ScotRail Perth points failure and replacement buses

[mbreckers]

So ScotRail are not having a good day.

There has been a points failure between Perth and Gleneagles. Nothing completely unusual, these sort of things happen.

This is affecting services between Glasgow and Aberdeen and Glasgow/Edinburgh and Inverness.

The problem ScotRail are having, is that they have been unable to source ANY replacement buses. ScotRail are currently advising passengers to make their own travel arrangements. There is also NO ticket acceptance in place.

The result is absolutely carnage on Twitter.

Do ScotRail (and other TOC's) not have contracts with bus and coach companies for exactly this sort of situation?

 

[Hadders]

Doesn't sound good. I'm sure TOCs have contracts in place but the issue is one of practicalities.

Think of how many buses are needed. Say an 3 car hourly train runs in each direction.

Then consider that it's a Saturday afternoon in June. Buses and drivers will probably be doing other things.

There isn't a reserve of buses lying around just in case.

 

[Robertj21a]

And there's football on the TV......

 

[Carntyne]

All TOCs do, coach companies don't sit by the phone waiting for the railway to phone though, if the buses are out, they're out and the games up.

 

[Highland37]

I saw a replacement bus going down the A9 earlier. But with cruise ships in at Invergordon and other events on, it's really hard to source a coach. I try often and you have to phone around a lot!

 

[theageofthetra]

Very good point re cruise ships. We are now getting to the peak of the Northern Europe cruising season and coaches for shore excursions will be in very high demand. My other half works in that industry and was amazed how big the Scottish island market is with religious tourists and the worldwide Celtic diaspora.

 

[LowLevel]

I've never understood why people expect buses to be available at the drop of a hat. For rail replacement each company tends to have a contract with a provider, often from their parent bus company. They contact local firms who advise if they have spare vehicles and ring drivers at home and see if they want overtime. If the drivers say no or there's no spare buses (particularly a problem at school run time) then there's no rail replacement.

You do your best but when you bear in mind the number of buses required to replace one train it's not easy.

 

[route:oxford]

So ScotRail are not having a good day.

There has been a points failure between Perth and Gleneagles. Nothing completely unusual, these sort of things happen.

This is affecting services between Glasgow and Aberdeen and Glasgow/Edinburgh and Inverness.

The problem ScotRail are having, is that they have been unable to source ANY replacement buses. ScotRail are currently advising passengers to make their own travel arrangements. There is also NO ticket acceptance in place.

That's a bit of a pest. Shame, as there is full lift access between platforms and a beautiful new bus turning circle etc at Gleneagles - so it would have been perfect for physically running bus shuttles.

Do ScotRail (and other TOC's) not have contracts with bus and coach companies for exactly this sort of situation?

Well, you can imagine how the conversation will have gone...

"Hi, is that First Group?"
"Yes..."
"It's Abelio Scotrail here, we need some buses for a points failure at Perth, can you help us out?"
"*Giggles*, Click".

 

[Philip Phlopp]

That's a bit of a pest. Shame, as there is full lift access between platforms and a beautiful new bus turning circle etc at Gleneagles - so it would have been perfect for physically running bus shuttles.



Well, you can imagine how the conversation will have gone...

"Hi, is that First Group?"
"Yes..."
"It's Abelio Scotrail here, we need some buses for a points failure at Perth, can you help us out?"
"*Giggles*, Click".

Never mind First Group, you know who has their global HQ at Perth, and who probably has their chairman watching the carnage from his house with a pair of binoculars ? Stagecoach.