1827 Dingwall - Wick (26/9/14)

[bradders1983]

Mate at station and says its cancelled. Nothing showing on National Rail Enquiries, not even a train at that time.

Anyone know what's going on? And he has to get to Wick, do Scotrail have to get him there? Told him to ring them up but he's a bit confused about what to do now.

 

[bradders1983]

Ah, seems they are putting on a bus. Anyone know why the originally train isn't showing up at all on my National Rail Enquiries app, and the reason for the cancellation? Can't be weather quite yet.

 

[greatkingrat]

Scotrail website says it is due to a member of train crew being unavailable. The 1400 Inverness - Wick and 1235 Wick - Inverness were also cancelled.

 

[SeanG]

That's a fair bus journey

 

[bradders1983]

Bus still hasn't shown up.

 

[bradders1983]

Should I get him to ring Scotrail and check?

 

[bradders1983]

Ah, a minibus has just turned up. That's gonna be a fun journey, will it go to every station? Can't imagine it's gonna go to Altnabreac...

 

[Carlisle]

Scotrail website says it is due to a member of train crew being unavailable. The 1400 Inverness - Wick and 1235 Wick - Inverness were also cancelled.

Maybe due to extra service demands further south for the Ryder Cup

 

[cf111]

Maybe due to extra service demands further south for the Ryder Cup

Those trains will be manned by Wick crews, so I'd be surprised if that's the case.

 

[Carlisle]

Ok cheers for clarifying that

 

[backontrack]

I'd guess the bus would go up to Alness, Invergordon and Tain, then via Ardgay to Lairg then Golspie, and up the A9 to Thurso, then down the A882 to Wick. So cutting out the lengthy Forsinard loop, although I could be wrong?

 

[Class 170101]

The bus is meant to be quicker than the train anyway.

 

[Rapidash]

Not sure I'd want to do that in a minibus! Arnt most of the inter-'urban' services up there coaches anyway? Admittedly its been a few years since I was in Inverness!

 

[Whistler40145]

That'll be quite a journey on a minibus, I hope it doesn't get busy!

 

[tsr]

Ah, a minibus has just turned up. That's gonna be a fun journey, will it go to every station? Can't imagine it's gonna go to Altnabreac...

The chances of someone wanting to travel to or from Altnabreac are probably low enough for Scotrail to take the gamble of being prepared to find a taxi (with cycle provision if needed) to negotiate the forest track to the station in the remote eventuality that it is needed! It would be amusing to see what would happen, though.

I should imagine it sounds ridiculous for me to ask, but does anyone on here work in a relevant division of Scotrail and know what the procedure for this is? I do occasionally travel to very remote stations in Northern Scotland so I may as well find out if I can!

I should imagine if this happened on the WHL, Corrour would need a rail replacement tractor...!

 

[DanP]

I remember a while back visiting Dunrobin Castle from Inverness. The return service I was meant to be getting was cancelled, and while there was apparently a replacement bus service, it was not due to call at the station. Cue a long wait for the next service! There was due to be an ordinary bus going through but by the time I'd found it on my phone, it had gone! Even the lavatory that Michael Portillo had opened on his programme was locked up.

Trust me to hit a day of chaos on the Far North Line! I did get a free cup of tea though from some sympathetic staff on the next service.

 

[Liam]

I remember a while back visiting Dunrobin Castle from Inverness. The return service I was meant to be getting was cancelled, and while there was apparently a replacement bus service, it was not due to call at the station. Cue a long wait for the next service! There was due to be an ordinary bus going through but by the time I'd found it on my phone, it had gone! Even the lavatory that Michael Portillo had opened on his programme was locked up.

I wonder why the rail replacement did not stop, Dunrobin Castle Station is right next to the A9.

I should imagine if this happened on the WHL, Corrour would need a rail replacement tractor...!

Corrour and Rannoch don't get rail replacement services at all. When the WHL is closed, normally there are express coaches from Glasgow to Fort William and a coach stopping at all the other stations. normally a taxi is put on from Fort William to Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Tulloch. Sleeper passengers are bussed from Fort William to Kingussie or Newtonmore for the Inverness Sleeper.

I suppose Scotrail could arrange a taxi from Pitlochry to Rannoch.

