ScotRail services

[739678]

Makes no sense that it's taken so long with the trains either. Far easier to distance on a train than a bus or subway

Exactly. Let us also not forget that the Subway returned to its pre-covid opening times and timetable as of the 15th, and Scotrail are saying they will only be running 90% of services as of 3rd August.
SPT got £9million from the government. The railways got £339million.

 

[CalF]

Best directing your anger and upset at the Scottish Government as they are pulling the strings not Scotrail.

I doubt the Scottish Government is dictating the level of service Scotrail is providing.

Scotrail seem to be taking the line that they are running as many services as possible, which seems doubtful to me. Last train from EDI-GLA was at 2215, and there was nothing at all on the route from 2015-2215.

This seems like madness to me when shops, bars, restaurants and hotels are all open!

 

[mcmad]

I doubt the Scottish Government is dictating the level of service Scotrail is providing.

Doubt all you want but TS says whether Scotrail sneeze or not and have done since the extension to the contract was not awarded.

 

[Scotrail12]

So much for ScotRail saying that they are putting out as many services as possible.

Just got home.

The last train that I mentioned - the 2153 from Queen St to Bathgate (I was getting off at Blairhill) had only THREE carriages! It was mobbed, too busy to get on if there was any hope of distancing. I bet that there were several 334's parked in the Bathgate sidings - WHY only 3 carriages????

Spoke with a staff member on the High Level concourse. When I asked why there were so few trains, response was "Because of COVID". My response was "Surely it's more of a risk having one packed train than several quiet trains?".

Then got a cab home and was skinned £32. Not a happy camper.

 

[Scotrail314209]

So much for ScotRail saying that they are putting out as many services as possible.

Just got home.

The last train that I mentioned - the 2153 from Queen St to Bathgate (I was getting off at Blairhill) had only THREE carriages! It was mobbed, too busy to get on if there was any hope of distancing. I bet that there were several 334's parked in the Bathgate sidings - WHY only 3 carriages????

Spoke with a staff member on the High Level concourse. When I asked why there were so few trains, response was "Because of COVID". My response was "Surely it's more of a risk having one packed train than several quiet trains?".

Then got a cab home and was skinned £32. Not a happy camper.

The last Largs train on a weekday (1945) is only a 4 car, it is very difficult to Social Distance on that train.

I have a feeling that may have been short formed as most if not all Helensburgh services run as a 6 car throughout the day.

 

[Carntyne]

I doubt the Scottish Government is dictating the level of service Scotrail is providing.

It does at all times, that's the point in a franchise agreement.

 

[snookertam]

Are we sure timetables just haven’t been uploaded yet for other routes? Seems to be a full service at Cathcart on 3rd August.

 

[scotraildriver]

Abellio are currently being paid a management fee to operate the service that transport Scotland dictate. Scotrail is effectively nationalised and the Govt are dictating every single thing Scotrail do. Service levels, number of carriages, staffing levels, Do not travel advice, EVERYTHING. Abellio have no part in the decision making, so any complaints need to be addressed to your MSP.

 

[Scotrail12]

I'll write to my local MSP then since I have considerable issues with how the govt seem to have influenced ScotRail's operations in the last month or so. I can excuse a reduced service during lockdown but with things being opened up, there is 0 excuse for the govt to still be forcing the 'essential travel only' tag, it's basically discrimination to those who don't drive as far as I'm concerned.

 

[scotraildriver]

I'll write to my local MSP then since I have considerable issues with how the govt seem to have influenced ScotRail's operations in the last month or so. I can excuse a reduced service during lockdown but with things being opened up, there is 0 excuse for the govt to still be forcing the 'essential travel only' tag, it's basically discrimination to those who don't drive as far as I'm concerned.

It's not discrimination but by its very nature 2m social distancing vastly reduces train capacity so they don't yet want non essential travel as there quite simply isn't room, even if a full service was operated. Remember each person effectively needs 8 sq metres of space (2m in each direction). Reducing it to 1m on Monday will make a big difference. However by its very nature running more services will result in more people travelling, especially late at night. Unfortunately last night was utterly horrendous, like a normal Friday. Everyone drunk, no one social distances when drunk, fights and staff assaults. This is when the risks increase big time which is why a cautious approach is being taken, particularly with late night services.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Was out today and seen a couple of trains at my local. Scotrail were running a mix of 3/4/6/7 carriage trains today. There was no way you would be able to properly distance on a three car train, particularly when it got to Johnstone.

 

[CalF]

It's not discrimination but by its very nature 2m social distancing vastly reduces train capacity so they don't yet want non essential travel as there quite simply isn't room, even if a full service was operated. Remember each person effectively needs 8 sq metres of space (2m in each direction). Reducing it to 1m on Monday will make a big difference. However by its very nature running more services will result in more people travelling, especially late at night. Unfortunately last night was utterly horrendous, like a normal Friday. Everyone drunk, no one social distances when drunk, fights and staff assaults. This is when the risks increase big time which is why a cautious approach is being taken, particularly with late night services.

To be honest making the last service from EDI-GLA 2239 and having absolutely no trains on the route for more than 2 hours before that certainly wouldn’t have helped.

It should not be a surprise to anyone that with bars, restaurants and hotels now open, people are using them and for many that means travelling by train.

 

[scotraildriver]

From a staff point of view we badly need more services. It is incredibly difficult at the moment. Unfortunately Transport Scotland has other ideas as usual.

 

[Mathieu]

Looking at the ScotRail ticket booking engine and trains on RTT it looks like there is a full service back, unless I'm not seeing all the trains there should be

 

[scotraildriver]

It's around 90%. Still a reduced off peak service.

 

[Scotrail314209]

It's around 90%. Still a reduced off peak service.

