New trains to arrive in year
Stirling area rail travellers were this week promised an improved passenger experience – but not for more than 12 months .
Seventy new Hitachi electric trains are to be drafted into service and the first of the fleet began overnight testing this month.
Scotrail say the new Class 385 will operate on the Glasgow/ Edinburgh – Dunblane / Stirling / Alloa line and have more seats, improved accessibility, at-seat power points and better Wi-Fi.
However, the trains are not expected to start operating in Stirling area until 2018 after electrification work on the network’s lines is completed.
Scotrail say that by December of that year, there will be 40 per cent more seats on the line at peak times.
That will be a relief to commuters bound for Glasgow and Edinburgh who often have to stand on packed trains for much of their journey.
The remainder of the new fleet, which Scotrail says is being built in record time, will be in service by 2019.
ScotRail , operated by Dutch company Abellio has over the past few months been hit by complaints from passengers about over-crowded trains, service disruption and socalled `skip stopping’ when late trains miss scheduled stops.
More than 20,000 people have signed a 38 Degrees petition calling for Abellio to be stripped of their £7billion, 10-year contract unless ScotRail improves.
A spokesman for ScotRail said: “A total of £475 million is being invested in renewing or refurbishing our entire fleet.
“When completed, this major train improvement programme will mean that 90 per cent of ScotRail trains are either brand new or refurbished, and customers across Scotland will have access to more modern, comfortable and accessible trains.”
The company said there is to be a further £1.5 billion investment in track infrastructure covering the central belt, Aberdeen-Inverness and the Highland Main Line.
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said the Scottish Government had committed £5 billion to upgrade rail travel in Scotland.
He added: “I have no doubt that once the new trains go into service the extra space and seats will transform the experience of users and help to continue to build upon the success of ScotRail services across the country.”
Dominic Booth, managing director of Abellio UK, said they were in the midst of one of the most intense periods of investment and modernisation ever undertaken on Scotland’s railway and, as a consequence, some disruption was inevitable.
Phil Verster, managing director of ScotRail Alliance which comprises Abellio and Network Rail, said: “The new trains will help to reduce journey times on some routes and are more energy efficient than the current diesel trains.
“What’s more, the extra carriages will mean more seats on our busiest routes.
“Our immediate focus is on making every passenger journey better than the last one.”
New trains more energy efficient than current diesel trains