Scotrail HSTs - 4-5 years in

[hexagon789]

On an hst this evening, first time for about 6 months.

Service was booked hst and one showed up.
Lighting is still awful.
Heating working fine.
Plenty space for everyone & their luggage & bikes.
Mini buffet still not in service & no trolley (and would have been much appreciated after a tight transfer from a delayed train that cost me my opportunity to get some dinner).
Vestibule doors perhaps about 50% of them operational.
The interior generally is doing ok I'd say. Starting to look a bit worn perhaps but not worse than the Lumo train I changed from.
Slight delay to service - but caused by the southbound caledonian sleeper & not the hst.

For me, I'd still take this over 3.5 hrs on a 170 or 158.

Ironically, with the disruption yesterday, a full 15 sets were out. Albeit modified diagrams.

 

[John Bishop]

Ironically, with the disruption yesterday, a full 15 sets were out. Albeit modified diagrams.

Didn’t last long. 2 car 158 on an Intercity HST diagram all day today due to set failure. That’s going to be fun on a Friday before Christmas.

 

[Chris Hamilton]

Taking my first Scotrail HST and my first HST since their withdrawal from the Great Western.

It's nice to be on an old friend but it does feel proper, proper tired, like being on a mk1 slammer circa 2001 or similar, everything's rattling and looking quite worn out or just plain filthy.

I "enjoyed" a Castle set from Liskeard to Saltash last week (yes, they are still rattling about). Now that was a tired set! A seat is a seat, but the New York Subway trains looked better cared for.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Will tree-wrecked 43129 be repaired or written off, do we know?

I "enjoyed" a Castle set from Liskeard to Saltash last week (yes, they are still rattling about). Now that was a tired set! A seat is a seat, but the New York Subway trains looked better cared for.

Yes, unfortunately they look quite tatty and one of my biggest gripes about landing them instead of an IET out of Cardiff is that most of the charging points are also now completely broken.

 

[chuff chuff]

Will tree-wrecked 43129 be repaired or written off

Spares i would say,no shortage of power cars and it needs more than just a new shell put on.There are power car at haymarket depot that haven't turned a wheel in months.

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @43096 to update

 

[chuff chuff]

Spares i would say,no shortage of power cars and it needs more than just a new shell put on.There are power car at haymarket depot that haven't turned a wheel in months.

It's going for repair,amongst others.

 

[43096]

ScotRail are making an effort to get long term stopped/damaged power cars back into service. 43129 and 43150 are off to Brodie's in Kilmarnock for tree damage repairs after their recent incidents. In addition, long term stopped 43128/169 are being moved to UKRL in Loughborough for reinstatement work. 43305/367 have moved to Loughborough from Ely to provide components for them.

 

[Railperf]

How is the Knorr Bremse WSP installation program progressing? Do we know which, if any power cars have it fitted yet?

 

[InkyScrolls]

ScotRail are making an effort to get long term stopped/damaged power cars back into service. 43129 and 43150 are off to Brodie's in Kilmarnock for tree damage repairs after their recent incidents. In addition, long term stopped 43128/169 are being moved to UKRL in Loughborough for reinstatement work. 43305/367 have moved to Loughborough from Ely to provide components for them.

Thank you for the update.

 

[43096]

How is the Knorr Bremse WSP installation program progressing? Do we know which, if any power cars have it fitted yet?

None fitted.

 

[Railperf]

None fitted.

Is the plan to have this done by Autumn as I read upthread? If so, when do the first power cars go in for installation and where?

 

[chuff chuff]

Is the plan to have this done by Autumn as I read upthread? If so, when do the first power cars go in for installation and where?

Starting June at haymarket.

 

[Railperf]

Starting June at haymarket.

Thanks. Good to know. Shame this wasn't done from the start..

 

[43096]

Thanks. Good to know. Shame this wasn't done from the start..

It was originally planned, but ScotRail de-scoped it despite the financial savings that it generates.

I’ll believe it is happening if/when fitment starts.

 

[Railperf]

Are the two 5-car mark 3 rakes of coaches still sitting at Slateford? If so, will they ever be used or are they going to end up scrapped?

