ScotRail HST operation 2026

[InvHst]

Looks like a bad day for HST operation yesterday when both power cars on the 840 Glasgow to Aberdeen appear to have failed requiring a line block and passengers to be transferred to a Class 158 drawn alongside. Another 5-car HST set was brought in to tow the 'dead' set south.
Must be rare for both power cars to fail at the same time, so I wonder if the set already had a dead power car or some other issue. Looks like lots of services were cancelled as a result of the failure which according to RTT took close to 3 hours before it was moved away from the point of failure.

Well it was only the one set that failed yesterday so 164 threw the first hissy fit then 145 joined in was in a particularly hard place to recover having to evac two trains to allow the rescue to happen didn't help matters

 

[scotraildriver]

164 is notorious for random hissy fits! It can be working perfectly then suddenly just shuts down, loses amps, the fire alarm goes for no reason and a myriad of other weird faults just randomly occur. It usually sorts itself out though, not normally a total failure. It gives me the fear.

 

[InvHst]

164 is notorious for random hissy fits! It can be working perfectly then suddenly just shuts down, loses amps, the fire alarm goes for no reason and a myriad of other weird faults just randomly occur. It usually sorts itself out though, not normally a total failure. It gives me the fear.

164 went through a period of time when it worked quite well but yes it does have a reputation

 

[43096]

164 is notorious for random hissy fits! It can be working perfectly then suddenly just shuts down, loses amps, the fire alarm goes for no reason and a myriad of other weird faults just randomly occur. It usually sorts itself out though, not normally a total failure. It gives me the fear.

Let me guess... It gets booked repeatedly for investigation in the fault book, then sent back out with NFF (No Fault Found) or "fixed" by the age-old depot expedient of changing the fault book.

 

[scotraildriver]

Let me guess... It gets booked repeatedly for investigation in the fault book, then sent back out with NFF (No Fault Found) or "fixed" by the age-old depot expedient of changing the fault book.

Haha. The problem with 164 is by the time it gets to the depot there are no faults to be found! I wonder if it stems from the time it had a fire.

 

[Railperf]

Haha. The problem with 164 is by the time it gets to the depot there are no faults to be found! I wonder if it stems from the time it had a fire.

So after several hours shut down, it restarts as if nothing has happened? How much information does the MTU engine disgnostic panel store? What hissy fits can the power car have that cause a shut down that is not logged by any control equipment?

 

[43096]

What hissy fits can the power car have that cause a shut down that is not logged by any control equipment?

Plenty.

 

[scotraildriver]

The set is back out today with the same power cars so couldn't have been anything too serious.

 

[hexagon789]

The set is back out today with the same power cars so couldn't have been anything too serious.

Seems to have run into some bother on the HML, gradually losing time from Pitlochry and arriving in Inverness 20L.

A 158 seems to have replaced it for the remainder of the diagram.

 

[InvHst]

Seems to have run into some bother on the HML, gradually losing time from Pitlochry and arriving in Inverness 20L.

A 158 seems to have replaced it for the remainder of the diagram.

Yes wasn't in best form shall I say

 

[hexagon789]

Yes wasn't in best form shall I say

Still 164 being a bit fickle, but in not an outwardly obvious way?

 

[shredder1]

Does anyone have a list of the present workings of the Scottish HSTs please, I wanted to get up there for a week to photograph them before they finish?

 

[WesternLancer]

Does anyone have a list of the present workings of the Scottish HSTs please, I wanted to get up there for a week to photograph them before they finish?

You can actually find a list of the services that they are supposed to run on the ScotRail website on the catering or first class info pages. I’ll try and find a link.

But i think the issue is that short notice set swaps make it hard to be sure they will operate as planned. This needs to be verified on real time trains on the day.

Might be worth starting a thread under ‘trip planning’ part of forum.

I’ve thought of doing something similar.

 

[sh24]

I’ve been lucky perhaps, but have done 20+ trips this year and not had a single set swap for 158/170.

 

[Avenger20]

The overall reliability isn't awful just now and there are far less set swaps than there used to be. They still do occur though but that's just your luck on the day. Being in the Perth/Dundee region would be your best bet I'd say.

