Why do services from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Inverness take so long?

[Bartsimho]

Honestly sounds like the biggest problem is the lack of double track and old signalling. However, I image the costs for double tracking and modern signalling would be astronomical, so much so, it would cheaper to build a line that bypasses Aberdeen, and then use that new route to get to Inverness instead, as it would still be quicker than the current route.

I don't think an Aberdeen bypass is necessary. Ensuring from Inverurie to Inverness is double tracked would help a lot and it not being a national park helps that financially. Also the long 35mph stretch around Elgin could cut down time as well

 

[Bald Rick]

I don't think an Aberdeen bypass is necessary.

It would also never have anything close to a viable business case.

We know how much an Aberdeen bypass is likely to cost, as one has recently been built at a cost of over £1bn. (We also know that new railways cost roughly the same as new dual carriageways, and that the route of the Aberdeen ‘bypass’ must have been picked for a reason, and it is therefore reasonable to assume that a rail bypass would follow a similar line)

Why you would spend £1bn+ to enable you to avoid by far the largest economic centre in the region for a mode of transport that relies heavily on high volume flows to large economic centres, is beyond me.

 

[The Puddock]

Also the long 35mph stretch around Elgin could cut down time as well

There’s only 71 chains (i.e. less than a mile) of 35mph linespeed at Elgin and it’s a differential, so applies to freight only. The passenger linespeed is 60mph on the Up line and 50mph on the Down.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Interesting to note it was delayed at Dalwhinnie and was 8 late leaving Kingussie yet according to RTT contrived to arrive in Inverness 29 minutes early on amended public timings although actually on time on booked WTT timings having left the final stop at Aviemore 4 mins late. Has anyone any idea why the public timing was amended 'VVR' for today thus apparently missing the forward connections to Tain and Aberdeen (which in reality were made) whilst WTT times were unaltered - or is this a glitch on RTT?

There were numerous warnings on Saturday about thundery downpours and torrential rain with potential disruption to services so timetables presumably amended to reflect that.
I travelled from Tweedbank to Perth and back and none of the trains I was on encountered a single drop of rain, until entering the platform at Tweedbank. I got soaked walking to my car!

 

[gingertom]

We know how much an Aberdeen bypass is likely to cost, as one has recently been built at a cost of over £1bn. (We also know that new railways cost roughly the same as new dual carriageways, and that the route of the Aberdeen ‘bypass’ must have been picked for a reason, and it is therefore reasonable to assume that a rail bypass would follow a similar line)

Why you would spend £1bn+ to enable you to avoid by far the largest economic centre in the region for a mode of transport that relies heavily on high volume flows to large economic centres, is beyond me.

the Aberdeen bypass is steeply graded throughout. If the same route was to be used for rail then there will be much tunnelling.

 

[snookertam]

I use the HML a lot and timings north of Perth are pretty much unchanged since 2010.

The frustration I'm experiencing at the moment is the significant slackening of the timetable generally south of Perth since Edinburgh to Inverness trains started running via Stirling post Covid.

Take tonight's 1734 Edinburgh-Inverness. I wasn't on it but I can tell you that this service now leaves Edinburgh six minutes earlier than its pre Covid equivalent, the 1740 running via Kirkcaldy.

A combination of accumulated pathing allowances and lengthy timetabled dwells at Stirling and Perth meant that it arrived at Stirling eight minutes early at 1809 and left on time at 1823, a 14 minute wait. Its timetabled wait at Perth was 4 minutes, which it largely kept to. Is it really necessary for this train to take at least 18 minutes longer than it needs to before it enters the Highland Main Line?

It isn't just the Edinburgh services. Last night I was on the 1907 Glasgow-Inverness. There was no extended wait at Stirling, but at Perth we arrived 11 minutes early and were given a further ten minutes wait in the timetable, meaning at 21 minute dwell in one station alone.

None of this has anything to do with single line sections. It's difficult to come to any conclusion other than that the timetable has been padded?

What’s better is that the 1910 Queen Street to Dundee which follows the 1907 Inverness, covers the intermediate stops and is able to provide a connection with the same Inverness service at Perth! It actually departs Perth for Dundee earlier than the Inverness service.

No idea why it is done this way but pretty sure Transport Scotland have a lot to do with it.

 

[Bald Rick]

the Aberdeen bypass is steeply graded throughout. If the same route was to be used for rail then there will be much tunnelling.

very possibly. Certainly some big earthworks and structures.