ScotRail HSTs, here we go again...

[najaB]

simple fact is that, of the options available to Scotrail at the time the decision was made to use HSTs, they represented the least-worst option on the table.

And I disagree with the oft repeated least worst option, but that's going OT again

Okay then. Given what was known and expected at the time, what was a less bad option?

 

[tbtc]

Doing nothing was always an option.

ScotRail didn't *need* to get new stock. Unlike some franchises, it wasn't as if the trains on the "Seven Cities" routes were becoming life expired (e.g. the franchises that took over stock which included Pacers) or redundant due to things like electrification (e.g. EMR were unlikely to retain all of the 222s when the line to Kettering/ Corby was being electrified).

There were going to be a few 170s freed up by Central Belt electrification that could have provided additional capacity on the Edinburgh/Glasgow - Inverness/Aberdeen services - so it would have been feasible to stick with the existing DMU fleet but with six coach diagrams for the busiest services.

The argument against 170s often comes down to the wide doors opening at Aviemore in midwinter, which I accept isn't pleasant but they were 100mph trains running routes with maximum speeds of 100mph, and could be interworked with the Fife Circle/ Anniesland / Tweedbank etc (in a way that the HSTs obviously aren't) - they were fine for the roles that they had.

Obviously they could have looked at something like an 802/810, if they wanted to push the boat out a bit more, and I'm sure some people will be along to nominate their favourite stock etc etc (or maybe trying to take on some modern cascaded stock from elsewhere in the UK), but I think there was something to be said for keeping the two big fleets of 158/170s (around fifty of each, IIRC, pre-electrification), rather than the smaller fleet of 158s/ smaller fleet of 170s and a couple of dozen HSTs

I accept that the HSTs have a bit more "status" than a 158/170 (and maybe there's an element of vanity in ordering these 125mph trains) but I'd have been fine with keeping the existing fleet and using the units freed up by electrification to beef up capacity.

More focus should have been on things like electrifying the Fife Circle/ Anniesland/ East Kilbride etc, rather than replacing the fairly modern Turbostars IMHO

 

[Iskra]

Did Scotrail 'take one for the team,' allowing 15X and 17X to be cascaded South of the border to relace 14X and 153's?

 

[hexagon789]

More focus should have been on things like electrifying the Fife Circle/ Anniesland/ East Kilbride etc, rather than replacing the fairly modern Turbostars IMHO

Surely that's the purview of the Scottish government though, not a prospective TOC bid to operate the ScotRail franchise?

 

[HST274]

Never been on a scotrail one and only have positive reviews on HSTs so just to ask what is wrong with them? Is it just that they are trains which don't really help the advancement of the Scottish railway in terms of electrification and sleeker trains? Or were they just completely unnecessary as mentioned here. Sorry if this is discussed elsewhere.

didn't *need* to get new stock

-Robert

 

[hexagon789]

Is it just that they are trains which don't really help the advancement of the Scottish railway in terms of electrification and sleeker trains?

It certainly feels like it a lot of the time

Or were they just completely unnecessary as mentioned here.

Strictly speaking they probably weren't - the 170s could easily have held on until further electrification and a new fleet of presumably bi-modes was procured, but some sort of capacity increase was definitely needed and in the short term the HSTs were on paper one of the simplest/quickest to do this. It hasn't if course turned out quite as intended in that respect.

 

[najaB]

Doing nothing was always an option

Yes, it was. But I'm not convinced it was less bad.

There were severe capacity issues between Perh and Invernes that needed to be solved. HSTs provide both more seats and, almost as importantly, allow the timetable to be tightened up.

I don't know how often you had to endure the long, slow climb out of Inverness onboard a crowded 170 that sounds like it is about to give up the ghost, but it is never a pleasure.

 

[Davester50]

Doing nothing was always an option.

ScotRail didn't *need* to get new stock. Unlike some franchises, it wasn't as if the trains on the "Seven Cities" routes were becoming life expired (e.g. the franchises that took over stock which included Pacers) or redundant due to things like electrification (e.g. EMR were unlikely to retain all of the 222s when the line to Kettering/ Corby was being electrified).

There were going to be a few 170s freed up by Central Belt electrification that could have provided additional capacity on the Edinburgh/Glasgow - Inverness/Aberdeen services - so it would have been feasible to stick with the existing DMU fleet but with six coach diagrams for the busiest services.

