ScotRail HST Introduction - Updates & Discussion

[Highlandspring]

Same at Lenzie - Lenzie gets a non-stop to GLQ at 0820 Mon-Sat that's ex Aberdeen and on a Sunday morning, the first service LNZ heading North/East is GLQ-ABD too. I'd assume in the fullness of time these will all be HST services. I can see it being worth putting the signs up at Croy if only for the situations where other trains are cancelled and they need to stick a stop-order on, or - as you say - if stock needs to move between Glasgow and Edinburgh or vice-versa.

Maybe the daily Fife-GLQ and return services will end up HST too, although they don't stop at Croy either, as I've learned to my "get-off-and-head-back-at-Larbert" cost before.

HST car stop markers have been put up at many stations where we may plausibly want to either terminate or stop a service during disruption, even if HST services are not planned to call there regularly.

 

[InOban]

Although since Croy has almost twice as many passengers as Lenzie, there would be more commercial reason to call there.

 

[47271]

I haven't had a description of the Aberdeen route HST draft timetables but what I have on the Inverness ones is very clear - no stops south of Perth other than Stirling or Kirkcaldy, and this is one of the means by which timings are being improved.

 

[najaB]

I haven't had a description of the Aberdeen route HST draft timetables but what I have on the Inverness ones is very clear - no stops south of Perth other than Stirling or Kirkcaldy, and this is one of the means by which timings are being improved.

To be fair, there are frequent enough stoppers between Perth and Inverness that it isn't going to slow down that many people's journeys compared to the number which will be improved.

 

[DuncanS]

I used to see her on the Glasgow Underground quite regularly in the 2002-3 era.

I used to see her at work very frequently

 

[brel york]

I used to see her at work very frequently

I did to , especially as Jimmy cranky

 

[Highland37]

I did to , especially as Jimmy cranky

I do wonder why people choose to voluntarily demonstrate their small-mindedness. Each to their own I suppose.

Alltnabreac's post earlier read like it was now clear how many bikes spaces their will be. Has it been confirmed that the power cars will take end to end bikes and coaches will take bikes for intermediate stations?

 

[InOban]

Is it certain that there will be any spaces in the coaches?

 

[Highland37]

I don't know. Scotrail refuse to say and avoid the question like their social media staff have been briefed to ignore it.

Clearly they do not want to address this issue. No one seems to have any confirmed information.

 

[boabt]

I don't know. Scotrail refuse to say and avoid the question like their social media staff have been briefed to ignore it.

Clearly they do not want to address this issue. No one seems to have any confirmed information.

I am aware - via an MSP - that Transport Scotland and Scotrail are "discussing some exciting plans" for increasing cycle spaces for intermediate stations. What that means, I dunno, but it is being looked at.

 

[Highland37]

That sounds "exciting". Let's hope there is substance behind it.

 

[brel york]

The ts(b) car is having a bike space , we have ripped the toilet and luggage rack out in anticipation

 

[brel york]

I do wonder why people choose to voluntarily demonstrate their small-mindedness. Each to their own I suppose.

Alltnabreac's post earlier read like it was now clear how many bikes spaces their will be. Has it been confirmed that the power cars will take end to end bikes and coaches will take bikes for intermediate stations?

Stop taking it so serious

 

[Highland37]

Stop taking it so serious

I amn't. I was taking the piss. To anyone in the know, it's blatantly obvious that these small-minded and parochial posts are indicative of a wider mindset. Most people in Scotland have moved (very far) on.

 

[brel york]

I amn't. I was taking the ****. To anyone in the know, it's blatantly obvious that these small-minded and parochial posts are indicative of a wider mindset. Most people in Scotland have moved (very far) on.

Good it was a joke , I believe all politicians should be ridiculed , there all p***ing in the same pot

 

[43096]

Who is paying for the refurb? Abellio or Transport Scotland?

Neither. Angel Trains are.

 

[Highland37]

I don't. I think we live in times when there are very clear differences between certain politicians with some out for their own selfish view of the world and others much more altruistic. I think lumping all people into one category is a significant problem in political discussion and maybe even contributes to the UK being less productive than the likes of Germany. We need to get into details and not just gloss over things.

Anyway, back to HSTs. I for one am looking forward to them and the new timetable looks good. But scotrail have been awful on bike spaces to date and it's not looking much better for the future.

 

[Altnabreac]

I do wonder why people choose to voluntarily demonstrate their small-mindedness. Each to their own I suppose.

Alltnabreac's post earlier read like it was now clear how many bikes spaces their will be. Has it been confirmed that the power cars will take end to end bikes and coaches will take bikes for intermediate stations?

See page one of this thread for the original plans (2 bike spaces in the coaches, more in the powercars).

