1st Class on Scotrail.

[jadmor]

Can anyone advise if it is allowed to travel in a first class compartment on Scot-rail -on a standard ticket- if the service is not Inter7city or Edinburgh to Glasgow? I am thinking in particular of the Edinburgh to Dundee service operated by Class 170 units.

 

[hexagon789]

Can anyone advise if it is allowed to travel in a first class compartment on Scot-rail -on a standard ticket- if the service is not Inter7city or Edinburgh to Glasgow? I am thinking in particular of the Edinburgh to Dundee service operated by Class 170 units.

Yes that's fine, you regularly get First Class fitted 170s on Glasgow to Dundee, Edinburgh to Dundee, Edinburgh to Fife/Borders etc - all these services are Std only and there's no problem using the First Class seating in such situations.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I am thinking in particular of the Edinburgh to Dundee service operated by Class 170 units.

If the timetable shows it as a standard-only service then you should be ok.

 

[kkong]

Can anyone advise if it is allowed to travel in a first class compartment on Scot-rail -on a standard ticket- if the service is not Inter7city or Edinburgh to Glasgow? I am thinking in particular of the Edinburgh to Dundee service operated by Class 170 units.

There are services from Edinburgh to Dundee operated by Class 170 which continue to Aberdeen (whether planned as 170 or with one substituting for a planned "Inter7City" HST) and these do have first class.

 

[hexagon789]

There are services from Edinburgh to Dundee operated by Class 170 which continue to Aberdeen (whether planned as 170 or with one substituting for a planned "Inter7City" HST) and these do have first class.

I took it because the OP said 'The Edinburgh to Dundee service' and not an Edinburgh to Dundee service, they specifically meant the hourly Edinburgh to Dundee terminators, which are all advertised as Standard Class only nowadays.

 

[Watershed]

Generally speaking it comes down to whether the service is advertised as having first class in the timetable (e.g. as seen on NRE or RTT). Some services advertised as 'standard class only' in the timetable but are operated with trains that have first class seats - in which case those seats/coaches are declassified.

 

[Jan Mayen]

If in doubt, sit in Standard!

 

[jadmor]

I took it because the OP said 'The Edinburgh to Dundee service' and not an Edinburgh to Dundee service, they specifically meant the hourly Edinburgh to Dundee terminators, which are all advertised as Standard Class only nowadays.

That's correct, I wasn't thinking of the LNER, Cross-Country or Inter7city services. I checked the PDF tables online, but these don't show specifically the status of these services. The Scotrail site did mention specific services, but also said something about when a 1st class section is "available" which I thought was a bit ambiguous. Next time I travel I will ask the ticket guy. Thanks to all for responding.

 

[Revilo]

If in doubt, sit in Standard!

Where’s the fun in that!

 

[hexagon789]

That's correct, I wasn't thinking of the LNER, Cross-Country or Inter7city services. I checked the PDF tables online, but these don't show specifically the status of these services. The Scotrail site did mention specific services, but also said something about when a 1st class section is "available" which I thought was a bit ambiguous. Next time I travel I will ask the ticket guy. Thanks to all for responding.

Where’s the fun in that!

Quite! Where's the fun in that?

I for one in my years of doing exactly as the OP proposes, have never had an issue - staff don't bat an eyelid.

It was even more common in the days before the Edinburgh-Glasgow was electrified, as First Class fitted 170s would also appear on Anniesland, Alloa and Dunblane workings - which were all Std only. I believe the Edinburgh to Dundees did officially convey First Class then, as did most Edinburgh to Perths, but that hasn't been the case for a few years now and the GBTT data makes it clear these services are Std only.

(You can look them up on National Rail Enquiries and they are shown as Stanndard Class only.)

 

[Bill57p9]

Quite! Where's the fun in that?

I for one in my years of doing exactly as the OP proposes, have never had an issue - staff don't bat an eyelid.

It was even more common in the days before the Edinburgh-Glasgow was electrified, as First Class fitted 170s would also appear on Anniesland, Alloa and Dunblane workings - which were all Std only. I believe the Edinburgh to Dundees did officially convey First Class then, as did most Edinburgh to Perths, but that hasn't been the case for a few years now and the GBTT data makes it clear these services are Std only.

(You can look them up on National Rail Enquiries and they are shown as Stanndard Class only.)

During the Edinburgh to Glasgow electrification ScotRail withdrew first class from the route (advertised services as standard class only) but mainly operated 170s with first class. I had several more comfortable journeys as a result.

Speaking of Edinburgh to Glasgow, the difference between first and standard ticket prices is unusually small: £22.40 vs £16.20 off peak day return (38%), £43.70 vs £35.40 anytime return (23%).
Bizarrely though ScotRail only has one first class lounge, and that is in Aberdeen.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I used to use the borders, wrote a lot before I moved away and heart always sank when I discovered that a 170 was allocated. However, the first thing I did when reaching the unit in question was checked to see if it was a first class one, this obviously improved the situation drastically.

 

[eoff]

Can anyone advise if it is allowed to travel in a first class compartment on Scot-rail -on a standard ticket- if the service is not Inter7city or Edinburgh to Glasgow? I am thinking in particular of the Edinburgh to Dundee service operated by Class 170 units.

I think the platform display might say "standard class only", also I have just asked train staff before boarding, some trains have very minimal 1st seating even if you can sit there.