Scotrail Class 385 Discussion

[385001]

Currently lead story on BBC Scotland website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44657837

New electric trains approved after windscreens changed

ScotRail
The new Hitachi Class 385's curved windscreen will be replaced
New electric trains for Scotland's central belt have been approved by rail regulators after their windscreens were replaced over safety concerns.

Train drivers' union Aslef had said the curved windscreen on the Class 385s were causing reflections of other signals at night.

New flat windscreens will now be fitted to all 70 of the trains.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has confirmed the Hitachi trains are safe and licensed to carry passengers.

ScotRail has ordered 46 three-carriage and 24 four-carriage sets of the 385 trains to run between Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as on suburban routes south of Glasgow and to Dunblane, Stirling and Alloa.

They form part of the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme, which has been introducing electrification to the line.

The first of the Hitachi trains was due to have entered service in September last year but manufacturing hitches and delays to electrification of the line meant this date was not met.

ScotRail
The new trains have undergone driver testing between Glasgow Central and Paisley Gilmour Street
Train operator ScotRail has been forced to lease extra train to make up for the delays.

The new electric trains could now begin to be rolled into service by the end of the summer.

Reduced journey times
The Japanese manufacturer and ScotRail have claimed the improved acceleration of the Class 385s will reduce journey times between Glasgow and Edinburgh to 42 minutes as well as increasing capacity.

The ORR approval also includes a formal acceptance of the new flat windscreens for the trains, which was accepted by Aslef in May.

The new windscreens are being fitted on trains that are already in Scotland in Springburn, with the remainder of the work carried out at Hitachi's County Durham factory.

Andy Radford, programme manager at Hitachi Rail, said: "Getting the green light for new trains is a massive milestone for the project.

"It has been achieved by all parties involved working collaboratively towards the same goal.

"It is now all systems go so that Scottish commuters can start enjoying the benefits of this modern fleet.

ScotRail project manager Gary Brown said: "The new trains have been declared safe and fit to run, which is great news for our customers.

"It means we're one step closer to delivering more seats, faster journeys and better services, not just in the Central Belt, but across Scotland."

 

[Macwomble]

Great news......now can we get the HSTs sorted out.

 

[Typhoon_93]

Delivery move cancelled again tonight.

 

[380101]

Expect to see the 385s on the Shotts line first to release 158s. We have the 365s for a year so they'll stay on the E-G till there is enough 385s to completely run the E-G services.

Will be easier to diagram the 385s on that route than it will on the E-G for the next couple of months until sufficient 385s have had the new screens fitted.

 

[gsnedders]

Expect to see the 385s on the Shotts line first to release 158s. We have the 365s for a year so they'll stay on the E-G till there is enough 385s to completely run the E-G services.

Will be easier to diagram the 385s on that route than it will on the E-G for the next couple of months until sufficient 385s have had the new screens fitted.

Shotts was originally meant to be staying Sprinter operated after electrification, right? Do we know what's going to happen once the 385s move to E-G?

 

[gingertom]

Expect to see the 385s on the Shotts line first to release 158s. We have the 365s for a year so they'll stay on the E-G till there is enough 385s to completely run the E-G services.

Will be easier to diagram the 385s on that route than it will on the E-G for the next couple of months until sufficient 385s have had the new screens fitted.

do we have a realistic date for the completion of the Shotts electrification and other civils works taking place? Scottish Govt has ordered the 385s primarily for the flagship E&G route so i don't see them being used anywhere else first.

 

[The_Engineer]

do we have a realistic date for the completion of the Shotts electrification and other civils works taking place? Scottish Govt has ordered the 385s primarily for the flagship E&G route so i don't see them being used anywhere else first.

Read up thread - indeed the first available 385s will go on the E&G, until all Class 170s are displaced. After that, no firm promises are made but the scheduled off-leasing of diesel units will dictate first I am sure!

 

[InOban]

do we have a realistic date for the completion of the Shotts electrification and other civils works taking place? Scottish Govt has ordered the 385s primarily for the flagship E&G route so i don't see them being used anywhere else first.

As I recall, Shotts isn't due until after Stirling etc. It appears that the program of works between Carmuirs and Allow/Dunblane is timetabled so that when Kerse Road Bridge is complete at the end of October the whole route will be ready for the wiring train.

 

[92002]

do we have a realistic date for the completion of the Shotts electrification and other civils works taking place? Scottish Govt has ordered the 385s primarily for the flagship E&G route so i don't see them being used anywhere else first.

Shotts does not get handed over for driver training till December.

So with latest deliveries from the factory already fitted in the last Month or so. The 12 already delivered going to Springburn for fitting and 4 in Italy would appear to be a E&G start for the 385s.

More 170s due to go to Northern in July.