 

[hexagon789]

I’ve been lucky perhaps, but have done 20+ trips this year and not had a single set swap for 158/170.

Definitely far less common that it was at one point.

 

[WesternLancer]

The overall reliability isn't awful just now and there are far less set swaps than there used to be. They still do occur though but that's just your luck on the day. Being in the Perth/Dundee region would be your best bet I'd say.

Thanks. Good info

 

[mmh]

Is there a known timescale for the HST withdrawal? I'd like to make a visit to travel on a few before they go. Thanks for any help - or if there's another thread about it that would be great.

 

[hexagon789]

Is there a known timescale for the HST withdrawal? I'd like to make a visit to travel on a few before they go. Thanks for any help - or if there's another thread about it that would be great.

ScotRail have published an article which contains approximate timescales:

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

The HSTs, which operate on intercity routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness, will be replaced by more modern Class 222s, with the first of the new trains to arrive in service by late 2027.

As the oldest trains in the train operator’s fleet, the HSTs are reaching the end of their usable life, which present operational challenges and make them considerably more expensive to operate and maintain.

The refurbishment programme will ensure the Class 222s enter service to the highest possible standard – with staff also being fully trained to safely operate them.

With passenger services entering service before the end of 2027, there will be a phased approach to the trains being introduced, with the final train expected to be in operation before the end of 2028.

Despite the HSTs being popular with customers since their introduction to ScotRail in 2018, the arrival of the Class 222s will be a boost for staff and customers, with the last HST expected to be removed from service by December 2028.

So first withdrawals possible perhaps later next year, with withdrawals continuing throughout 2028 and final operations expected December 2028.

 

[WesternLancer]

Does anyone have a list of the present workings of the Scottish HSTs please, I wanted to get up there for a week to photograph them before they finish?

First Class Train Tickets

When you next travel with us between Scotland's cities, make it a First Class train ticket and enjoy First Class rail travel in style.Whether you’re travelling for work or leisure, a seat in First Class gives you quieter surroundings, a comfier seat and more space to get on with your day, which...

www.scotrail.co.uk

Scroll down that link and then there is a link to 'Scheduled HST services'
then by different days of the week (m-f / sat / sun) and then by each route they operate on showing departure times from origin point

You can then cross reference that against Real Time Trains (eg for today for example) and see if the reality matched the schedule in terms of which rolling stock actually operated

Further down there is a convenient one for the 170 operated schedule too

I was thinking a Freedom of Scotland Rover might be the best way to do this as flexibility with it if HSTs are moved off the desired train - ie no point in having fixed Advanced tickets just to find the HST gets swapped for a 158.

Tho if doing photos that might involve less distance form a good location which might mean buying walk up tickets on the day is cheaper when you want to use an HST to get from A-B
However, that Rover has no 1st class option IIRC, so I assume the only way to do HST 1st class looks like the £15 supplement paid on board (which I assume is per journey rather than per day and is like 'Weekend First but looks like it available 7 days a week (??) ) so if you did 3 HSTs even from start to finish of their routes the supplements would still mount up price wise - eg

Edinburgh to Aberdeen
Aberdeen to Inverness*
Inverness to Glasgow or back towards Edinburgh

would that be 3 x £15 supplements for 1st class?

Maybe Scottish regulars on here can advise on all this

*worth noting only 2 daylight HSTs scheduled Inverness - Aberdeen and v.v. (only 1 on Sundays) on that rather interesting route, which looks to me to permit a very interesting HST round trip covering most of their operating routes.

Any advice form other readers here gratefully received!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jun 2026 ==

ScotRail have published an article which contains approximate timescales:

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

So first withdrawals possible perhaps later next year, with withdrawals continuing throughout 2028 and final operations expected December 2028.

Thanks - I guess the trick is to be mindful that if HSTs fail with costly repairs needed towards the end of the scheduled life then they may get stood down and the fleet reduced so diagrams that they would have been expected to operate get knocked on the head?

Mind you, with the rate the 810s are getting on with EMR it's hard to see the 222s leaving for the intended refurb as scheduled and started in Scotland when intended - unless Hitachi get the 810 availability increased dramatically and consistently...

