All part of the joys of using a single line section. Regularly happens to current service trains too.
All part of the service to enjoy the scenery and a meal. Nobody is really in a hurry and will no doubt enjoy the service and ambiance.
My own preference woukd be to have a catering service on an HST. The alternative Citylink bus even manages refreshments. Which probably is why passengers prefer to use it and avoid the train.
I actually agree with you to some extent; in the summer you could have some "relief" trains that were slower but hopefully not overcrowded, which might be attractive to tourist travellers especially if they had proper catering on board. And some imaginative marketing could make it into a positive. However, this particular example, the slowness is so extreme that I think you'd find a limited number of people who'd tolerate it.
Losing heaps of time. The smaller passing loops such as Kincraig don't seem to allow simultaneous entry from each direction. So that means both trains being brought to a halt before the loop. One train is then cleared to enter. The second train is then allowed to enter from opposite direction and then both trains are cleared to leave. It is such a long winded process that loses way too much time. The only places that allow simultaneous arrival seem to be Blair Atholl and Aviemore. The complete HML needs resignalling and loops lengthened to minimise or elimintae this issue.
One slight problem with doubling the Highland Main Line is the cost and whether it can be justified on the return on the investment costs. With the numbers of passengers who use the trains that could be very doubtful.
Pitlochry too since the 2019 resignalling.
You won't attract people to the HML if it remains - slow - unreliable - not enough seats and more convenient to take the car. So investment is needed. Four coach HST's seemed to be an improvement, but despite their potentially superior performance and the spending of money to improve reliability, the proposed faster timetable has not been launched, and HST's frequently swapped out with smaller DMU's. The DMU's can run at higher speeds in places. There's no news on any track work changes to take advantage of the HST's better acceleration and ability to hold higher speeds on the climbs.
One major probkem with the HSTs is their reliability. Out of 24 sets ScotRail struggle to turn out double figures on a daily basis.
You could probably add another vowel to that word without changing the meaning at all!
No it won’t. Trying to work out if you’re trolling here.
Think you will find the one who saved it was one Chris Green.
You could probably add another vowel to that word without changing the meaning at all!
To peen the welds on any passing 80X....
To peen the welds on any passing 80X....
Not necessary, if both trains are running on-time there is no reason for both to be brought to a stand. The train in the loop is timed to arrive early enough to be in clear for the other train to pass without stopping. If one train is late then whatever train will arrive first should go into the loop and the other one should not need to stop, assuming the delay to it is long enough. Of course in some circumstances where the delay is small you will end up with both trains needing to stop.
You could probably add another vowel to that word without changing the meaning at all!
I'll get my coat before I get in trouble!
I thought it was yellow highlighters for track bashers? Red pens are for required locos...
Long term investment is happening - it's the electrification of the line and the introduction of an entirely new fleet.
That might be the case (though I doubt it was ever that close to happening), but there’s the small issue of Inverness being by far the largest settlement in the Highlands and effectively being a gateway to the whole Far North and northwest mainland. Complete closure of what is an important transport artery from north to south would cause such a political stir anyone proposing it would be laughed out the room.
Unfortunately my usual source advised a couple months ago, that ScotRail were not wanting this precise information made public anymore.
So they’re not at all embarrassed that 43128 has never turned a wheel in service for ScotRail after over 4 years?