 

[hexagon789]

Are the two 5-car mark 3 rakes of coaches still sitting at Slateford? If so, will they ever be used or are they going to end up scrapped?

Last I was told, they were to be refreshed first and then put into traffic eventually. I understand the initial priority is getting more useable power cars before consideration to extending more sets.

 

[Railperf]

Last I was told, they were to be refreshed first and then put into traffic eventually. I understand the initial priority is getting more useable power cars before consideration to extending more sets.

How has reliability been lately - power cars and sets available for traffic vs diagrams?

 

[hexagon789]

How has reliability been lately - power cars and sets available for traffic vs diagrams?

Well, there were 16 sets out for 15 diagrams today. Does that give an indication?

 

[Railperf]

How long

Well, there were 16 sets out for 15 diagrams today. Does that give an indication?

Positive start - depends how long they all managed to stay on diagram without any failures?

 

[hexagon789]

How long

Depends how long they all managed to stay on diagram without any failures?

So far, no failures today.

By far the most common fault now is not traction related but brake related.

For several months going back well into last year, the most common fault has been random, intermittent failure of the high-speed brake. One day in January saw three of these failures in one day, then none for some 3 weeks.

Often this fault has proved repairable, with a set so affected appearing later in the day instead.

 

[Railperf]

So far, no failures today.

By far the most common fault now is not traction related but brake related.

For several months going back well into last year, the most common fault has been random, intermittent failure of the high-speed brake. One day in January saw three of these failures in one day, then none for some 3 weeks.

Often this fault has proved repairable, with a set so affected appearing later in the day instead.

Good news then. Seems Scotrail finally getting a handle on them.

 

[hexagon789]

Good news then. Seems Scotrail finally getting a handle on them.

It's not quite 100%, but 15/15 happens quite commonly now, sometimes 16.

I'd say the average is on 14 per day or perhaps a fraction over 14.

 

[BRX]

I just wish they'd sort out the awful lighting...

 

[hexagon789]

16 sets again today. The 16th is working Inverness to Elgin locals vice a failed 158.

 

[Railperf]

16 sets again today. The 16th is working Inverness to Elgin locals vice a failed 158.

Whooah. An upgrade for the locals. Makes a change. In the last few years it was units deputising for HSTs.
IIRC there was a planned uplift in HST diagrams from June? Is this still the plan? How many are planned in total and which routes get the extra trains? Any plans to improve timings on Highland Main Line yet?

 

[hexagon789]

Whooah. An upgrade for the locals. Makes a change. In the last few years it was units deputising for HSTs.
IIRC there was a planned uplift in HST diagrams from June? Is this still the plan? How many are planned in total and which routes get the extra trains? Any plans to improve timings on Highland Main Line yet?

Happened on Saturday as well, HST vice 158 on Elgin locals.

No uplift in June I understand, but December.

Need to wait for the December timetable to be available to see if they've made any accelerations; there aren't any in June beyond those produced by stopping pattern alterations.

 

[Towers]

I just wish they'd sort out the awful lighting...

The interior lighting in the MK3s? Is it still FGW-spec?

 

[BRX]

The interior lighting in the MK3s? Is it still FGW-spec?

Yup.

I know some people don't think it's an important issue but for me it really ruins the ambience. The whole point of the HSTs was to provide an "intercity" style relaxing ambience on the longer routes. But the abattoir lighting makes the coaches feel harsh and cold, especially at night or on a gloomy day. Changing from an LNER IET to a Scotrail HST at Edinburgh on a long day's journey to the north it's especially striking; it's like you've crossed the iron curtain or something. It's such a shame because lots of other things are good about the trains (overall I'm a fan) and it seems like changing a few light fittings shouldn't be so hard. It must be that there's no-one senior in Scotrail who actually understands it matters.

 

[The Puddock]

The 16th is working Inverness to Elgin locals vice a failed 158.

Whooah. An upgrade for the locals. Makes a change. In the last few years it was units deputising for HSTs.

They’ve been kicking out HSTs on a few Aberdeen-Inverurie locals too recently, the 12:26 from Aberdeen has been an HST several times over the last couple of weeks.