The argument against 170s often comes down to the wide doors opening at Aviemore in midwinter, which I accept isn't pleasant but they were 100mph trains running routes with maximum speeds of 100mph, and could be interworked with the Fife Circle/ Anniesland / Tweedbank etc (in a way that the HSTs obviously aren't) - they were fine for the roles that they had.

Obviously they could have looked at something like an 802/810, if they wanted to push the boat out a bit more, and I'm sure some people will be along to nominate their favourite stock etc etc (or maybe trying to take on some modern cascaded stock from elsewhere in the UK), but I think there was something to be said for keeping the two big fleets of 158/170s (around fifty of each, IIRC, pre-electrification), rather than the smaller fleet of 158s/ smaller fleet of 170s and a couple of dozen HSTs

I accept that the HSTs have a bit more "status" than a 158/170 (and maybe there's an element of vanity in ordering these 125mph trains) but I'd have been fine with keeping the existing fleet and using the units freed up by electrification to beef up capacity.

More focus should have been on things like electrifying the Fife Circle/ Anniesland/ East Kilbride etc, rather than replacing the fairly modern Turbostars IMHO

This is pretty much how I see it.
From reading a lot of earlier introduction thread, and looking at other snippets, (and I may well be wrong), the only Turbostars that ScotRail were due to lose, were the ones that ended up with Southern.
Isn't that 8 units in total? How many ran the E&G services? More than 8. So a post-electrification net gain.

I understand the leases were still available for the ones that have since gone to Northern when the franchises were re-bid. Didn't the other bid from First not look for more of the same?

I don't get the love for the HST these days. Fine when I was a kid, and they were new. Now? The ones I've been on are creaky, and not particularly easy for boarding.
The underfloor engines of the Turbostars don't bother me in the slightest, the seats are decent, cabin is airy, and much, much easier to board.

I can't comment on the re-training costs for train crew, and maintainers, but that's a cost that could well have been avoided with the retention of existing stock, and ploughed back in to other passenger improvements.

There's an emotional attachment, maybe even a prestige element that wrongly swung the bid to the 125s.
Having to use these (admittedly not as much as pre-lockdown) for at least another 10 years is a very poor decision to me.

 

[hexagon789]

Yes, it was. But I'm not convinced it was less bad.

There were severe capacity issues between Perh and Invernes that needed to be solved. HSTs provide both more seats and, almost as importantly, allow the timetable to be tightened up.

I don't know how often you had to endure the long, slow climb out of Inverness onboard a crowded 170 that sounds like it is about to give up the ghost, but it is never a pleasure.

It's funny how things come full circle, because the 170s did these things when new - capacity uplift, reduced journey times and as laughable as it may seem better climbing speeds than the 158s (at least according to the literature I've seen).

I do agree 170s under heavy load are very intrusive engine note wise.

I don't get the love for the HST these days. Fine when I was a kid, and they were new. Now? The ones I've been on are creaky, and not particularly easy for boarding.
The underfloor engines of the Turbostars don't bother me in the slightest, the seats are decent, cabin is airy, and much, much easier to board.

While I used to love 170s as a kid!

However, I don't find most in good nick these days, various bits are loose, many rattle under engine power. The continous droning under direct drive is very noticeable in my view and the seats are no more or less comfortable than HSTs.

I would like to point out I am not 100% satisfied with the HSTs, I do not think they are a perfect solution by any means.

I do feel they an improvement but as would have happened anyway, they will likely be replaced by new stock within the end of the decade. Something that I feel would have happened even with 170s still as front line long-distance traction.

 

[Davester50]

While I used to love 170s as a kid!

However, I don't find most in good nick these days, various bits are loose, many rattle under engine power. The continous droning under direct drive is very noticeable in my view and the seats are no more or less comfortable than HSTs.

I would like to point out I am not 100% satisfied with the HSTs, I do not think they are a perfect solution by any means.

I do feel they an improvement but as would have happened anyway, they will likely be replaced by new stock within the end of the decade. Something that I feel would have happened even with 170s still as front line long-distance traction.

Touché.

Still doesn't overcome the accessibility problem, something I'm appreciating more as I age, nor the sunk costs in re-training.
Could even have spent some of it on screwdrivers to tighten up the loose fittings on Turbostars to improve the journey!

