Ex-TfW 150s could be put to good use at ScotRail

[chuff chuff]

ScotRail definitely need them, HST failures and shortages are decimating the DMU fleet as several step ups per day are required to cover HSTs. Its not uncommon now to see a single 158 on Edinburgh/Glasgow to Aberdeen services, they sometimes get stepped up to cover Inverness services too which is madness. Let's not forget that this year some of the 170s are going for a refurb too so they will lose more DMUs while this takes place. The shortages on Saturday there was ridiculous, services through fife mid morning being formed of single 158s was shocking, especially with the rugby being on as well as a large crowd at Easter rd as well as Hearts being up in Dundee and Dunfermline hosting Raith Rovers. More 158s are needed asap.

As much as I hate being stuck in those cabs it would be hard to argue if more were available.

 

[Scotrail84]

As much as I hate being stuck in those cabs it would be hard to argue if more were available.

Desperately need some to fill gaps, theres a 158 subbed in on the 17:43 Aberdeen to Glasgow, and the same set is going back out on 20:40 Glasgow to Aberdeen service tonight. Absolute madness.

Leven goes half hourly from May, that also puts extra pressure on the fleet.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Haven't ScotRail already returned some cl 156s off lease for the same reason? And at minimum one Northern (ex EMR) was scrapped because of it?

Apologies for the off-topic question, but with increasing numbers of sprinters being taken out of use and scrapped, would it be worth having a master thread to track withdrawals and disposals? As these fleets have been a staple of the network for getting on 40 years, I feel that such a thread would be a useful resource for documenting this significant change to the national fleet- rather than the different threads in which these withdrawals are just a small part of the discussion. There is the TfW withdrawals thread for those units, but the 153 disposals from other operators (plus the ex-EMR & ScotRail 156s that have gone) are somewhat lost in other threads.

Just a thought, what do people think?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Apologies for the off-topic question, but with increasing numbers of sprinters being taken out of use and scrapped, would it be worth having a master thread to track withdrawals and disposals? As these fleets have been a staple of the network for getting on 40 years, I feel that such a thread would be a useful resource for documenting this significant change to the national fleet- rather than the different threads in which these withdrawals are just a small part of the discussion. There is the TfW withdrawals thread for those units, but the 153 disposals from other operators (plus the ex-EMR & ScotRail 156s that have gone) are somewhat lost in other threads.

Just a thought, what do people think?

Agreed - it would be much easier to keep track of what has been withdrawn if it was all in one place.

 

[Ribbleman]

Strong rumours amongst Northern staff that at least some of the TfW 158s will be heading for Northern if the Class 769 overhauls at Brodies fail to produce a great improvement in reliability. The lease on these sets has been extended, but only to January 2027. To replace 8 x 4-car units with other dmus to tide them over until new stock arrives (which will not be until 2030) points towards the TfW sets when available.

 

[BurtonM]

150 is the new 142.
They're barely fit for purpose anywhere, are old, noisy, and fast approaching life expiry. They need replacing.

 

[Chester1]

150 is the new 142.
They're barely fit for purpose anywhere, are old, noisy, and fast approaching life expiry. They need replacing.

And just like Pacers there are people angry when they are scrapped! It is a shame that the TfW units are in the worst structural condition because they have the best interior and would have been an upgrade on Northern 150s, which will presumably need to be put through C6 to make it to 2030.

 

[The exile]

150 is the new 142.
They're barely fit for purpose anywhere, are old, noisy, and fast approaching life expiry. They need replacing.

Noisy and approaching life expiry, yes. Old need not of itself be a condemnation. I’m struggling on “barely fit for purpose anywhere”. Granted, there are services on which they are used where they are not fit for purpose (Cardiff - Manchester being a recent example) - but there are are plenty where this is not the case (especially if they turn up as a pair of /2s)