 

[najaB]

Sleeper passengers are bussed from Fort William to Kingussie or Newtonmore for the Inverness Sleeper.

When this happens, is the Inverness portion strengthened? If not, how do they ensure that there are sufficient coaches to make up the following night's northbound service?

 

[Bodiddly]

The chances of someone wanting to travel to or from Altnabreac are probably low enough for Scotrail to take the gamble of being prepared to find a taxi (with cycle provision if needed) to negotiate the forest track to the station in the remote eventuality that it is needed! It would be amusing to see what would happen, though.

I should imagine it sounds ridiculous for me to ask, but does anyone on here work in a relevant division of Scotrail and know what the procedure for this is? I do occasionally travel to very remote stations in Northern Scotland so I may as well find out if I can!

I should imagine if this happened on the WHL, Corrour would need a rail replacement tractor...!

Scotrail is tied by the conditions of carriage, just like any other TOC. If you really had to get to Altnabreac, they would have to get you there. There is a perfectly good track up to the station through the estate, easily reached by a taxi, much the same for Corrour (albeit slowly)! It would probably come down to the argument of how urgent you had to get to the actual station itself. Altnabreac is so remote from anything, they would probably take you to either Forsinard or Scotscalder and let you make your own way there. Corrour is slightly different with having a bunkhouse/restaurant there. If you were booked in, they would have to cover your alternative accommodation. I've driven in to both stations, Corrour is by far the furthest to drive to, taking about an hour from the main Laggan road and not much fun in the snow!

 

[Liam]

When this happens, is the Inverness portion strengthened? If not, how do they ensure that there are sufficient coaches to make up the following night's northbound service?

I think so. there is always a spare set in Inverness which could be used, as that's the maintenance base for the sleeper.

 

[DiscoStu]

If Altnabreac is so remote, why does it even have a station?

 

[najaB]

If Altnabreac is so remote, why does it even have a station?

It got the station in the days before the road network was as developed as it is, and because it was a passing loop (there may also have been agricultural flows heading southward). It's kept the station because both financially and politically it's cheaper to keep a station open than to close it.

 

[backontrack]

It got the station in the days before the road network was as developed as it is, and because it was a passing loop (there may also have been agricultural flows heading southward). It's kept the station because both financially and politically it's cheaper to keep a station open than to close it.

And hopefully, one day, we'll see a loop there (and at Bunchrew and Kildonan) again.

 

[Blindtraveler]

The bus is meant to be quicker than the train anyway.

It is, even with a tracter or 2 holding things up and once the much talked about and costly rebuild at the Berrydale Braes is complete it will be a bit quicker still, not to mention safer but maybe a bit less fun for hair pin bend grycers

 

[cf111]

The bus is actually quite nice now they have the new coaches.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Not sure I'd want to do that in a minibus! Arnt most of the inter-'urban' services up there coaches anyway? Admittedly its been a few years since I was in Inverness!

The main Core Inverness to Thurso and Scrabster Peer X99 is worked by 3 year old Plaxton Panther Boddied Volvo B9r Coaches with the X97 connection to Wick and Gills Bay Peer from Dunbeath using much older stock plus the odd early B7 And yes many of the highland depots are predominantly coaches plus some older darts and its one of the last strongholds of the Alexander PS boddied Volvo B10m, quite possibly one of the best service buses of its time. Therel need to be a lot of cascading up that way soon to make the fleat compliant.

 

[higthomas]

It got the station in the days before the road network was as developed as it is, and because it was a passing loop (there may also have been agricultural flows heading southward). It's kept the station because both financially and politically it's cheaper to keep a station open than to close it.

Why wasn't it closed though during beeching, as many other rural stations were, even on lines that remained open?

 

[najaB]

Why wasn't it closed though during beeching, as many other rural stations were, even on lines that remained open?

The whole of the Far North line was, as I understand it, in the cross-hairs during Beeching. Politically, it was a line too far so it emerged basically unchanged.

 

[bradders1983]

I'll be doing this journey myself in November, travelling up to see him on the coach and will be doing the Inverness-Wick leg on the train after a couple of hours in the pub in Inverness!

He got back to Wick at 10.30, I'm sure he said the bus went to Thurso and Georgemas J first before going to Wick. No Altmabreac stop