ScotRail expects first refurbished HST in April

The first refurbished High Speed Train for ScotRail is due in Scotland next month.

The operator told RAIL on February 23 that despite delays to CrossCountry and Great Western Railway HSTs, the SR sets remained on track and that there was no issue with the work being carried out at Wabtec Rail Doncaster.

SR is taking delivery of 26 HSTs for use on routes between Scotland’s seven cities. Cascaded from GWR, the Angel Trains-owned Mk 3 coaches are being fitted with sliding doors, enabling them to operate beyond December 31 2019 by complying with disability regulations.

SR will introduce nine four-car and 17 five-car sets. The first set will enter traffic in May.

Currently at Wabtec being modified are Trailer First (TF) 41020/024/032/038, 41122 and Trailer Standard (TS) 42004/007/ 009/019/034/045/055, 42102, 42207/252/253/292, 42343/345, 42557/559/561/562/571. The first four to be released will be TF 41032, TS 42045, 42207, 42561.

Ex-Great Western Railway 43169 and 43183 took a rake of off-lease former GWR High Speed Train Mk 3s from Laira to Doncaster for refurbishment on February 28, with two later forwarded to Leicester for storage.

The set moved was LA07, which featured Trailer First (TF) 41020, Trailer Standard (TS) 42019, 42252/253, 42345 and 42571. GWR retained Trailer Kitchen Buffet First (TKFB) 40722 and Trailer Guard Standard (TGS) 44028.

The following day 43032 and 43168 took LA74 north, with TF 41122 joined by TF 41103 (a GWR spare coach). Also in the set were TS 42009/028/029, 42557 and TGS 44029. GWR retained TFKB 40717.

All four Class 43s are destined for overhaul at Wabtec Rail Brush Traction, before moving to ScotRail.

From the coaches moved north, those destined for storage at Ely are 41103, 42028/029, 44029, where they will join Trailer Buffet First (TFB) 40205/221, TF 41038/052, 41104/136, TS 42004/054-056/077/078, 42107/144, 42206/268/292, 42343, 42511/551/562/564 and TGS 44018/049/079.

The next HST power cars due to be sent north in April are 43160/ 164, followed by 43127/145.

Power cars with SR for training are 43021/033/037, 43126/132/ 135/148/179, of which 43033 and 43148 are the first overhauled examples while 43021 and 43132 are due to move south for overhaul soon.

At Brush Traction, Loughborough for overhaul are 43012/032/036, 43134/135/143/146/163/168/169/ 183.