Looking at the ScotRail ticket booking engine and trains on RTT it looks like there is a full service back, unless I'm not seeing all the trains there should be

There are also no extra Friday night trains out of Glasgow Central for the foreseeable future either. Scotraildriver is correct with the reduced off peak service, it's not much just 2tph reduced on some routes.

 

[snookertam]

ScotRail have confirmed, as per ScotRaildriver’s post above, 90% service from August 3rd.

Main reason is that they’re now short of drivers. 45 drivers were shielding and now need a refresher course, whereas all driver training was suspended so departing and retiring drivers couldn’t be replaced.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Will catering likely restart anytime soon?

I know CrossCountry, Greater Anglia and some others have resumed catering with a static trolley at one end of the train.

 

[Mathieu]

There are also no extra Friday night trains out of Glasgow Central for the foreseeable future either. Scotraildriver is correct with the reduced off peak service, it's not much just 2tph reduced on some routes.

The extra train that runs to Milngavie on a Friday evening isn’t running either

 

[najaB]

0 deaths for a week yet not a single train at 10pm!

1 death in 16 days now so the train situation is unbelievably strange especially given that more and more is opening up

Really really bizarre and not at all reflective of where society is now.

Despite the low infection rates at the moment, this is far from over. Take a look across the pond at the USA where many states 'opened up' too soon and they are now recording infections and deaths at or above the rates that they were seeing at the peak of the New York outbreak. Some towns in Texas have to triage patients at the hospital door and send some home to "be with their loved ones".

If the price of avoiding that here is that people can't get a train home after going out for a sherbet on a Friday night... I'm okay with that.

 

[Scotrail12]

Despite the low infection rates at the moment, this is far from over. Take a look across the pond at the USA where many states 'opened up' too soon and they are now recording infections and deaths at or above the rates that they were seeing at the peak of the New York outbreak. Some towns in Texas have to triage patients at the hospital door and send some home to "be with their loved ones".

If the price of avoiding that here is that people can't get a train home after going out for a sherbet on a Friday night... I'm okay with that.

So are people meant to walk home? As I explained in an earlier post, what is actually more risky is one packed train than having more quiet ones.

We're at 0 deaths, we certainly didn't open too soon, it was July or never, can't stay in lockdown and essential travel only until a vaccine (presuming one is created).

 

[route101]

The extra train that runs to Milngavie on a Friday evening isn’t running either

Dont think the town is that busy on Friday and Saturday nights .

I still think for Glasgow 2317 is early for the last train to East Kilbride.

 

[snookertam]

There’s a fuller service beginning next week which will involve later services running. They can’t just snap their fingers and have later trains based on the latest trends in cases and fatalities, it needs to be planned in advance.

It’s all well and good knowing now that we have had 0 deaths in almost a fortnight from the virus, but a fortnight ago we weren’t so sure we would be at this point now. Appreciate that this will cause inconvenience for some people, but we are not and are unlikely to see full normality for sometime. Putting up with some inconvenience like early timetable finishes for the time being is the least we can do.

 

[CalF]

Despite the low infection rates at the moment, this is far from over. Take a look across the pond at the USA where many states 'opened up' too soon and they are now recording infections and deaths at or above the rates that they were seeing at the peak of the New York outbreak. Some towns in Texas have to triage patients at the hospital door and send some home to "be with their loved ones".

If the price of avoiding that here is that people can't get a train home after going out for a sherbet on a Friday night... I'm okay with that.

Nonsense. Bars, shops, restaurants and hotels are all now open and have been for some time. People are going track to work.

Given that people cannot levitate to these establishments, many will be going by train. There is far more risk of virus transmission when you have a packed service because the last train from Edinburgh- Glasgow is at 2215 and there’s been none at all for 2 hours prior!

 

[najaB]

Nonsense.

What? That over 1,300 people died from Covid in the USA yesterday? Ridiculous, yes. Nonsense, no.

Bars, shops, restaurants and hotels are all now open and have been for some time. People are going track to work.

I don't deny that people are doing these things, the real question is if they should. Going shopping is something that in many cases is unavoidable. Going to the pub and tying a few on on after work, not so much.

 

[Scotrail12]

What? That over 1,300 people died from Covid in the USA yesterday? Ridiculous, yes. Nonsense, no.
I don't deny that people are doing these things, the real question is if they should. Going shopping is something that in many cases is unavoidable. Going to the pub and tying a few on on after work, not so much.

Are these establishments supposed to go bust then? We can't stay in a lockdown of sorts forever.

 

[snookertam]

Are these establishments supposed to go bust then? We can't stay in a lockdown of sorts forever.

Ask the UK government that, they’re the ones stopping the furlough scheme. There’s no intention to keep lockdown for ever, there is the intention to suppress the virus to zero - or as close to zero cases - as possible.

We can rebuild the economy, we cannot bring people back to life. Trains finishing early, which ends this week by the way, is a minor inconvenience. It’s been very well advertised that train services finish early.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Scotrail have been limiting passengers on services to Ayr and Largs due to the large amount of people travelling. Can only imagine how busy the last train from Largs will be as that is only a 4 car 380.

 

[Huntergreed]

Scotrail have been limiting passengers on services to Ayr and Largs due to the large amount of people travelling. Can only imagine how busy the last train from Largs will be as that is only a 4 car 380.

Have they been turning people away from trains? Is this the guard, or station staff?

 

[Scotrail12]

Can confirm that I wasn't turned away at GLC when I went to Ayr, the staff actually told me to get on the 3 carriage 380 (it was shortened from a 7 carriage and the other 4 ended up going to Largs).

Frankly didn't fancy the journey to Ayr with a legit possibility of no seat and limited distancing so I waited for the next one.