Inter City-only stations

[me123]

That's one thing I don't really understand. If they manage it, why not run at least 1 train per day to/from Lockerbie?

They could always call the sleeper at silly o'clock in the morning I'd have thought.

The reason they operate it is because they also operate nearby stations at Dumfries et al, and it's a more sensible option for them to maintain the station than it is for Virgin to dispatch a crew Northbound.
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That's right. Falkirk High does qualify, as it's only served by the express Glasgow Queen Street - Edinburgh Waverley and vice-versa trains.

That's assuming that they qualify as intercity services. Previously on this site, people would have classed that as "Interurban"; indeed, Scotrail apparently operated no intercity trains bar the sleeper.

So, on this criteria, we could/should also include Montrose, Arbroath, Lawrencekirk, Stonehaven, Aviemore...

 

[Bittern]

I, personally, have always counted the SQ - Waverley and vice-versa as Intercity. Simply because it's an express service between two cities.

 

[87015]

I, personally, have always counted the SQ - Waverley and vice-versa as Intercity. Simply because it's an express service between two cities.

Stopping pattern doesn't look very express or intercity anymore to me. Seven stops in under 50 miles - semi-fast as best...

 

[will1337]

Whoa, are there seriously no non stop trains between Glasgow and Edinburgh?

 

[Bittern]

Stopping pattern doesn't look very express or intercity anymore to me. Seven stops in under 50 miles - semi-fast as best...

Well, the trains don't call at all 7 stops. The o'clock departure from Queen Street only calls at

Croy
Falkirk High
and Haymarket


The quarter past only calls at

Falkirk High
Polmont
Linlithgow
and Haymarket

 

[me123]

Whoa, are there seriously no non stop trains between Glasgow and Edinburgh?

One from Central has its first stop at Edinburgh, albeit only Haymarket station.

But the main service doesn't need to be non-stop. Haymarket is a crucial stop for starters. A lot of people use Falkirk High, not just from Falirk, but the surrounding area in which railway stations are sparse but the only alternative to a congested A80. Linlithgow is a large centre of population. And Croy serves as a parkway station for Cumbernauld, Coatbridge, Airdrie and so on to Edinburgh, although it will become less important once Airdrie-Bathgate opens. The stopping pattern as it is works fine. Journeys are fast between the two cities (as said, only a few late night trains make all the calls), overcrowding isn't a major problem in comparison to elsewhere and there's no more capacity to serve Glasgow-Edinburgh with a non stop train whilst retaining the capcity for all intermediate stations.

 

[will1337]

Well I'd call Haymarket then Waverley essentially non stop as the two stations are so close and both right in the centre. It makes a lot more sense now with your explanation and that the capacity isn't there. I thought there'd be more fast trains than there are though considering the proximity of the two cities and their influence. Perhaps if HS2 does happen and reaches Scotland without forking at the north then a "Javelin" style service would be justified because presumably the demand is there.

 

[me123]

There's even been talk of a maglev(!) link taking only 15 minutes and running alongside the M8. See here. But it probably won't ever happen. It's a Scottish Tory proposal, so if no one else likes it it won't get through because they're unlikely to get into Parliament. The cost will be painfully high. Also, with England looking at HS2 being a conventional high speed rail link, perhaps the benefits of joining this up to nothing for a long time will be lost.

By the end of next year, there should be a fast train via Shotts which may take a lot of traffic from Glasgow Central and another 4tph via Airdrie and Bathgate which will get a few passengers from the North Clyde Line. They're also going to electrify and upgrade the main line via Falkirk which would in itself increase capacity and reduce journey times.

 

[Bittern]

One from Central has its first stop at Edinburgh, albeit only Haymarket station.

I've never heard of this. The closest I can come up with would be XC and NXEC who's call at Haymarket is second after Motherwell.

 

[me123]

The 06:00 Glasgow Central to Plymouth Cross Country Voyager doesn't call at Motherwell as it is apparently booked to travel via Shotts. Its first stop is Haymarket. All other trains call at Motherwell, however (even in the other direction!).

 

[tbtc]

That's one thing I don't really understand. If they manage it, why not run at least 1 train per day to/from Lockerbie?

...because it's a long long way from any other ScotRail station. EMT "run" stations on the Birmingham - Leicester - Peterborough Cross Country route that they don't have any trains stopping at IIRC.
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That's assuming that they qualify as intercity services. Previously on this site, people would have classed that as "Interurban"; indeed, Scotrail apparently operated no intercity trains bar the sleeper.

So, on this criteria, we could/should also include Montrose, Arbroath, Lawrencekirk, Stonehaven, Aviemore...

In fariness, there are some "slow" trains using the lines to Aberdeen etc (IIRC the evening trains from Edinburgh used to stop at Kinghorn etc in the absence of the Fife circle - that were "all shacks") whereas there are no "slow" trains stopping at Falkirk High (the "slow" Sunday ones used to run via Grahamston)

 

[Darandio]

Does Durham have no locals??

2 early morning Northern Rail services northbound and 1 late night southbound.