The myth that what we have was the only or best option needs burst. It's the option we have, and are stuck with. Nothing is going to change that.

But I'll still moan about it

 

[Journeyman]

I'll get flamed for saying it, but I don't care.

The ScotRail HST project has been a farce from start to finish, and has possibly got to be just about the most ill-conceived and disastrously-executed rolling stock introduction ever.

The existing trains were fine, and could have been suitably improved by refurbishment. First commissioned a project during their franchise term to look at how 170s for the Highland Main Line could have been improved, and this included things like reforming to 4 cars, larger and more highly specced first class area, improved catering, vestibule doors etc. These were all ideal plans. However, someone did a survey that found people preferred LNER HSTs to ScotRail's services, and thus decided Scotland needed HSTs.

It was an utterly crazy idea. Off the top of my head...

• Whoever made the franchise bid completely messed up the fuel costs for HSTs, apparently basing the calculations on one power car, so the costs of operating them are absolutely horrendous.
• The use of two power cars on short formations takes up platform space, is extremely polluting, is noisy, and is inefficient, providing far more power than needed.
• The WR power cars chosen had the lowest reliability of the entire fleet, with MTINs about half those of others, and the very first train in service broke down en route. Reliability has improved but it's nowhere near what the 158s and 170s were achieving.
• The refurbishment and fitting of power doors proved extremely problematic and expensive, was massively delayed, and revealed what shocking condition these extremely old vehicles were in.
• Accessibility is poor. The vehicles meet PRM-TSI regs, but the narrow doors are hopeless by modern standards and worse than the stock they replaced.
• Standard class accommodation isn't that much better than the Turbostars they replaced. Admittedly first class is very nice, but even long before COVID, the promised catering services were rarely delivered and the buffets were usually closed.

Honestly, heads should be rolling for this. It should have been kicked out at franchise bid stage as a really, really stupid idea. These trains are over twice as old as the 170s, and boy, does it show. It's just lipstick on a pig. Underneath the refurb they're falling to pieces, and will continue to deteriorate rapidly. I really, really feel for the poor staff in depots, on board and in control who have to try and get this extraordinarily bad choice to work. It's just as well COVID came along and took pressure off the fleet, because there's no way these trains will hold up reliably and effectively when they're all meant to be in service on intensive diagrams.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2021 ==

Did Scotrail 'take one for the team,' allowing 15X and 17X to be cascaded South of the border to relace 14X and 153's?

You do have to wonder. There's obviously a bidding war for 170s whenever they become free, but I didn't see anyone pointing a gun to ScotRail's head and forcing them to part with them.

 

[tbtc]

Surely that's the purview of the Scottish government though, not a prospective TOC bid to operate the ScotRail franchise?

Absolutely - but I was answering it in terms of "what was a less bad option overall" rather than "what was a less bad option for the winning TOC bid" - after all of the investment on central belt infrastructure schemes it's a shame that nothing happened elsewhere

Never been on a scotrail one and only have positive reviews on HSTs so just to ask what is wrong with them? Is it just that they are trains which don't really help the advancement of the Scottish railway in terms of electrification and sleeker trains? Or were they just completely unnecessary as mentioned here. Sorry if this is discussed elsewhere.

-Robert

There's a combination of things (@Journeyman makes some good points on this thread!)

In my opinion, they were a fairly expensive luxury that took significantly longer to deliver than planned - fine if you like First Class/ Buffets/ the idea of 125mph running (on lines with no such top speed) but I think that a lot of people are blinded by the nostalgia rather than objectively looking at all of the ways that this project has demonstrably gone wrong.

I think that the idea at the time was that there was no point in ordering pure diesels since the hope/expectation was that we'd have the lines wired before long (the franchise was awarded in the heady days of 2014 when people had different ideas of the long term oil price), so I took it that the HSTs were intended to last long enough to get more wires up (patch the HSTs up to last until the late 2020s, by which time you'll have finished electrifying everything - rather than ordering brand new pure diesel trains that would be surplus to requirements)

Yes, it was. But I'm not convinced it was less bad.

There were severe capacity issues between Perh and Invernes that needed to be solved. HSTs provide both more seats and, almost as importantly, allow the timetable to be tightened up.

I don't know how often you had to endure the long, slow climb out of Inverness onboard a crowded 170 that sounds like it is about to give up the ghost, but it is never a pleasure.

