West Highland Line Summer 2025 ("Highland Explorer" 153s)

[Grinner]

I've seen on the ScotRail website that the Class 153 "Highland Explorer" units will this year be used on the WHL route through to Fort William as well as Oban, following work to extend platforms on the route:

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/about-scotrail/news/scotrail-introduce-longer-trains-west-highland-line

From tomorrow (Tuesday, 11 March), ScotRail will operate seven-carriage trains between Glasgow and Crianlarich, and five-carriage trains between Crianlarich and Fort William.

The improvements have been made possible due to the completion of platform extension works by Network Rail, which now allow the train operator to make better use of its Highland Explorer carriages. The use of active travel carriages had previously been restricted on services due to platform length limitations.

The Highland Explorer carriages will be used on the following services:

• 12:22 Glasgow to Fort William.
• 17:37 from Fort William to Glasgow (starting in Mallaig).

ScotRail will also begin its summer service strengthening tomorrow, earlier than in previous years. Traditionally starting from the last weekend in March, this year summer strengthening will start on 11 March to accommodate increased demand.

ScotRail is adding additional carriages to the following trains:

• 08:15 Fort William to Mallaig.
• 08:22 Glasgow to Fort William and Mallaig.
• 10:10 Mallaig and Fort William to Glasgow.
• 12:22 Glasgow to Fort William and Mallaig.
• 16:05 Mallaig and Fort William to Glasgow.
• 18:15 Mallaig to Fort William.

 

[scotraildriver]

Let's hope it's a success. The amount of money the Scottish Government has spent on this project in converting the 153s and extending all the platforms for no return is eye watering. They've been a complete waste of time on the Oban route, transporting nothing more than fresh air, so we'll see if Fort William goes any better. A classic case of the cycling lobby making lots of noise about taking bikes on trains, but when provision is made no one uses it. And the governments obsession with all things cycling. And unless they start charging for bikes it's only going to increase the losses.

 

[Kite159]

What would probably increase usage isn't cycle coaches, but running more trains to/from Fort William. At least ScotRail no longer charge extra to sit in the 153 (unless that has come back).

I did see those 7 coach sets are not booked to call at Dalmuir, I presume heading towards Glasgow it would foul the junction.

 

[scotraildriver]

What would probably increase usage isn't cycle coaches, but running more trains to/from Fort William. At least ScotRail no longer charge extra to sit in the 153 (unless that has come back).

I did see those 7 coach sets are not booked to call at Dalmuir, I presume heading towards Glasgow it would foul the junction.

They don't fit on the platform in either direction. I can't see any increase in service, the trains are only busy in the height of summer and even then the Oban only services are never full. It's very rare to have standing passengers on these trains, usually only if there's been disruption.

 

[InOban]

It may surprise many posters but there are more passengers to Oban than to Fort William and tales of two-coach sets leaving Oban full and standing are frequent

 

[scotraildriver]

It may surprise many posters but there are more passengers to Oban than to Fort William and tales of two-coach sets leaving Oban full and standing are frequent

The 12.11 from Oban is the only one that ever gets near full and standing and is fine after it couples up at Crianlarich. The 20.39 rarely carries any passengers at all.

 

[InOban]

Agreed that the 20.39 is essentially an ECS working to return the stock from the 16.34, without which the Oban portion of the 18.23 would likely be overcrowded, as can be the Oban portion of the 08.21.

 

[Johnny Lewis]

The best thing about the 153s used on this route is that the seats are not the ironing-board seats that are now on the 156s, so are actually reasonably comfortable! I think this is partly because, when they were first introduced, there was a £10 supplement charged to sit there, but that did include at least one complimentary drink (assuming there was a trolley on board).

 

[Bald Rick]

It may surprise many posters but there are more passengers to Oban than to Fort William and tales of two-coach sets leaving Oban full and standing are frequent

I caught the 1811 (?) off Oban last summer, height of tourist season, it was 2 car and less than half full.

But one data point does not a trend make!

 

[InOban]

I caught the 1811 (?) off Oban last summer, height of tourist season, it was 2 car and less than half full.

But one data point does not a trend make!

Most of the traffic is southbound in the morning and northbound in the evening

 

[driverd]

They don't fit on the platform in either direction. I can't see any increase in service, the trains are only busy in the height of summer and even then the Oban only services are never full. It's very rare to have standing passengers on these trains, usually only if there's been disruption.

Is there no overlength working at Scotrail?

Seems odd that they wouldn't just lock the rear doors out and eliminate an expensive problem.

 

[stevieinselby]

Is there no overlength working at Scotrail?

Seems odd that they wouldn't just lock the rear doors out and eliminate an expensive problem.

I guess if you're corralling all the bikes and big luggage into the rear carriage and then locking those doors out of use, it's going to cause problems when passengers are trying to haul their bikes and cases and whatnot through to the next carriage to get to opening doors.

 

[driverd]

I guess if you're corralling all the bikes and big luggage into the rear carriage and then locking those doors out of use, it's going to cause problems when passengers are trying to haul their bikes and cases and whatnot through to the next carriage to get to opening doors.