 

[43096]

Does anyone have a list of the present workings of the Scottish HSTs please, I wanted to get up there for a week to photograph them before they finish?

All the ScotRail diagrams are published by ScotRail, but I can’t find the link just now.

 

[HighlandStorm]

The HSTs are on lease to 2030, so while EMRs issues with the 810s are not ScotRails problem, it may suit both parties to delay some 222 transfers to minimise the double leasing costs?

Also worth noting that HSTs can be subbed in place of units too? It’s not just units replacing HSTs. Have seen HSTs doing the Inverness to Elgin run.

 

[WesternLancer]

Also worth noting that HSTs can be subbed in place of units too? It’s not just units replacing HSTs. Have seen HSTs doing the Inverness to Elgin run.

useful info - thanks

 

[PZ 08895]

ScotRails HST diagrams post the May timetable change can be seen at this link: http://www.railtourinfo.co.uk/locohauled16.html Whilst maybe slightly different post the May timetable change, I expect broadly similar. Note that the £15 upgrade is not guaranteed. We tried to upgrade ourselves on a Saturday morning Edinburgh - Inverness HST (boarding at Edinburgh) a couple of weeks ago and the conductor said we could not as there were too many first class tickets booked on that service. However, he was apologetic about it, I understand the reasoning and standard class is still quite reasonable on these trains.

 

[43096]

Does anyone have a list of the present workings of the Scottish HSTs please, I wanted to get up there for a week to photograph them before they finish?

All the ScotRail diagrams are published by ScotRail, but I can’t find the link just now.

Found them: https://files.scotrail.co.uk/FOi Unit Diagrams May 2026.pdf

They are from section 2 on this page: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/about-sc...ts/scotrail-trains-limited-publication-scheme

 

[hexagon789]

ScotRails HST diagrams post the May timetable change can be seen at this link: http://www.railtourinfo.co.uk/locohauled16.html Whilst maybe slightly different post the May timetable change, I expect broadly similar. Note that the £15 upgrade is not guaranteed. We tried to upgrade ourselves on a Saturday morning Edinburgh - Inverness HST (boarding at Edinburgh) a couple of weeks ago and the conductor said we could not as there were too many first class tickets booked on that service. However, he was apologetic about it, I understand the reasoning and standard class is still quite reasonable on these trains.

Those diagrams are not great.

Asides from listing too few diagrams at 15 (there have been 16 for a couple years now), there's a lot of omissions of services within diagrams and other inaccuracies.

 

[duffield]

...

Mind you, with the rate the 810s are getting on with EMR it's hard to see the 222s leaving for the intended refurb as scheduled and started in Scotland when intended - unless Hitachi get the 810 availability increased dramatically and consistently...

I thought it was understood that the 222s would go to Scotrail on time regardless of the impact on EMR services, due to contracts?

 

[The exile]

I thought it was understood that the 222s would go to Scotrail on time regardless of the impact on EMR services, due to contracts?

Surely depends on what “go to” means? They could “go” to Scotrail and be immediately sub-leased back to EMR before they set off - I think there’s a precedent for that, though I don’t remember what it was.

 

[WesternLancer]

I thought it was understood that the 222s would go to Scotrail on time regardless of the impact on EMR services, due to contracts?

it probably was - but that doesn't always mean what is intended actually happens...

 

[duffield]

Surely depends on what “go to” means? They could “go” to Scotrail and be immediately sub-leased back to EMR before they set off - I think there’s a precedent for that, though I don’t remember what it was.

But that would presumably involve the Scottish government agreeing, which sounds unlikely (why would the SNP do a favour for the Labour government at Westminster?) and if they did it would presumably be at a price, involving the DfT signing off the extra expenditure involved, which sounds highly unlikely to me especially given how the East Midlands is generally treated by central governments. I'm sure the DfT would be quite content to see the last few months of EMR (up to the franchise break point later this year) be plagued by cancellations and gamble on things improving at that point as more 810s became available and reliable.

I'm convinced the only reason Scotrail would agree to a delay would be if they really were not ready for the 222s to come as scheduled and they would be in some way actually inconvenient.