Scottish Electrification updates & discussion

[NotATrainspott]

Eastfield is a modern depot (built around 2004, on an old railway site) so electrification was going to be fairly simple.

It might have been the incoming Abellio fleet plans which made the change happen. For instance, Millerhill depot was planned for the 'worst case' scenario of a totally separate electric fleet. Since Hitachi can do heavy maintenance alongside the IEPs at Craigentinny, Millerhill won't be as big or important as planned. Eastfield might have been affected by the use of HSTs, and the EGIP trains for 314 replacements. There might now be fewer diesel trains able to use Eastfield, while the Millerhill/Craigentinny depots will be busier than expected.

 

[najaB]

Eastfield is a modern depot (built around 2004, on an old railway site) so electrification was going to be fairly simple.

That was the other thing that caught my attention - it seemed odd that it was potentially going to shut having reopened so recently. Anyway, it seems I wasn't imagining things.

 

[scotraildriver]

That was the other thing that caught my attention - it seemed odd that it was potentially going to shut having reopened so recently. Anyway, it seems I wasn't imagining things.

Eastfield has also had new additional sidings built at the back of the depot. They are almost finished and electrified.

 

[railjock]

Where does all this leave Haymarket depot in terms of utilisation?

 

[deltic08]

Eastfield has also had new additional sidings built at the back of the depot. They are almost finished and electrified.

There will be much less work for Haymarket. What is happening to this depot.

 

[InOban]

It will still be looking after the, increased, number of vehicles allocated to the Fife services.

 

[mcmad]

As I understood it Haymarket is taking on the HST's in the central belt with Eastfield and Millerhill the new EMU stock so plenty work for everyone.

 

[najaB]

As I understood it Haymarket is taking on the HST's in the central belt with Eastfield and Millerhill the new EMU stock so plenty work for everyone.

I thought the majority of work on HSTs would be done at Craigentinny with Haymarket getting most of the diesel fleet from Eastfield?

 

[mcmad]

Craigentinny isn't a Scotrail depot?

 

[najaB]

Was Eastfield depot always planned to be wired or was that a later addition to the project? I seem to remember that it wasn't because it struck me as odd that there would be a diesel depot stuck in electrified territory.

Quite embarrassed to find out that I asked the same question a little over a year ago in this thread: Abellio Scotrail Depots!

 

[najaB]

Craigentinny isn't a Scotrail depot?

Good point, well made. So will some of the staff transition over to Haymarket since they've been looking after HSTs for so long?

 

[Clansman]

Haymarket is currently being trained for fuel and servicing purposes in regards to the HSTs, so it looks like staff there will be some what equipped to cope with the HSTs rather than draft Craigentinny staff in.

 

[deltic08]

Does anybody have an accurate timescale for cascading surplus Class 158 or 170 from Scotland to the North of England? It must be soon with all those 385s and HSTs entering service.

 

[mic505]

AFAIK 21 385's planned to be in traffic from this spring, displacing 16 170/4's, six surplus 158's and five 156's to Northern. Refurbished HST's are to be phased in traffic from the summer.

 

[Carntyne]

Millerhill's a stabling point, not a maintenance depot. The 385 fleet will be maintained at Craigentinny, by Hitachi.

The HST fleet will be allocated to Haymarket, with Inverness, Perth and Aberdeen carrying out maintenance on them too.

 

[InOban]

AFAIK 21 385's planned to be in traffic from this spring, displacing 16 170/4's, six surplus 158's and five 156's to Northern. Refurbished HST's are to be phased in traffic from the summer.

How do 21 emus replace 27 dmus?

 

[deltic08]

AFAIK 21 385's planned to be in traffic from this spring, displacing 16 170/4's, six surplus 158's and five 156's to Northern. Refurbished HST's are to be phased in traffic from the summer.

Thank you, that is good news. More and better quality. Goodbye Pacers.
I suppose 2x170 units will be displaced for every one HST into traffic so that could be another 50 units?
Is there sufficient traffic on the Thurso/Wick line for 3-car 170s to replace 2-car 158s or do they double up 158s as far as Tain in the peaks?

 

[deltic08]

How do 21 emus replace 27 dmus?

84 EMU coaches replacing 70 DMU coaches I presume, and more when Dunblane, the line through Breich, Blackpool-Manchester and GWML are fully energised. At this rate, is the order for Class 195 DMUs really necessary on top of 769 bimode conversions? If we aren't careful, there is going to be a glut of DMUs.

 

[InOban]

Not 84, I'm not sure of the mix of 3 and 4-car sets.

 

[Allwinter_Kit]

At this rate, is the order for Class 195 DMUs really necessary on top of 769 bimode conversions? If we aren't careful, there is going to be a glut of DMUs.

I'm sure a use will be found for them - I doubt this is a problem much feared!

Northern will almost certainly willingly mop up any 'spare' units to boost capacity/modernise the fleet.

 

[59CosG95]

AFAIK 21 385's planned to be in traffic from this spring, displacing 16 170/4's, six surplus 158's and five 156's to Northern. Refurbished HST's are to be phased in traffic from the summer.

2 of those 158s have already gone down; 158s 870 & 871 ran down from Haymarket to Neville Hill last week.

 

[92002]

Not 84, I'm not sure of the mix of 3 and 4-car sets.

Wiki is a Wonderful tool.
385/0 46 sets ordered
385/1 24 sets ordeted

Total 234 vehicles

 

[Altnabreac]

Not 84, I'm not sure of the mix of 3 and 4 car units

Wiki is a Wonderful tool.
385/0 46 sets ordered
385/1 24 sets ordeted

Total 234 vehicles

An answer, but not the answer to the question posed which was how many of the 21 sets due to be in service by March will be 3 or 4 car units.

 

[Highlandspring]

The rumour going round - and I stress it is only a rumour - is that there won't be any 385s ready to enter passenger service until July.

 

[najaB]

The rumour going round - and I stress it is only a rumour - is that there won't be any 385s ready to enter passenger service until July.

Any explanation as to why?

 

[Highlandspring]

I think I'd better just stick to vague 'problems'

 

[mcmad]

vision issues?

 

[GaryMcEwan]

Does not surprise me in the slightest. March will come and go and then July and I highly doubt they'll be in service even by then. Transport Scotland and Hitachi need to get a bleeding grip on this. When is TS going to start fining Hitachi for the delays? Scotrail has gone to the pits in the last few months.

 

[route101]

Seen a 385 on platform 11 at Edinburgh around 5pm today . Passing Haymarket seen at least one HST though 2 powercars .

 

[Highlandspring]

vision issues?

No, nothing to do with that.