You could have used the 170s freed up by Central Belt electrification to make all Inverness - Perth services six coaches - HSTs seem quite an expensive/ complicated solution to this problem

There's an emotional attachment, maybe even a prestige element that wrongly swung the bid to the 125s

I think you are right!

 

[Strathclyder]

Honestly felt some of my braincells wither when I saw this on the home page. I've kept silent on this subject thus far as the debate surrounding it has become one of the most repetitive/tribalistic in the British railway world (second only to the 442s), but I figured I may as well strike while the iron is hot (it rarely if ever is cool, but I digress).

My overall view on it (call it simplistic/one-dimensional if you so desire; I really couldn't care less), cutting through all the inevitable back & forth over whether or not they were suitable for what was being asked of them to begin with, their protracted rollout, the money that's went into the project, why they were ultimately chosen etc. is simply this: what's done is done. Period. No amount of debate, online or otherwise, will change that (sits back and waits to be dragged for not unequivocally coming out for or against them/calling for them to be venerated or to be carted off to Booths). No, I'm not invaildating anyone's viewpoint by saying this - indeed, some very vaild points have been raised already - all I'm saying is try to not lose sight of the above when this debate gets heated. Again.

And before anyone asks: I haven't rode on one yet, and I look forward to coming to my own conclusions on that front when I do at some point in the future.

 

[najaB]

The ScotRail HST project has been a farce from start to finish, and has possibly got to be just about the most ill-conceived and disastrously-executed rolling stock introduction ever.

You won't get much disagreement that it's been poorly executed - but that's just it: most of the points you raised relate to the implementation of the project rather than the concept.

Whoever made the franchise bid completely messed up the fuel costs for HSTs, apparently basing the calculations on one power car, so the costs of operating them are absolutely horrendous.

I've seen that stated a few times. but I'm not convinced that I've ever heard it from a primary source. If you have one (or can confirm that you are one) it would be appreciated.

The use of two power cars on short formations takes up platform space, is extremely polluting, is noisy, and is inefficient, providing far more power than needed.

How many platforms that the HSTs call at are too short for all doors to be usable?

The WR power cars chosen had the lowest reliability of the entire fleet, with MTINs about half those of others, and the very first train in service broke down en route. Reliability has improved but it's nowhere near what the 158s and 170s were achieving.

Again, that's an implementation detail. It's been reported (this time by someone I consider to be close enough to a primary source) that there was surprise expressed when Scotrail said which power cars they intended to take.

The refurbishment and fitting of power doors proved extremely problematic and expensive, was massively delayed, and revealed what shocking condition these extremely old vehicles were in.

Again, much of that is down to which vehicles they chose to take. Contrary to what I thought at the time, they didn't go through and take the pick of the litter but took whichever ones they were offered.

Accessibility is poor. The vehicles meet PRM-TSI regs, but the narrow doors are hopeless by modern standards and worse than the stock they replaced.

It's true that the doors are narrow, but their placement at the carriage ends rather than middle means that on curved platforms (of which there are a few) the step up is actually easier.

Standard class accommodation isn't that much better than the Turbostars they replaced. Admittedly first class is very nice, but even long before COVID, the promised catering services were rarely delivered and the buffets were usually closed.

I don't think that they had fully rolled it out yet.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Personally I'd like to see 5-car 80x or similar ordered (with a higher quality interior than the standard ones and possibly an extra engine for the hilly nature of the routes; perhaps take lessons from EMR with a Scottish twist), which would be a good foundation for a progressive electrification programme (then remove the diesel engines once it's complete, or order more 80x without engines and run the ones with on other routes).

However, I think comments about Mk3s being unsafe are just hyperbole. They were an excellent design for their time, which means they're still pretty good. Also the railway would still be safer than the roads even if they were flat wagons with canvas shelters on them, so even the least crashworthy rail vehicle is better than driving.

With regard to the power car cab, perhaps some additional driver safety work is needed on those, though. I doubt some kind of tubular reinforcement is beyond the wit of man.

 

[Journeyman]

You won't get much disagreement that it's been poorly executed - but that's just it: most of the points you raised relate to the implementation of the project rather than the concept.

No, it was implemented badly because the concept was flawed.

I've seen that stated a few times. but I'm not convinced that I've ever heard it from a primary source. If you have one (or can confirm that you are one) it would be appreciated.

It comes from an industry insider who had working relationships with some of the decision-makers involved. I can't say any more than that.

