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Speculating to the future: What next for the West Highland Line (WHL)?

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Highland37

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I think it might be more like 7-8 seats. Hardly a disaster given that the SNP will still hold, I think currently, the vast majority. Imagine it was the other way round.
 
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InOban

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Maybe I'll hear more on Friday. It's the Friends of the WHL AGM.
 
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scotraildriver

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Still a supply issue at the seat manufacturers but due "soon". As all the wiring etc for the power sockets and wifi has been installed the new seats will be fitted at Corkerhill and shouldn't take too long. As soon as supply begins you will see quite a fast rollout although no WHL units have been done yet.
 
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Blindtraveler

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Not blaming Scotraildriver at all what so ever here but getting a little bord of the seat delays/other excuses holding up Scotrails refreshes on all classes. Hoping the new seats will be worth it when they arrive on the 156 units, its all a bit sad when compared to the quick and quality job done on the shortened X LM 320s.


Still awating with interest how the problem of the franchise spec stock will be tackled on WHL services too.
 
GrimShady

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Blindtraveler said:
Not blaming Scotraildriver at all what so ever here but getting a little bord of the seat delays/other excuses holding up Scotrails refreshes on all classes. Hoping the new seats will be worth it when they arrive on the 156 units, its all a bit sad when compared to the quick and quality job done on the shortened X LM 320s.


Still awating with interest how the problem of the franchise spec stock will be tackled on WHL services too.
Click to expand...

The endless wait...

I very much doubt the problem will ever be addressed!
 
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Blindtraveler

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A ticket to ride for the coach companies who could with an innital investment could offer gold spec vehicles with at seat power, leather interior, at seat refreshments and with a tweek here and there at the Glasgow end a really good journey time.
 
GrimShady

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1211 Oban - Glasgow QS today. Only allowing people onboard who had resevered seats, everyone else was turned away and advised to use the coach!

Another example of over crowding on this route turning away business thanks to lack of stock!
 
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InOban

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Last Saturday morning the Oban portion of the 08.21 from QS had, I am told, 71 standing after Crianlarich. Did they hire a coach today?

At my meeting today, which had officials from both the NR and Abellio sides of the business, we were told that we are definitely getting 158s; they know that there may be slight platform mods needed, but NR will deliver these, just as they are modifying certain structures in Edinburgh and Fife to cope with this w/ends visit of the Flying Scotsman.


BUT there at present no plans to provide additional trains, even though the 158, with two toilets, will have fewer seats that a 156. The dmus being retained in Scotland after electrification are at present all earmarked for Edinburgh and Fife. We are going to have to make some noise.
 
GrimShady

GrimShady

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InOban said:
Last Saturday morning the Oban portion of the 08.21 from QS had, I am told, 71 standing after Crianlarich. Did they hire a coach today?
Click to expand...

Don't know but there were some fuming passengers! luckily I managed to get on one of the few unbooked seats!

Bad form tbh ****ing people off like that! As far as I'm aware there is no agreed limit with the DfT?

Yet another example of **** poor service on the WHL.
 
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InOban

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Certainly since we got the extra trains. Until then the morning to Oban and the lunchtime return ran as a two set train separately from the FW/M train.
 
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Bald Rick

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InOban said:
Last Saturday morning the Oban portion of the 08.21 from QS had, I am told, 71 standing after Crianlarich. Did they hire a coach today?

.
Click to expand...

Acknowledging that it is not the norm in Scotland, but 71 standing across 2 coaches is really quite empty compared to my train in the morning!
 
Clansman

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Humza Yousaf was on my train from Aberdeen to Glasgow (20:45) and got on at Dundee.

Got chatting to him before he spent the entire journey to Perth on his phone and looking like he was trying to avoid confrontation at all costs. Told me there was "teething problems" with the 158s on the WHL but at present, they are still looking to go forward with their planned use eventually.

Any weegies in about the city centre and want to hunt him down? You'll catch him escaping the train at Queen Street in 20 minutes...

InOban said:
Certainly since we got the extra trains. Until then the morning to Oban and the lunchtime return ran as a two set train separately from the FW/M train.
Click to expand...

If it was as bad as it sounds then Scotrail should really be looking into running Oban as a separate service by splitting it from the 3 a day 6 car to Crianlarich (of which 4 run to Mallaig).

It's not the busiest line in the world in terms of the amount of services it sees on a daily basis so it's just a case of getting the timings right in order loop trains at the relevant points en route - ie stations.
 
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GrimShady

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Clansman said:
If it was as bad as it sounds then Scotrail should really be looking into running Oban as a separate service by splitting it from the 3 a day 6 car to Crianlarich (of which 4 run to Mallaig).
Click to expand...


I've mentioned this before and would be happy to see Oban as its own 4 car service.
 
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Blindtraveler

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The above chain of events are one of the reasons I call said TOC Scotfail, controvercial as that is.

Glad to know that they still want to use 158s on this route, they are needed for cumfort but more relivently from the sound of it more space for standees, not that this is ideal.
 
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InOban

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Clansman said:
Humza Yousaf was on my train from Aberdeen to Glasgow (20:45) and got on at Dundee.

Got chatting to him before he spent the entire journey to Perth on his phone and looking like he was trying to avoid confrontation at all costs. Told me there was "teething problems" with the 158s on the WHL but at present, they are still looking to go forward with their planned use eventually.

Any weegies in about the city centre and want to hunt him down? You'll catch him escaping the train at Queen Street in 20 minutes...



If it was as bad as it sounds then Scotrail should really be looking into running Oban as a separate service by splitting it from the 3 a day 6 car to Crianlarich (of which 4 run to Mallaig).

It's not the busiest line in the world in terms of the amount of services it sees on a daily basis so it's just a case of getting the timings right in order loop trains at the relevant points en route - ie stations.
Click to expand...

At present there are no spare 156s to run separate trains. As it is, the extra summer units to FW are stolen from East Kilbride, which must be very popular with the commuters from there.

More seriously, when new(er) stock arrives by Dec 18, there are no plans to allocate additional trains. The dmus being retained in Scotland are destined for the Fife circle etc.
 
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InOban

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As I recall, the 156s were brand new when they arrived all those years ago. Probably the first time Oban had ever had brand new.
 
Clansman

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They've served their purpose. As many have said, at a time when British Rail looked for cheap solutions, the 156s came in and done that job effectively.

But all things must come to an end, and in the 156s case, they'll not last much longer on longer distance routes.

It's clear cut Scotrail will need to order new DMUs within the next 5-10 years...full stop.
 
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