Adjust rolling stock

The railways are facing an unprecedented challenge at the moment.

The COVID-19 crisis is unfortunate in rail terms because the system has been booming of late, indicating that rail is the transport mode of choice for the population - safe, swift in journey time, and green.

Government messages have stated that people must not use the train, that travelling on public transport is dangerous, and that you should get in your car or on your bike (a recipe for accidents, further gridlock and urban smog). Remember: some people do not have a car!

As lockdown measures begin to be eased, rail services will only be capable of carrying a fraction of their normal load. This capacity cut needs to be partly re-compensated for, with some rolling stock adjustments.

Here in Scotland, two locomotive-hauled sets supplied by Direct Rail Services and currently running two daily journeys should be in service all day. Having these six-carriage sets running around the Fife circle instead of two/three-car units would offer a boost in capacity and the relieved units can strengthen other services. Could DRS provide additional sets?

ScotRail currently has HST power car availability. There are vast numbers of Mk 3 coaches that have just been released from frontline service. Although not PRM-compliant (and some will not have toilet retention tanks), we are in a major crisis and they could be brought back into temporary service on ‘Inter7City’ routes, preferably as five-coach sets to run with the surplus power cars.

I have concerned myself with Scotland, but other nationwide capacity remedies could include:

Greater Anglia has just taken out a large fleet of Mk 3 rakes from Norwich main line services. There is nothing wrong with these.

LNER and Great Western Railway have done the same, including (with the former) Mk 4s. UK governments never seem to hold redundant quality stock in reserve in case of an emergency - one day they can be on the ‘Flying Scotsman’, the next they are in a scrapyard in Rotherham!

East Midlands Railway is retiring

a fleet of HSTs. Nothing wrong with these.

London and the South East region in general - there are many units (for example, Classes 313, ‘317’ and ‘442’) that no one currently requires.

Open access operators Hull

Trains and Grand Central, currently not operating, could simply apply for a government payment

(instead of that same government money going into furlough costs for staff) and run a shuttle service between Doncaster and Hull/ Newcastle and Darlington (via Sunderland), and Middlesbrough if possible. Northern units relieved from these routes could strengthen other services.

Spot-hire companies who normally provide charter train rolling stock could be utilised.

The Pacer fleets should be brought back into service to save us again and run as four/six-car formations, releasing other units to strengthen other services.

Colin Wilson, Edinburgh