222 contract for Scotrail: updates (not speculation)

[JonathanH]

The use of initial in the press release makes me wonder if there's a later plan from maintenance somewhere else.

The Scotrail release says that the ongoing maintenance is not being outsourced. Alstom provide support.

When the fleet enters passenger service, ScotRail will carry out the maintenance on the fleet supported by a comprehensive technical support and spares supply agreement with Alstom – worth around £250million over the next 10 years.

 

[Highlander1]

19

There are currently 16 HST diagrams so this could hopefully see a couple of 170/158s redeployed elsewhere on the network to improve capacity

 

[tfw756rider]

Here are the two images, shared directly on here for accessibility purposes and remain copyright of ScotRail:

 

[Davester50]

Does this also mean that there will be proper catering in first class now? I know it said there would be a trolley service for standard.

There's no red stripe, which the existing stock has, on the renders.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

The Scotrail release says that the ongoing maintenance is not being outsourced. Alstom provide support.

That’s a missed opportunity for me. Plenty of reasons to have an Alstom maintenance facility in the capital now. Around 20 sets a day are likely to finish there when you consider it and Craigentinny could do with not having the Voyagers to be honest.

Back onto the main event. Thankfully the logical decision has been reached. These are good trains and will make the I7C experience much fresher in my opinion. Hopefully the option to acquire Lumo’s later comes along. This would be useful.

I do think ScotRail really need to get all the I7C paths back into play though. Still a couple that haven’t ran since COVID, which is pretty poor. Hopefully a more reliable, and bigger fleet will help with this.

From memory the 222’s have a composite vehicle. I guess half of this will house a family area? In other words one driving vehicle is First Class, the composite is half family half standard, with the remaining 3 vehicles being entirely standard class - one vehicle having bike storage.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the 3 spare vehicles. I am sure plenty of people will have an idea on that one in another thread!

 

[marks87]

Good news. As much as I like the HSTs, they are now getting far too old.

Even though the livery is being standardised, hopefully the “InterCity” branding is retained (minus the “7”, since Dunfermline decided to go and complicate matters).

Maybe more for speculative discussion, but it’s a pity the electrics in the mk3s will make them largely redundant without 43s. The power doors and interior refurbs are quite good (albeit they might be hiding a multitude sins and rust).

 

[lrbvoyager]

Here are the two images, shared directly on here for accessibility purposes and remain copyright of ScotRail (odd that they're on the Alstom page but not the ScotRail one, and yes, the second one really is cut off at the bottom).

Scotrail posted this picture to there Facebook.

 

[marks87]

Ah, yes - I see an “InterCity” on those renderings. Good stuff.

If that’s fully accurate, interesting that only the end cars have the half-saltire, and only at the driving end, the middle has none, and the other two have the saltire in the middle.

 

[tfw756rider]

Even though the livery is being standardised, hopefully the “InterCity” branding is retained (minus the “7”, since Dunfermline decided to go and complicate matters).

Inter8City?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Mar 2026 ==

Scotrail posted this picture to there Facebook.

Ah thanks, looks like Alstom messed it up and cut it off at the bottom then lol

I've updated my post with the two images.

 

[marks87]

Inter8City?

That would only work if they started running “InterCity” services to Dunfermline, which I can’t see happening any time soon!

 

[Steven_G]

Looks like all the remaining 5 car units.

What’s the difference in the 222/1 subclass?

 

[380101]

That’s a missed opportunity for me. Plenty of reasons to have an Alstom maintenance facility in the capital now. Around 20 sets a day are likely to finish there when you consider it and Craigentinny could do with not having the Voyagers to be honest.

Haymarket will have plenty of room for 222s once the HSTs go. Given the 222 is originally a Bombardier product I wouldn't envisage Haymarket having any problems given that it's the principal 170 maintenance depot.

 

[tfw756rider]

That would only work if they started running “InterCity” services to Dunfermline, which I can’t see happening any time soon!

Clearly I don't know what I'm talking about and haven't been to Scotland for over 20 years. I see what you mean by "complicate" now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Mar 2026 ==

Haymarket will have plenty of room for 222s once the HSTs go. Given the 222 is originally a Bombardier product I wouldn't envisage Haymarket having any problems given that it's the principal 170 maintenance depot.

And the 170 is originally an ADtranz product. Different parts of Bombardier - 170s are Derby Litchurch Lane (former ADtranz until 2001), whereas 222s are "pre-existing" Bombardier, Bruges Belgium.

 

[The exile]

That’s exactly what BR often did with rolling stock. It would move to secondary routes and wasn’t limited to just Scotland as the cascade took place.

Is it not the case that, other than the HST, the 153s and some of the rebuilt 320s, all Scotrail stock was delivered there new? (Certainly all the classes went there new, even if individual units didn’t)

 

[WillC]

Interesting that maximising window alignment is in list of changes

Refurbishment will be undertaken by Alstom and the makeover will include:

• Full exterior repaint and updated livery.
• Comprehensive interior refresh, including new carpets and full interior repaint.
• A new passenger information system, including multimedia displays.
• New Wi-Fi with Low Earth Orbit Satellite connectivity and voice-over-internet phone capability.
• Family friendly area, providing space for passengers with an unfolded pushchair.
• Wheelchair facilities in both First Class and two spaces in Standard Class.
• Storage for six bikes.
• New electronic seat reservation system.
• New CCTV system – enhancing the safety and security of customers and staff.
• Intelligent Engine Start Stop (automatically stops an engine to reduce emissions).
• New First and Standard Class seats and tables, with plug sockets, USB-A and USB-C at every seat.
• Onboard catering facilities to support at seat and trolley service.
• Reconfigured carriage layout to maximise window alignment and luggage storage.