How many platforms that the HSTs call at are too short for all doors to be usable?

None, but it's still wasteful, and the 2+5 sets are only going to be able to use a couple of platforms at Queen Street, to the best of my knowledge, with space wasted, and that wouldn't be an issue if the train was a pair of 170s.

I don't think that they had fully rolled it out yet.

I doubt they ever will.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2021 ==

Personally I'd like to see 5-car 80x or similar ordered (with a higher quality interior than the standard ones and possibly an extra engine for the hilly nature of the routes; perhaps take lessons from EMR with a Scottish twist), which would be a good foundation for a progressive electrification programme (then remove the diesel engines once it's complete, or order more 80x without engines and run the ones with on other routes).

That's an extremely obvious and much more sensible choice, especially given ScotRail's choice of the class 385, establishing a working relationship with Hitachi and familiarity with their products. The Azuma seems to have settled into very satisfactory service on Aberdeen and Inverness services too, so can clearly cope with conditions.

 

[najaB]

Personally I'd like to see 5-car 80x or similar ordered (with a higher quality interior than the standard ones and possibly an extra engine for the hilly nature of the routes; perhaps take lessons from EMR with a Scottish twist), which would be a good foundation for a progressive electrification programme (then remove the diesel engines once it's complete, or order more 80x without engines and run the ones with on other routes).

That'll probably make sense once the wires reach Perth/Dundee. At the moment there's too much unelectrified track (34 out of 180 miles for Glasgow/Inverness and 150 miles for Glasgow/Aberdeen) for bi-modes to really make sense. Even when Perth is wired you're still only looking at about 1/3 of the journey to Inverness being done under the wires.

The Azuma seems to have settled into very satisfactory service on Aberdeen and Inverness services too, so can clearly cope with conditions.

There's no doubt that the 80x can handle the journey, but again it's down to distances. They're on diesel for about 140 out of 550 miles of the journey from Kings Cross to Inverness, so the penalty that comes with being bimodal makes sense.

 

[Kite159]

However, someone did a survey that found people preferred LNER HSTs to ScotRail's services, and thus decided Scotland needed HSTs.

When failing to take into account one reason why the LNER services were "more popular" is due to them being 8 coaches long compared to mostly 3 coaches on ScotRail services. More chance of getting a seat (or in some cases being able to board).

For HST replacements, breaking out my crayons, use the 222s when they become free from EMR. Refurbished to reduce the amount of 1st class (maybe just to being one driving coach, similar to the other voyagers), with 2 of the 7 coach units giving up the 2 extra coaches to boost the 4 coach units to 5 coach units (hence giving 4x 7 coach units and 23x 5 coach units). Maybe even remove one of the engines to fit batteries to create hybrids

I believe the 222s already have SDO fitted as they call at platforms with short platforms (Long Eaton & stations towards Lincoln spring to mind), and they probably won't have any issues with climbing the hills on the Highland Main Line.

 

[Bald Rick]

Never been on a scotrail one and only have positive reviews on HSTs so just to ask what is wrong with them?

They were, and are, very very expensive to lease and operate.

If there is any retrenchment in the Scotrail fleet due to a reduction in demand post Coivd, I’ll have a tenner on these being the first out the door.

 

[Journeyman]

When failing to take into account one reason why the LNER services were "more popular" is due to them being 8 coaches long compared to mostly 3 coaches on ScotRail services. More chance of getting a seat (or in some cases being able to board).

Absobloodylutely. No-one cared about the type of train, it was about capacity, and to a smaller extent about catering. Absolutely nothing pairs of refurbed 170s couldn't fix.

 

[Bletchleyite]

When failing to take into account one reason why the LNER services were "more popular" is due to them being 8 coaches long compared to mostly 3 coaches on ScotRail services. More chance of getting a seat (or in some cases being able to board).

For HST replacements, breaking out my crayons, use the 222s when they become free from EMR. Refurbished to reduce the amount of 1st class (maybe just to being one driving coach, similar to the other voyagers), with 2 of the 7 coach units giving up the 2 extra coaches to boost the 4 coach units to 5 coach units (hence giving 4x 7 coach units and 23x 5 coach units). Maybe even remove one of the engines to fit batteries to create hybrids

I believe the 222s already have SDO fitted as they call at platforms with short platforms (Long Eaton & stations towards Lincoln spring to mind), and they probably won't have any issues with climbing the hills on the Highland Main Line.

