• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

ScotRail services

Status
Not open for further replies.

mrcheek

Established Member
Joined
11 Sep 2007
Messages
1,604
Just a few basic questions before I make plans for my All Line Rover later this year:

Do ScotRail services have first class sections?
If so, what do they offer?
What stock do they use on the Edinburgh to Aberdeen route?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

jamesontheroad

Established Member
Joined
24 Jan 2009
Messages
2,233
Location
Umeå, Sweden
Just a few basic questions before I make plans for my All Line Rover later this year:

Do ScotRail services have first class sections?
If so, what do they offer?
What stock do they use on the Edinburgh to Aberdeen route?

First class is available on all the Turbostars & (I think) most of the 158s. There is no first class in any of the 156s or Glasgow suburban electrics. I don't know about the ex Stansted Express fleet...?

It is 2+2 seating, with not much noticeable difference over standard class. In both types of train, if I recall correctly, you're sitting directly over the bogies at one end of a carriage, so I prefer to sit in standard. There is 2+2 seating, a bit more room and maybe a table lamp. That's about it, no at seat service.

Edinburgh / Aberdeen is normally operated by a three or six car Turbostar. You might, at some stage, catch the former (or one of the former, I don't know how many there are) Midland Mainline set, which has distinctive reddish seat fabrics and a disused walk up buffet at one end of the centre coach.

Caledonian Sleepers have first class sleeper compartments, which are identical to standard class except for the absence of the upper berth, and slightly more frills. The seated sleeper coaches are mk.2s with a modernised 2+1 reclining layout (more akin to day time first class).
 

90019

Established Member
Joined
29 May 2008
Messages
6,890
Location
Featherstone, West Yorkshire
First class is available on all the Turbostars & (I think) most of the 158s. There is no first class in any of the 156s or Glasgow suburban electrics. I don't know about the ex Stansted Express fleet...?

FSR do have first class in all the 170s, but only at one end on some, and both ends on others, but as you say, its not that much different to standard class. Most of the 158s do as well, but not all. AFAIK these are the only ones (apart from the Caley Sleeper).

322s don't, but these only run North Berwick-Edinburgh(-Glasgow sometimes) shuttles.
 

MCR247

Established Member
Joined
7 Nov 2008
Messages
10,291
Edinburgh / Aberdeen is normally operated by a three or six car Turbostar. You might, at some stage, catch the former (or one of the former, I don't know how many there are) Midland Mainline set, which has distinctive reddish seat fabrics and a disused walk up buffet at one end of the centre coach.

They are ex hull trains. 170 393 - 396. These were intended for Inverness use, but end up on any!
 

Techniquest

Veteran Member
Joined
19 Jun 2005
Messages
21,830
Location
Nowhere Heath
I've yet to see the ex-Hull Trains lot on anything but the Highland Main Line!

Also, you might notice in Standard Class there are power sockets. Great, I thought, when on 170393 last December, I can charge my phone! No such luck, none of them worked!<(
 

jamesontheroad

Established Member
Joined
24 Jan 2009
Messages
2,233
Location
Umeå, Sweden
They are ex hull trains. 170 393 - 396. These were intended for Inverness use, but end up on any!

Thanks for the correction. At the time I assumed MML because of the walk up bar, but now you've reminded me that was still carrying stickers for something like "Buffet 170" or "Bistro 170" (?) ... if it had been an MML set it would have been an "mms" bar.

God I've sunk to a new low of geekdom.... :!:
 

me123

Established Member
Joined
9 Jul 2007
Messages
8,510
First class, as said, is on most Turbostars on the Edinburgh-Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness services. On local services, First Class is declassified at discretion. It's also available on any 158s on the above services and on Aberdeen-Inverness runs.

In First Class, you get slightly better seats. On the 158s, there's next to no difference, but the 170 seats do at least look a bit better. I think the 170s have 2+1 seating in the First Class sections.

The Ex-Hull Trains fleet does tend to operate on the Inverness services more often than not, although there's still a few diagrammed for the occasional local run and I've seen them several times between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The buffet in Coach B is locked Out Of Use (although last time I was on board, the catering lady broke in because her trolley broke!). AIUI, Scotrail plan to utilise the buffets more in the future to provide some hot food on selected Inverness services. However, if the units continue to float around as much as they do, I can see this falling flat on its face.
 

djw1981

Established Member
Joined
10 Jul 2007
Messages
2,642
Location
Glasgow
FC on a 170 is 2+1, quieter, free tea/coffee/biccys and a newspaper, and reclining seats. And you get a light.

FC on a 158 is nothing better tahn normal, and is a corridor connection for SC passengers to get to the doors. The 'door' doesn't even accousticly insulate the saloon.
 

mrcheek

Established Member
Joined
11 Sep 2007
Messages
1,604
FC on a 170 is 2+1, quieter, free tea/coffee/biccys and a newspaper, and reclining seats. And you get a light.

FC on a 158 is nothing better tahn normal, and is a corridor connection for SC passengers to get to the doors. The 'door' doesn't even accousticly insulate the saloon.

so what routes do the 170s operate on?
 

me123

Established Member
Joined
9 Jul 2007
Messages
8,510
Glasgow-Edinburgh, Edinburgh-Aberdeen, Edinburgh-Inverness, Glasgow-Aberdeen and Glasgow-Inverness. They also operate suburban routes, but First Class isn't there/is declassified.

As said, 158s First Class is pathetic. I used it declassified once and would not pay a First Class fare for the seat I was in.

Sometimes, especially on the Aberdeen runs, the 170s attached to a 158. Reservations are recommended, especially during the peak times as there's not much First Class accommodation.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top