ScotRail announces plans to replace high speed trains

ScotRail has announced plans to replace its high speed trains (HSTs) following a successful procurement process.A contract has been awarded to Beacon for the provision of twenty-two Class 222 trains, and to Alstom for the associated technical support, spares, and maintenance services. The trains...

www.scotrail.co.uk

It should be - no scenery like Scotland north of the central belt. And 6 bikes too - this feels like a step forward.

 

[tfw756rider]

What’s the difference in the 222/1 subclass?

Hopefully someone can answer your question properly, but they're the former Hull Trains 'Pioneers', which they used for just 3 years from 2005 to 2009 for some reason.

Basically some interior/seating differences though from what I understand.

 

[Davester50]

Is it not the case that, other than the HST, the 153s and some of the rebuilt 320s, all Scotrail stock was delivered there new? (Certainly all the classes went there new, even if individual units didn’t)

They've got the ex-Hull 170s and had the 158s from other places in recent years.

 

[sprinterguy]

Hopefully someone can answer your question properly, but they're the former Hull Trains 'Pioneers', which they used for just 3 years from 2005 to 2009 for some reason.

Replacing them with 5-car class 180s allowed Hull Trains to increase capacity to meet rising demand.

 

[dosxuk]

ScotRail have also announced that the contract has been signed with Beacon for 22 Class 222s.



https://www.scotrail.co.uk/about-sc...EauYT_a8Wv5eA9NvYK_aem_f1j2hFpIo50bsv88Cit0qQ

Shame we couldn't have had this in the East Midlands rather than the 810's Would have been a good stopgap before complete electrification.

I guess the big question is whether all of the 810's will have made it into service by 2028?

 

[Harpo]

That’s exactly what BR often did with rolling stock. It would move to secondary routes and wasn’t limited to just Scotland as the cascade took place.

BR had well-worked cascade plans, even for HSTs in anticipation of further electrification.

 

[ainsworth74]

There's no red stripe, which the existing stock has, on the renders.

There's no red stripe on lots of trains that have full first class catering. Not sure you can read anything into catering provision from whether there's a red stripe or not.

Hopefully someone can answer your question properly, but they're the former Hull Trains 'Pioneers', which they used for just 3 years from 2005 to 2009 for some reason.

Replacing them with 5-car class 180s allowed them to increase capacity to meet rising demand.

Crofton dropping 222103 off the jacks it being out of service for a quite a while also played a role in that I believe!

 

[williamn]

Given they’ve never used the buffets in the HST’s I can’t see them having them in the 222’s.

 

[fgwrich]

Given they’ve never used the buffets in the HST’s I can’t see them having them in the 222’s.

Not quite, they do use them until electrical problems and Covid came along. Since then they’ve remained closed.

 

[Davester50]

There's no red stripe on lots of trains that have full first class catering. Not sure you can read anything into catering provision from whether there's a red stripe or not.

Given they’ve never used the buffets in the HST’s I can’t see them having them in the 222’s.

Well, they use it for the current fixed position (out of use) buffet facilities, I think it's a good guide to there being no fixed position on the 222/5s.
It doesn't mean none.

 

[EMU303]

Excuse my ignorance, but I see these 222s sometimes referred to a diesel-electric…. What’s the difference between that and simply diesel?

 

[jfowkes]

New Wi-Fi with Low Earth Orbit Satellite connectivity

This is interesting - practically speaking I assume this means using Starlink, though OneWeb might be an option as well. I guess it makes sense in the context of patchy mobile coverage in a lot of areas of Scotland. Would it be the first installation of Starlink/satellite broadband on UK trains?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Excuse my ignorance, but I see these 222s sometimes referred to a diesel-electric…. What’s the difference between that and simply diesel?

It means electric transmission, i.e. the engine turns a generator and electric motors turn the wheels. The other options are diesel-hydraulic (e.g. the Sprinter classes) and diesel-mechanical (e.g. classic DMUs and 195/6/7).

 

[ainsworth74]

Excuse my ignorance, but I see these 222s sometimes referred to a diesel-electric…. What’s the difference between that and simply diesel?

There's no such thing as a diesel train they're all diesel-something. In this case diesel-electric means that the diesel engine drivers a generator which produces electricity which is then used by electric motors to actually provide traction power (and is amongst the most common form of diesel powered rolling stock, particularly locomotives). You can also have diesel-hydraulic where various things happen involving hydraulic fluids to provide the traction power (the ability to explain that eludes me!) or diesel-mechanical where there is a direct connection from the diesel engine to the wheels through a gearbox (quite a common DMU set up and basically what you'd have a in a car or van).

 

[JModulo]

Excuse my ignorance, but I see these 222s sometimes referred to a diesel-electric…. What’s the difference between that and simply diesel?

Diesel electric is where the diesel engine drives a generator to provide power to traction motors.

Diesel mechanical is where the drive is through a gearbox usually and then to the wheels. No electrics other than power for onboard auxiliaries and starting.

 

[ainsworth74]

Well, they use it for the current fixed position (out of use) buffet facilities, I think it's a good guide to there being no fixed position on the 222/5s.
It doesn't mean none.

Well yes, but that's no guarantee of things continuing as they have done. Plus the post you were replying to was talking about proper catering in first class. Lots of train have proper catering in first class without full buffets and red stripes. Though I do agree that it seems unlikely that the buffet will survive on the 222s!