1st November and more work related travelling. Back to Scotland again for a follow up after the major event a month ago. The trip started in the same way on the 06:35 Kings Cross train from Shipley. The big difference was that this was the first Monday after the clocks went back and so it was almost completely dark as we departed behind 91104. Depressing (the dark, not the 91). The journey on the 07:10 Leeds > Aberdeen was very similar to last time, even down to being two minutes late arriving at Edinburgh again. However, the weather was gorgeous this time, and Northumberland was golden in the glow of a low morning sun. The village of Alnmouth looked particularly attractive as we passed. Bailed at Edinburgh this time instead of Haymarket, and transferred onto a 158 on the 10:34 to Perth. Surely these trains are better than 170s for longer distance work, even if only because the doors are in vestibules at the carriage ends. This means that when the train stops at a station half the carriage side doesn’t disappear, letting in gale force winds and whatever else the elements have to throw at the passengers. The same comment must also go for the loathsome 185s, where the displacement of 158s from the North Trans-Pennine route by something that has, let’s face it, a suburban bodyshell can only regarded as a step backwards.
Anyway, good speed achieved after Haymarket, positively storming through South Gyle and on towards the bridge. It’s so long since I’ve crossed the Forth Bridge that I’m almost embarrassed to try and remember, but I was certainly looking forward to it. It really is a splendid run across the firth, and everyone stopped what they were doing to have a look, no matter how briefly. Even the serious-looking solicitor lady diagonally across from me looked up from her laptop and papers to check out the view.
Arriving at Inverkeithing an automated announcement advised people to change for (i) services via Dunfermline, and (ii) the bus link for Edinburgh Airport. Eh? Why would anyone who wanted to go from Edinburgh or Haymarket to anywhere on the Dunfermline side of the circle have boarded this train? Surely they would have simply caught the next clockwise Fife Circle working, unless they were an enthusiast who required platform grice at Inverkeithing. Likewise, who in his right mind would go from Central Edinburgh to the Airport via Inverkeithing, risking his flight by gambling with the traffic chaos that descends on the Forth road bridge frequently and without warning? What has happened to us as a society? It almost seems that we have developed a compulsion to dole out information continually, even if that information is totally useless or irrelevant. Why can’t we just have silence if there’s nothing to be said? It’s as though we’re all terrified of awkward silences and need to fill up our lives with sound. It’s a symptom of the same thing as being unable to go around Asda without being forced to listen to Girls Aloud or JLS on ‘Asda FM’, or being force-fed adverts as you tuck into your re-heated 3663 processed meal in the food hall at Meadowhall, Trafford Centre or wherever. It’s mind-rotting and really needs to stop.
The Fife coast was looking even better than last time thanks to the gorgeous Autumn light. Kirkcaldy was reached on time before the train turned inland towards lovely rolling countryside. More noise pollution from another pointless announcement at Kirkcaldy, where we were exhorted to change here for ‘services via the Fife Circle’. Surely anyone local wouldn’t need to be told this (on this particular train it’s drivel anyway; see previous paragraph), and normals from outside the area would not necessarily know what the ‘Fife Circle’ is. This assumes that anyone who wasn’t local would ever want to go to such places as Cardenden or Lochgelly, an assumption so unlikely to be true that it makes the whole point moot.
I find you never really hear much about Fife, which seems a shame because aside from the grimness of Cardenden, Lochgelly etc it must be one of the most underrated counties in Britain. Great countryside and rocky coastlines with attractive towns and villages nestling in sheltered bays; all within easy reach of both truly World class scenery and the fleshpots of Edinburgh. If it wasn’t so damn freezing it’d be a great place for a holiday! Perth reached 4 early with no more dodgy announcements and then off to work.
In the evening I checked into the same hotel as last time, and was even given the same room. This room has a fine view over the Dundee platforms at Perth station, so maybe they know I’m a gricer. Anyway, I’d have to be a bit of a low-rent gricer to work up much froth about 170s, which is all there is to see in this part of the station. After tea I took a walk in the town, and crossed the Tay by means of a footpath slung alongside the bridge taking the single track Dundee line across the river. Unfortunately it was dark, as I’m sure this would be a very pleasant stroll during daylight. Even in the dark and cold it was interesting. This must be about as close as a member of the public can get to a moving train outside a station these days. Sure enough, as I crossed back, a 170 came through on the 18:41 Queen Street > Aberdeen, and had I reached over the fence I would have been able to touch it.
After work the next day I was put down at the station for the 15:00 departure to Edinburgh (12:47 off Inverness and 10 down at Perth). While I was waiting 67007 rolled in with two NR sandite wagons, so I got a couple of shots of it. The 3-car 170 forming the 15:00 confirmed yesterday’s suspicions that 158s are better for this kind of run. The underfloor noise was louder, the suburban type vestibules feel cheap and inappropriate for a long distance working, and there was a lot of vibration from the internal fittings. This one was even making a great groaning, whistling sound like a ghost as it plodded through the Fife countryside. ScotRail’s indiscriminate use of these crapulous trains on any sort of Edinburgh area diesel working is a tacit admission that they’re really just suburban or mid range sets, and shouldn’t be employed on workings to Inverness or Aberdeen. As if to prove a point, at both Markinch and Kirkcaldy sure enough half the side of the carriage slid away and a howling, freezing wind roared around the saloon, which actually complemented the ghostly wailing the train was making while in motion quite well.