I hear what you're saying, but you could just ensure the 153 is formed relatively central? If its 2x156 + 153 to FTW, you could easily sandwich the 153 and eliminate the problem.

Overlength working clearly has constraints, but working around the problems is always a fair bit cheaper than platform extensions - I'm just wondering what swung the balance toward the far more expensive option.

 

[scotraildriver]

The 153 is in the middle but that would still leave a coach and a half of the platform. 156s are not permitted to be locked due to past instances of mistakes being made by guards or the mechanical locks not being properly engaged. Only trains with selective door opening 380/385 are permitted to be overlength.

 

[Notabene]

Paths on the FW route may become more difficult to find as the new three return daily freights to Corpach come on stream in the future.

 

[Class 170101]

The 153 is in the middle but that would still leave a coach and a half of the platform. 156s are not permitted to be locked due to past instances of mistakes being made by guards or the mechanical locks not being properly engaged. Only trains with selective door opening 380/385 are permitted to be overlength.

err, what about 158s on Far North? They are overlength for some stations and some of them were deliberatly built that way.

 

[scotraildriver]

err, what about 158s on Far North? They are overlength for some stations and some of them were deliberatly built that way.

Single door operation.

 

[Kite159]

Same method as when pairs of 156s head towards Mallaig as they are longer than every platform (other than Morar?). Local door only.

Must cause delays at Glenfinnan during the high tourist season unless the guard pops open another door using the value on the outside

 

[AY1975]

According to Real Time Trains, it would appear that on Tuesday of this week, the first day of the enhanced Highland Explorer service, both the 12.22 Glasgow-Mallaig and the 16.05 Mallaig-Glasgow ran with a 153 between Glasgow and Fort William as scheduled, but on Wednesday, yesterday and today there was a 153 on the 12.22 ex-Glasgow but not on the 16.05 ex-Mallaig (which is booked to pick up the 153 at Fort William).

 

[scotraildriver]

According to Real Time Trains, it would appear that on Tuesday of this week, the first day of the enhanced Highland Explorer service, both the 12.22 Glasgow-Mallaig and the 16.05 Mallaig-Glasgow ran with a 153 between Glasgow and Fort William as scheduled, but on Wednesday, yesterday and today there was a 153 on the 12.22 ex-Glasgow but not on the 16.05 ex-Mallaig (which is booked to pick up the 153 at Fort William).

For some reason only a 4 car is showing on RTT, but it's ran as booked 7 car each day. 153370 on Wednesday and 153305 yesterday.

 

[Deepgreen]

I have just returned from the WHL after a couple of days at Bridge of Orchy and was surprised to see at least one five car there, which had been seven south of Crianlarich. This was the 1222 from QS on 12 March.


== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Mar 2025 ==

BTW, I noticed that 2 car trains pull right to the very end of the platform to the 'S" board at many stations on the route, thus forcing passengers under the station canopies to hurry forward, on coarse gravel. Is there an genuine operational reason for this or simply the lack of intermediate stop boards? It reminded me of a closer-to-home example of this, at platform 0 at Redhill!

 

[InOban]

The 12.11 from Oban is the only one that ever gets near full and standing and is fine after it couples up at Crianlarich. The 20.39 rarely carries any passengers at all.

Today's 12.11 from Oban was full and standing with lots of large suitcases to add to the fun. That will be typical from now right through the summer. I'm sure the the 4 coach FW portion (or is it 5) will have plenty of space

 

[doningtonphil]

I was at Glenfinnan today. Saw a 4 car 156 cross the viaduct at 12.48.(There must have been 200 people on the bit of the trail overlooking the viaduct, waiting for the Jacobite. Must have been huge disappointment it wasn't steam hauled -lineside fire risk).
Anyway, the guy at Glenfinnan station was saying that at only 4 trains per day Ft. William to Mallaig, the service is 'hopeless' and the locals have 'given up' trying to use the train.
Given there was a comment up thread about fewer paths being available due to extra freight paths, is there any way that local services Ft William-Mallaig could be increased?
On another note, the Jacobite stopped at Genfinnan for about 20 mins fir passengers to mill about. They all seemed to be seeking shade under trees (25 degrees today). Unfortunately, apparently the buffet car at the station doesn't open Mondays. They could have done a roaring trade.
It did seem like everyone was pretty warm. And when I poked my head into one of the 1st class carriages, it didn't seem very air conditioned - far from it

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Anyway, the guy at Glenfinnan station was saying that at only 4 trains per day Ft. William to Mallaig, the service is 'hopeless' and the locals have 'given up' trying to use the train.
Given there was a comment up thread about fewer paths being available due to extra freight paths, is there any way that local services Ft William-Mallaig could be increased?

Have there ever been more than 4 trains per day each way between Fort William and Mallaig? Seems a strange comment to me.

 

[doningtonphil]

Yes, he was very clear that speaking as a local they weren't impressed, but didn't mention there had been any cuts.
Hec did say there was a 5 hour gap between services, which seems a long time.
But with single track and the 2x Jacobite return services, what is the maximum they could have (assuming a ft william-mallaig shuttle)?