Decisions on how many intermediate stations will allow access to the power cars won't have been made yet.

Seems clear that even with one toilet reused for detonators etc there should still be space to increase spaces to four bike spaces in coaches if the want to.

 

[brel york]

Get with the program , they don’t want to , how happy would you be to stand looking at an empty bike rack , and how much extra is it for a bike

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I tell you though, while they’re getting a massive upgrade in first class, it’s a downgrade in Standard IMO from lovely Turbostar seating to Grammar IC seats which I don’t like. Then again they have that seating on a good number of their 158s so they’ll be used to it I suppose.

 

[47271]

I tell you though, while they’re getting a massive upgrade in first class, it’s a downgrade in Standard IMO from lovely Turbostar seating to Grammar IC seats which I don’t like. Then again they have that seating on a good number of their 158s so they’ll be used to it I suppose.

If they were retaining the dystopian GWR environment (rows and rows of airline seats under dentistry strength lighting, they've perfectly captured everything that relaxing long distance rail travel shouldn't be) then I'd agree with you, but it's mostly going to be tables. For me the Grammars are a little bit upright but fine so long as there's adequate leg room, something that is of no interest to GWR of course if they can cram a few more people in. God knows what the lighting is going to be like, funnily enough I'm more bothered by that, let's hope that the ultra white LEDs are going in the bin.

 

[Far north 37]

Well I love them. I do find them hard but I don’t mind that!

Ah ok so how can you complain about the new stock having hard seats then.

 

[najaB]

I tell you though, while they’re getting a massive upgrade in first class, it’s a downgrade in Standard IMO from lovely Turbostar seating to Grammar IC seats which I don’t like. Then again they have that seating on a good number of their 158s so they’ll be used to it I suppose.

I really don't find the seats in the 170s to be all that.

 

[Grinner]

These "exciting" plans better not be a van driving up the A9, as I believe has been used on the Far North Line.

 

[thetangoman]

I did to , especially as Jimmy cranky

Fan dabby dozy!!!!!!

 

[Highland37]

See page one of this thread for the original plans (2 bike spaces in the coaches, more in the powercars).

Decisions on how many intermediate stations will allow access to the power cars won't have been made yet.

Seems clear that even with one toilet reused for detonators etc there should still be space to increase spaces to four bike spaces in coaches if the want to.

I am trying to working out what has been decided, not what has been talked about. Are you saying that it is confirmed that there will be spaces in the coaches and in the power cars?

 

[Highland37]

Scotrail have just replied to me on Facebook saying that the numbers of bike spaces "have not been confirmed". Either the information in the original post is now wrong, or they are not telling the truth. I suspect it's the latter.

 

[Altnabreac]

I am trying to working out what has been decided, not what has been talked about. Are you saying that it is confirmed that there will be spaces in the coaches and in the power cars?

Those were official design plans for the refurbishment, but designs do change. There will have to be bike spaces which are usable at all stations. that much is in the Franchise agreement. This is unlikely to be able to be delivered entirely through power car bike spaces because of platform length and dwell time issues.

There is no commitment in the Franchise agreement to more than 2 spaces per train. So anything more is an extra rather than a requirement.

I suspect the bit that has not been confirmed is whether there will be an additional two bike spaces (for a total of four) within the coaches. This is what has been requested but given it is likely to be an additional cost, they will likely be seeking TS approval / funding for it.

As you can see in the designs the bike space is planned for Coach C. There are more disused toilets in B, D and E. One of these spaces is being used for Guard's equipment such as detonators etc. One of these spaces is only present on the 5 coach train. But it should be possible to convert an additional space for 2 bikes on every service if someone is willing to pay for it.

 

[Highland37]

Thanks. I get the current status of matters. What frustrates me is that Scotrail are going out of their way to avoid saying anything. When I linked to some of the pictures on page 1 of this thread, they immediately started asking detailed questions about the origin of them and how widely available they are. For the entire world was pretty much my answer. That they didn't know the info was out there was pretty shocking.

 

[Altnabreac]

Thanks. I get the current status of matters. What frustrates me is that Scotrail are going out of their way to avoid saying anything. When I linked to some of the pictures on page 1 of this thread, they immediately started asking detailed questions about the origin of them and how widely available they are. For the entire world was pretty much my answer. That they didn't know the info was out there was pretty shocking.

Well pointing out to Scotrail central office that someone within Scotrail has generously shared with us interim designs is hardly likely to be helpful either in getting Scotrail to change their designs or encouraging people to share interesting information with the forum when people on here clype back to HQ.

I think you need to take a deep breath and just wait and see what happens. It's obvious that discussions are ongoing but not finalised. That doesn't mean anyone is "not telling the truth" or "shocking".