Recent content by Bill57p9

Unless I am missing something, that's 2 bus journeys which would be cheaper as 2 £2 singles. A few years ago the right answer here would have been a Strathclyde Day Tripper ticket - I still mourn their demise.

Ayr Station Hotel fire (2023) and resulting withdrawal of all services south of Ayr for nearly a year will not have helped.

It's currently vintage signalling beyond Dalrymple Junction: Dalrymple - Kilkerren - Girvan is (tokenless?) block. South of Girvan is electric tablet block with boxes/instruments and loops at Girvan, Barrhill, Glenwhilly and Dunragit. NR's preferred option is to modernise north of and...

There is already an all shacks bus that runs every 2 hours between Girvan and Stranraer, taking just over an hour including a tour of half of Girvan. For comparison, the train takes just under an hour. The bus serves Stranraer itself, rather than just the end of the pier. I fully expect the...

The ferries moved for valid commercial reasons, primarily reducing the crossing time. The operators are not looking for ways to increase that!

With regret (the line south of Girvan is a little known scenic gem) I do agree. I suspect an hourly express bus Girvan - Stranraer would be quicker than the train too, and as you say, could also serve Cairnryan (and Loch Ryan port at the other end of the village). The extant RailSail Ayr -...

My family & I used 8 in 15 day Devon & Cornwall Rovers in early July. 6 claims each (5 successful, one GWR keep claiming we were on a different train so still arguing on principle). They were all handled very slowly and their comms around the rejection have been really poor.

Presumably this behaviour could allow the other TOC to reject the subsequent claim on the basis that it was submitted too late...

If you want a pie-in-the-sky idea to make the line more useful, reinstating what was the Cairnryan Military Railway to connect the new ports to the mainline network would fit the bill. Would never pass any BCR test though...

The first departure in a morning (0704) is the (token) through service to Glasgow (Central arrive 0939), via Kilmarnock. There are only very limited further education facilities in Stranraer so this train also offers access to both Ayr & Kilmarnock colleges (the other nearest* being Dumfries)...

In theory Stranraer still retains a platform 2, though I have no idea when it was last used. It does include a run round loop, so maybe the answer could be removing some rather than all of the current station as somewhere a special train could stable & run round. The track measurement train...

I deliver a lecture to engineering students based on the 2002 Uberlingen mid air collision as one with a massive portion of Swiss Cheese human factors. It doesn't meet your preference for non-fatal though. Feel free to message me directly if you would like to set a call and I will happily share...

In a word, yes: short of serviceable 92s with Dellners. The Glasgow ECS loco has been shared with the Highlander for some time now, however currently the Highlander loco is shared with the Edinburgh portion, which gives less downtime (I.e. slack) northbound. The Glasgow ECS is currently being...

Thanks - Did ScotRail hand back or cascade 156s after the completion of East Kilbride and Barrhead electrification? EK consumed something like 9 diagrams (3 of 3 units each).

Units can be (and are) reversed at New Cumnock (although not in passenger service) therefore Cumnock and Mauchline could have an hourly service with 1 additional unit extending one of the Glasgow to Kilmarnock services to Mauchline, Auchinleck and Cumnock. Upgrading New Cumnock to allow...