ScotRail HST
Six months late, the first of 26 refurbished High Speed Trains with sliding doors is delivered to Haymarket for testing.
THE first ScotRail High Speed Train arrived in Scotland on August 17, six months later than planned.
Delays to the refurbishment of Mk 3 coaches at Wabtec Rail, Doncaster, meant that SR’s target of introducing HSTs on the Aberdeen-Edinburgh route at the start of the May timetable was missed.
Refurbished 43169/183 hauled four coaches to Haymarket depot (Trailer Standards 42004/046, 42561 and Trailer First Buffet 40601, converted from TF 41032).
SR had planned that the first HST would arrive in Scotland in February ( RAIL 836) for staff training ahead of its entry into traffic. The operator has been training with unrefurbished HSTs since last autumn.
Chris Tait, ScotRail’s High-Speed Trains Project Manager, said: “I’m delighted that the first of our iconic trains has arrived in Scotland. They will transform rail travel in Scotland by providing more seats and a much-improved on-board environment.”
George Davidson, Transport Scotland’s Rolling Stock Manager, added: “This is an important milestone in our efforts to improve capacity on our rail services, alongside an enhanced passenger experience. It’s great to see the first of these trains arrive in Scotland and I’m sure they will make a great addition to the ScotRail fleet.”
The HSTs have been sent offlease by Great Western Railway. SR will have a fleet of 26 trains, with
nine four-coach and 17 five-coach sets in traffic. They will be used to serve Scotland’s seven cities, enabling SR internally to cascade Class 158 and ‘170’ diesel multiple units, while also releasing ‘156’, ‘158’ and ‘170’ DMUs south of the border.
The Mk 3s are modified with sliding doors and controlled emission toilets. None of the coaches moving to Scotland are former restaurant coaches; instead the Trailer First is fitted with a new café area.
Training with the unrefurbished HSTs has included visits to Aberdeen, Inverness, Edinburgh Waverley and, most recently, Glasgow Queen Street.
ScotRail has confirmed that the five-car sets will not enter traffic until December 2019, once work to extend Queen Street’s platforms has been completed.
The power cars are being refurbished at Brush Traction, Loughborough, with 43012/032/033/036, 43134/14 0/143/146/148/149/163/168/16 9/183 all having been treated so far. Two power cars (43140/149) ran to Laira in SR livery on August 10 for heavy maintenance as the Plymouth depot had spare capacity. @Clinnick1