Arrived 3
early at Edinburgh despite having left Perth 10 down. Wow. Don’t set yourself any ambitious targets ScotRail now, will you? Had to hang around for ¾ hour before the 17:08 Fife Circle working, so went out of the station for a look around. Got about 50 yards and came back. What’s the word I’m looking for?
Freezing, that’s it. A howling gale was lashing ice cold rain against all those unlucky or stupid enough to be outside. Went back to the station and got a Burger King (bleurch), and then boarded the 17:08 behind 67009 for Mickey Mouse haulage to South Gyle. My train south was the 18:08 Cross Country working, so I had some time to kill. Enough to get out to South Gyle and back. Or so I thought. The skip was tremendous. I know this is the 21st Century equivalent of a duff, but there’s one important difference. Duff bashing was an activity partaken of by weird people who at the time could have been bashing something more interesting, like anything else. Skips are just about all there is now, and I’m buggered if I’m going to let one depart when I’ve got an hour to spare and I could be riding instead, even if only insect mileage is possible. Lots of noise in the tunnels and a huge amount of clag leaving Haymarket, followed by good fast running. 10 minutes later I bade the other skip basher farewell and bailed.
At South Gyle I should have been back on the 17:23 to Newcraighall, but nothing’s happening. At 17:28 a 158 comes into view with ‘Newcraighall’ on the destination indicators and piles through at (very) high speed without stopping. 10 minutes later the same thing happens, WTF? No announcements, and nothing on the screens (the 17:23 just vanished two minutes after its scheduled departure time). I’m getting antsy now because my advance ticket from Dunbar to Saltaire is only valid for the 18:08 Edinburgh > Birmingham. The other passengers’ stoic acceptance of this farce was getting on my nerves so I asked them if this was normal and started grumbling. They seemed pleased that someone had dared break the silence, and several of them started complaining bitterly about how rubbish it all was. The next advertised train was by this stage the 17:37 to Waverley (unlucky if you wanted to go to Brunstane or Newcraighall then), shown as due at 17:48. At 17:46 a SPTE liveried 170 rolled in and took by now three trains’ worth of South Gyle passengers to Edinburgh, where we arrived at 17:58.
All the while we had been standing on the up platform at South Gyle, three indolent ScotRail RPIs were standing on the down platform, scratching and chatting among themselves, and only stirring to life when a train came in so they could check tickets in a perfunctory and disinterested fashion. At no point did these lazy and cretinous individuals make any attempt to find out what was going on in the other direction and inform the hapless customers, even though they were gainfully employed only for about 5 of the 27 miserable and stressful minutes I spent hanging around that rainswept Edinburgh suburb. Looking to make cuts ScotRail? Start with these three jobsworths, who are very bad ambassadors for your brand.
Anyway, I was in time by 10 minutes for my Voyager south. I was riding on an advance from Dunbar because all advances from Perth or Edinburgh at a vaguely sensible time on either East Coast or Cross Country had sold out, and I was looking at £80.70 anytime single Perth > Saltaire. A £29 advance Dunbar > Saltaire + anytime single Perth > Dunbar for £16.30 was therefore a substantial saving. Found my seat (37) which I’d selected online to be at a table, but there’s a dude sitting in it. The seat’s not showing as reserved, so I was reluctant to challenge him, especially as he might only be going to Dunbar and therefore not doing anything out of order. So I took the seat next to him, planning to turf him out once the reservations had been downloaded to the seats. Anyway, it turns out that the Cross Country reservations system is knackered AGAIN, so it’s a free-for-all and we can sit anywhere. Good. I made a beeline for the priority disabled seats 9 and 10 for maximum legroom and spread out (first checking that there were no disabled folk on board). A proper window too, rather than the pillar the seat thief in 37 had to look at
Arriving at Dunbar four minutes late and the guard starts getting his excuses in well in advance. Apparently
lots of trains have been having difficulty with traction on the wet rails and leaves on the line today, so it’s definitely
not just us. He reckons it’ll be
much worse after Leeds (good for me then). He
definitely doesn’t think we’ll be on time at New Street. Talk about arse-covering on an epic scale! Now six down leaving Dunbar: maybe the guard will try to blame wet rails for the extra two minutes’ delay incurred while stationary? Just couldn’t get a grip at all folks! Where’s the sandite when you need it? Last seen heading north from Perth, that’s where.
Certainly none of the guard’s dire predictions of leaf-mould apocalypse had come to pass as we arrived at Leeds only one down. A leisurely stroll across to platform 4B for the 21:26 Skipton working saw me uneventfully home before ten. I think we can now add pointless and/or misleading announcements to my list of petty obsessions, a worthy addition to the price of Scottish curries!
Another nail in the coffin of quality traction.
Always enjoy reading your reports.
