May 2018 start for ScotRail HST fleet

By Richard Clinnick
|
15 September 2017
News

The first refurbished ScotRail High Speed Trains will enter passenger traffic on the Edinburgh Waverley-Aberdeen route from May 2018.

Chris Tait, ScotRail’s New Trains Project Manager - HST Fleet, told RAIL that the first refurbished rake of Mk 3s will move to SR in February, for training ahead of the introduction. He said that the first nine HSTs to enter traffic with SR would be four-coach sets, followed by 17 five-coach sets.

Currently 43021 and 43132 are with SR for driver training, which starts in earnest from September 18. The week before they were used to train senior drivers who would then train the other crews.

For much more on this, read RAIL 836, published on Android/iPad on September 23, and on the shelves on September 27.
An in-depth Analysis of the plans, and interview with Chris Tait, will appear in RAIL 836, published on Android/iPad on September 23, and on the shelves on September 27.
To read which HST power cars will move to ScotRail, read RAIL 835, on sale now.

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Author: Richard Clinnick

Head of News (Print and Digital)

[email protected]

Our Head of News, Richard joined RAIL in 2005 from local press, where he had been working since 2002. He covers all aspects of news for the magazine and website, specialising in operations and rolling stock.

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The quiet man - 15/09/2017 15:10

Love HST's but pity they don't still have Valenta power!
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Simon Eames1990 - 15/09/2017 22:28

The HSTs will make very good use on Scotrail's routes from Edinburgh/Glasgow to the far north.
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AndrewJGwilt1989 - 17/09/2017 08:02

But will these Class 43 Mk3 HST's replace the Class 159 and Class 170 diesel multiple unit stocks or will Scotrail keep both of them for other services.
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Kevin Boak - 20/09/2017 18:39

Knowing how overcrowded the 3-car Class 170 services can be between the Central Belt and Aberdeen/Inverness, it seems short-sighted to only be going for a mixture of four and five coach HSTs. Why not have standardised on at least five coaches (preferably six) to cater for growth in the market? I have seen trains full and standing leaving Inverness for the south and ScotRail staff have told me of the suppressed demand for the Inverness to Glasgow route with the existing timetable. An hourly service north of Perth will help, but let us have decent length trains serving Glasgow and Edinburgh equally.
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