit of umming and ahhing around stabling and servicing at Perth but nothing came of it.

Like everything else in the project it seems to have been a bit haphazard and strangely planned.
 

najaB

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Aug 2011
Messages
30,691
Location
Scotland
Surely they must've known beforehand whether they had enough space in Haymarket or not, or is it just because most HSTs aren't in use at the moment?
I think it's the latter - in normal operations some sets would be overnighting in Aberdeen, Inverness and Glasgow.
 

scotraildriver

Established Member
Joined
15 Jun 2009
Messages
1,626
The long term plan is for an HST stabling point at Cadder Yard near Glasgow. Short term its Slateford.
 

mcmad

Member
Joined
11 Mar 2015
Messages
977
What residents? The main Carstairs line is between the vacant area and the nearest houses and on the other side is the link to the Sub and then some playing fields. Unless it's the road access from Shandon Place. If the access was easier it would have been sold for housing.
The rather large blocks of flats on Appin Lane & Street beside the Midcalder lines are the issue.
 

InOban

Established Member
Joined
12 Mar 2017
Messages
4,208
But surely they are more affected by the increased number of trains on the midcalder/Carstairs lines than by a few trains being parked overnight in the sidings
 

najaB

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Aug 2011
Messages
30,691
Location
Scotland
But surely they are more affected by the increased number of trains on the midcalder/Carstairs lines than by a few trains being parked overnight in the sidings
Unless the sidings don't have shore power and so the trains are left with engines idling.

Edit: Looking at it on Google Earth, it appears that Slateford is an operational nightmare as a stabling point though. How do you get to/from Haymarket or Waverely without needing at least a couple of reversals?
 
Last edited:

scotraildriver

Established Member
Joined
15 Jun 2009
Messages
1,626
Unless the sidings don't have shore power and so the trains are left with engines idling.

Edit: Looking at it on Google Earth, it appears that Slateford is an operational nightmare as a stabling point though. How do you get to/from Haymarket or Waverely without needing at least a couple of reversals?
It's not ideal so only temporary. The reversals were always a faff. It might only be the classic coaches that are being kept for spares. Not sure yet.
 

Highland37

Established Member
Joined
29 Jun 2012
Messages
1,259
Unless the sidings don't have shore power and so the trains are left with engines idling.

Edit: Looking at it on Google Earth, it appears that Slateford is an operational nightmare as a stabling point though. How do you get to/from Haymarket or Waverely without needing at least a couple of reversals?

Good point. The fumes are pretty unpleasant and anyone with a family would be concerned about the increased pollution.
 

mr-magoo

Member
Joined
20 Aug 2017
Messages
15
Good point. The fumes are pretty unpleasant and anyone with a family would be concerned about the increased pollution.
I understand that it will be used for short term storage, not stabling. So they will be shut down and infrequent movements
 

Clansman

Established Member
Joined
4 Jan 2016
Messages
2,571
Location
Hong Kong
There's a bit of an irony that just when ScotRail are starting to have roughly enough refurbs to reliably maintain the timetable as planned, that there's a pandemic going on; during which they could have easily gotten away with running single 158s all day long on all Intercity routes like they were doing a year ago when the whole network was getting absolutely pummelled left, right and centre with the lack of HSTs, buggar all 385s and the fiasco with that, and a shed load of DMUs heading south to other TOCs.

To think that was only a year and a bit ago. Some journey we've all been on this thread the past couple years! Onwards and upwards...
 

BRX

Established Member
Joined
20 Oct 2008
Messages
3,599
There's a bit of an irony that just when ScotRail are starting to have roughly enough refurbs to reliably maintain the timetable as planned, that there's a pandemic going on;
Similarly the Caley Sleeper!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top