Far North - May 2015

[monxton]

After the timetable change in May, the Far North line between Inverness and Wick/Thurso is not showing the last service of the day in either direction.

I'm not sure how to interpret this, so would appreciate comments from you gurus.

 

[route:oxford]

After the timetable change in May, the Far North line between Inverness and Wick/Thurso is not showing the last service of the day in either direction.

I'm not sure how to interpret this, so would appreciate comments from you gurus.

Either there is going to be major engineering works...

Or Abelio Scotrail's expected rolling stock crisis is about to hit remote Scotland.

 

[CallySleeper]

Doesn't look like there's any other major changes so hopefully someone's forgotten to include it...?

 

[yorkie]

I also spotted this. Several forum members are planning a trip in May (feel free to get in touch if anyone else is interested in joining us). I'm sure it'll run though!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I also spotted this. Several forum members are planning a trip in May (feel free to get in touch if anyone else is interested in joining us). I'm sure it'll run though!

Just tweeted ScotRail and they said the timetable is not finalised which is why it is missing, there is no plan to withdraw it.

Neil

 

[thealexweb]

Either there is going to be major engineering works...

Or Abelio Scotrail's expected rolling stock crisis is about to hit remote Scotland.

Crisis? No crisis just yet. What are the Class 156s displaced from December's electrification doing at the moment?

 

[CallySleeper]

Crisis? No crisis just yet. What are the Class 156s displaced from December's electrification doing at the moment?

Not that this has any bearing on the thread topic since the service in question is a 158...

 

[berneyarms]

The same issue has cropped up on the Heart of Wales Line.

None of the timetables are finalised as yet - but I would certainly be confident that those trains will run.

 

[PHILIPE]

I've actually posted the similar gen on the HOWL thread. ATW said was due to glitch.

 

[thealexweb]

Not that this has any bearing on the thread topic since the service in question is a 158...

I was replying to a post mentioning Class 170s leaving Scotrail. Besides a small percentage of Ffie Circle services are run with Class 156s. Bring that percentage up using the spares and move released the Class 158s up north.

 

[Suraggu]

I was replying to a post mentioning Class 170s leaving Scotrail. Besides a small percentage of Ffie Circle services are run with Class 156s. Bring that percentage up using the spares and move released the Class 158s up north.

A journey like the far north needs either loco hauled or a 158 at the very minimum. I thought the far north was part of the scenic train plan along with the West Highland? 156's which used to plough the line are unsuitable for what they do now and would be a massive retrograde.

Personally DRS should of never scrapped those 37/4's a few years ago but who would of known a few years ago that we would be having a rolling stock shortage.
Mind you those Mk.2's are making a better living now in NZ than the other fate they would of suffered.

It sounds mad but would a WCRc steam hauled service from Inverness -Kyle of Lochalsh during the summer timetable help relieve a class 158 for the central belt. As standard tickets are available to purchase on the Jacobite IIRC. It could be a win win situation for both Abellio Scotrail and WCRc.

 

[route:oxford]

It sounds mad but would a WCRc steam hauled service from Inverness -Kyle of Lochalsh during the summer timetable help relieve a class 158 for the central belt. As standard tickets are available to purchase on the Jacobite IIRC. It could be a win win situation for both Abellio Scotrail and WCRc.

Why would they bother with steam when there will be a Class 73 loco (or two) sitting all day in Inverness doing nothing until the sleeper turn in the evening?

 

[Suraggu]

Why would they bother with steam when there will be a Class 73 loco (or two) sitting all day in Inverness doing nothing until the sleeper turn in the evening?

Steam attracts more tourists, yeah its thinking out of the box but The Jacobite does rather well year on year. Plus it could release a 158 for other duties.
Plus WCRc don't have access to GBRf locomotives on a separate contract.

 

[route:oxford]

Steam attracts more tourists, yeah its thinking out of the box but The Jacobite does rather well year on year. Plus it could release a 158 for other duties.
Plus WCRc don't have access to GBRf locomotives on a separate contract.

Looking at the diagramming.

The sleeper arrives into Inverness at 08:36
The first train from Inverness to Kyle leaves at 08:55

The last train from Kyle arrives into Inverness at 20:00
The sleeper departs Inverness at 20:44

Is this a historic connection for the benefit of passengers, or did the loco follow the diagram in olden days too?

 

[najaB]

Why would they bother with steam when there will be a Class 73 loco (or two) sitting all day in Inverness doing nothing until the sleeper turn in the evening?

Well, Serco wouldn't be pleased if the sleeper couldn't run (or ran late) because the loco was stuck/late on a Kyle turn.

 

[30907]

Looking at the diagramming.

The sleeper arrives into Inverness at 08:36
The first train from Inverness to Kyle leaves at 08:55

The last train from Kyle arrives into Inverness at 20:00
The sleeper departs Inverness at 20:44

Is this a historic connection for the benefit of passengers, or did the loco follow the diagram in olden days too?

Depends what you mean by historic, but in the days of loco haulage to Kyle the timetable was rather different anyway, so they didn't connect, and the sleeper needed rather more than a class 37. My memory is a 40 piloted by 2x 26/27, but that was 1973...