22x are outdated junk (yes, I know) and have a far worse passenger environment than HSTs - the first attempt at an InterCity DMU and with many, many failings. I like the big windows but that's about it.

Chuck them at XC short-term, but long-term they need replacing with something better like 80x.

 

[najaB]

22x are outdated junk and have a far worse passenger environment than HSTs - the first attempt at an InterCity DMU and with many, many failings.

Not to mention they're not light on the track.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Absobloodylutely. No-one cared about the type of train, it was about capacity, and to a smaller extent about catering. Absolutely nothing pairs of refurbed 170s couldn't fix.

Though to be fair the 170s have been welcomed with open arms where they've headed to.

175s? (</evil>)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2021 ==

That'll probably make sense once the wires reach Perth/Dundee. At the moment there's too much unelectrified track (34 out of 180 miles for Glasgow/Inverness and 150 miles for Glasgow/Aberdeen) for bi-modes to really make sense. Even when Perth is wired you're still only looking at about 1/3 of the journey to Inverness being done under the wires.

Rolling stock is purchased for about 30-40 years of life. Might as well buy now with a plan that the electrification will be complete before that.

There's no doubt that the 80x can handle the journey, but again it's down to distances. They're on diesel for about 140 out of 550 miles of the journey from Kings Cross to Inverness, so the penalty that comes with being bimodal makes sense.

The penalty for being bi-mode is the extra weight of a transformer and pantograph, which is in the scheme of things negligible. Otherwise the whole thing is, in design terms, very similar to 22x.

Here's an idea - some of GWR or LNER's 5-car 80x to ScotRail (and a major tarting up of the interior), and new longer 80x for the releasing TOC?

 

[Journeyman]

Though to be fair the 170s have been welcomed with open arms where they've headed to.

Of course - because they're very good trains. I travelled from Edinburgh to Pitlochry on one a few days ago, and it was very pleasant. They're spacious, have nice big windows, plenty of tables and comfortable seats.

175s? (</evil>)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2021 ==

Haha! I wouldn't have a problem with that! Or 180s, of course, but there’s not enough of them.

 

[najaB]

Rolling stock is purchased for about 30-40 years of life. Might as well buy now with a plan that the electrification will be complete before that.

That's the plan - to buy in advance of electrification, just in five to ten years instead of three years ago.

 

[Journeyman]

That's the plan - to buy in advance of electrification, just in five to ten years instead of three years ago.

All this has done is kick the can down the road and store up problems for the future. Ultimately it's going to result in a lot more expense and hassle than just ordering bi-modes in the first place.

 

[Davester50]

You do have to wonder. There's obviously a bidding war for 170s whenever they become free, but I didn't see anyone pointing a gun to ScotRail's head and forcing them to part with them.

Exactly - useful sought after trains being dumped was madness.

All this has done is kick the can down the road and store up problems for the future. Ultimately it's going to result in a lot more expense and hassle than just ordering bi-modes in the first place.

Yes, short-term-ism.
Spending as much as they have for what will be relatively short service life is just wasteful.
I can understand to a degree the ones for the west country, where familiarity with the equipment helps a long way.
Well, that and a decent luggage area, instead of small bike racks, and boarded up loos with parochial stickers on them. The actual execution and fit out is nothing special.

When failing to take into account one reason why the LNER services were "more popular" is due to them being 8 coaches long compared to mostly 3 coaches on ScotRail services. More chance of getting a seat (or in some cases being able to board).

Exactly. Good timings, and getting a seat.

In my ideal world, (yours may differ!), UK spec Austrian Railjets would have been amazing.
Diesel operated until electrification was completed, then a swap of locomotive to electric once enough routes had been wired up.

 

[najaB]

In my ideal world, (yours may differ!), UK spec Austrian Railjets would have been amazing.
Diesel operated until electrification was completed, then a swap of locomotive to electric once enough routes had been wired up.

I don't think that loco haulage was an option. Pretty sure I remember reading that Transport Scotland ruled that out.

 

[Davester50]

I don't think that loco haulage was an option. Pretty sure I remember reading that Transport Scotland ruled that out.

That's what they've got though. One at either end...

 

[Journeyman]

That's what they've got though. One at either end...

Yup. With all the very high track access charges that entails.