 

[InOban]

Delivery move cancelled again tonight.

Did last night's run? I forgot to check.

 

[Chuggington21]

do we have a realistic date for the completion of the Shotts electrification and other civils works taking place? Scottish Govt has ordered the 385s primarily for the flagship E&G route so i don't see them being used anywhere else first.

North Berwick

 

[Chrism20]

North Berwick

The reports in the local paper of people being left behind on that line are now almost a weekly thing.

At the rate they are building houses down that way six car 385s won’t be enough within the next two to three years.

 

[Typhoon_93]

Did last night's run? I forgot to check.

No nothing has moved from Aycliffe this week but 385006 was noted on Friday with the special vestibule cover fitted so looks to be the next to go.

 

[Chuggington21]

The reports in the local paper of people being left behind on that line are now almost a weekly thing.

At the rate they are building houses down that way six car 385s won’t be enough within the next two to three years.

Not sure why they can't run with 7 or 8 down that way. I'll be surprised if they dont

 

[InOban]

I think they've only just finished lengthening the platform at N Berwick for six*23

 

[Chuggington21]

I think they've only just finished lengthening the platform at N Berwick for six*23

And? Most platforms on the way down only hold 5

 

[gingertom]

And? Most platforms on the way down only hold 5

a bit short-sighted.

 

[Chuggington21]

a bit short-sighted.

Yeah but it could have been because of clearance or something. 380 and 385 have gps which only opens the doors that are in the platform so it really doesn't matter how long or short the platform is and there is no starting signal so the driver wouldn't have to worry about that

 

[gingertom]

Yeah but it could have been because of clearance or something. 380 and 385 have gps which only opens the doors that are in the platform so it really doesn't matter how long or short the platform is and there is no starting signal so the driver wouldn't have to worry about that

it's a relatively cheap bodge. Until the station dwell times become unmanageable because of passenger growth.

 

[GrimShady]

Looking forward to trying these new babies out!

 

[SC318250]

No nothing has moved from Aycliffe this week but 385006 was noted on Friday with the special vestibule cover fitted so looks to be the next to go.

385031 was also noted with the vestible covers the previous week

 

[D365]

At the rate they are building houses down that way six car 385s won’t be enough within the next two to three years.

Presumably ScotRail will be negotiating for sone kind of compensation from Hitachi...

 

[Steamysandy]

a bit short-sighted.

I think for a long time the idea was that North Berwick and associated stations would eventually close.In the 1980s North Berwick station was demolished and the platform's shortened.The original platform's could take eight or nine mark1s - I was on the Television train when in 1962 it was used on a School excursion from North Berwick which was 2 B1s and eleven or 12 Gresley coaches!
Drem platform was shortened west of the road bridge and Longniddry had new platform's installed to take them off the curve.
Today's scenario was never envisaged

 

[Southsider]

Shotts does not get handed over for driver training till December.

What line specific training is required after electrification? I thought route knowledge would be maintained as the diesels are still running and traction training can be conducted elsewhere.

 

[Southsider]

North Berwick

And Cathcart Circle, Neilston, Newton to allow the 314s to go as planned? The 365s allow considerable flexibility in the 385 deployment plan. Just a pity there is no apparent progress on East Kilbride, Barrhead, Kilmarnock as they could provide readily available rolling stock when their use on E&G is finished.

 

[Goldfish62]

it's a relatively cheap bodge. Until the station dwell times become unmanageable because of passenger growth.

Assuming the national decline in passenger numbers reverses.

 

[NotATrainspott]

Assuming the national decline in passenger numbers reverses.

I don't believe the decline is truly national. Some lines are worse affected than others. A 1% decrease in GTR ridership will have a very disproportionate effect on the rest of the industry.

North Berwick capacity is largely constrained by the ECML. Extending platforms might give a little short-term relief but the real help will only come in the 2020s when the eastern end of Waverley and suburban ECML gets comprehensively remodelled. With that it'll be possible to run several trains an hour, providing more seats as well as a more useful commuter service. Frequency is more important than train length.

 

[Goldfish62]

I don't believe the decline is truly national. Some lines are worse affected than others. A 1% decrease in GTR ridership will have a very disproportionate effect on the rest of the industry.
.

The official stats suggest otherwise. It's a national trend. ScotRail dropped by over 700k in Q4 as compared to the same quarter last year. Source : ORR.

But that's for another thread...

 

[GrimShady]

Presumably ScotRail will be negotiating for sone kind of compensation from Hitachi...

Maybe some extra 385s as a sign of goodwill. It's was done before with the introduction of the 334s.

 

[gingertom]

Maybe some extra 385s as a sign of goodwill. It's was done before with the introduction of the 334s.

Hitachi needs to do something to limit damage to their reputation and restore faith in their ability to deliver.