10/12/17   LINLITHGOW  New class 380 Train pictured in LinlithgowCustomers travelling between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High will benefit from more seats from Sunday as electric trains run on that route for the first-time.

Following Network Rail’s electrification of the line, ScotRail will introduce Class 380 electric trains from its existing fleet from Sunday (10 December). The introduction of the electric trains comes as the ScotRail Alliance prepares to welcome brand-new Hitachi Class 385 trains next year.

Managing director Alex Hynes described it as “another key stage” in the ScotRail Alliance’s plan to build the best railway Scotland has ever had.

The seven-carriage Class 380 electric trains to enter service on Sunday will provide customers with more seats, and some journeys will be faster between Scotland’s two largest cities.

Electric trains are better for the environment – producing 85 per cent fewer harmful CO2 emissions per seat than the diesel trains the Class 380s will replace.

The ScotRail Alliance’s new timetable also starts on Sunday and customers are being asked to take a minute to check their own journeys before travelling.

A dedicated webpage has been set up at scotrail.co.uk/newtimetable with further information on the changes.

Timetables can also be downloaded from the ScotRail website, and hard copies of the new timetable are available from all staffed stations.

ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Hynes said:

“As we prepare for the arrival of our brand new Hitachi trains next year – which will deliver faster journeys, more seats, and better services – we will start running electric trains from our existing fleet between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High.

“The running of these electric trains from our existing fleet is an important milestone ahead of the arrival of the brand-new Hitachi trains. It’s another key stage in our plan to build the best railway Scotland has ever had.

“Being able to run some services with seven carriages will mean more seats for our customers, and we will also deliver some faster journey times.”

Humza Yousaf, Minister for Transport and the Islands, said:

“The introduction of electric services is a key milestone in the Edinburgh – Glasgow Improvement Programme and yet another sign that our £5bn investment to 2019 is helping build the best railway Scotland has ever had. It also paves the way for the arrival of our new fleet of class 385s, to be phased in over the coming months, offering passengers faster, greener and longer trains.

“I’d like to offer my personal thanks to all the many people who have worked on this significant electrification project as their efforts come to fruition.”

ScotRail Christmas train 1The ScotRail Alliance is getting into the holiday spirit with the launch of specially-branded Christmas trains.

The Christmas-themed design, featuring Santa, his reindeer and a snowman, replaces the usual ScotRail logos on the side of the train.
The first two Christmas trains were unveiled today, and can be seen on routes across Scotland. Three more will follow later this week.

It’s not the first time that the ScotRail Alliance’s ‘Saltire’ logo has been changed for a special event. In August the Saltire logo was dropped in favour of a rainbow version in support of Pride Glasgow, and last month the ScotRail Alliance highlighted its support for the Scottish Poppy appeal with specially-branded ‘Poppy trains’. The ScotRail Alliance also invited customers to ‘ride the ghost train’ with spooky designs on carriages in October.

Younger travellers are being encouraged to keep their eyes peeled for the ScotRail elves images, which will be hidden throughout the carriages from later in the week.

Syeda Ghufran, head of engineering projects at the ScotRail Alliance, said:
“With Christmas just a few weeks away we wanted to get into the holiday spirit with our Santa-themed trains.

“If any of our customers spot our elves hidden throughout the train, we hope they will share them on social media so that everybody can join in the fun.

“We’ll be doing all we can to get our customers where they want to be over the holidays. If they’re letting us do the driving home for Christmas, we encourage them to plan their journey now on the ScotRail app or at scotrail.co.uk.”

• New late night trains
• Extra carriages on Friday nights and weekends – providing almost 100,000 additional seats every weekend in the run-up to Christmas
• Customers encouraged to plan ahead

Customers across the central belt are set to benefit from extra services and more carriages in the run-up to Christmas.

With the Christmas party season soon to be in full swing, the ScotRail Alliance is putting on extra late-night services between Edinburgh and Glasgow for partygoers, departing late Friday night/in the early hours of Saturday morning from Friday, 24 November until Friday, 22 December.

The new services will call at Haymarket, Linlithgow, Polmont, Falkirk High, Croy, Lenzie and Bishopbriggs in both directions.

Extra carriages will also be added to our busiest services on key routes across the Central Belt every Friday night and during weekends until Christmas, beginning on Friday 24 November. This will result in almost 100,000 extra seats being added to services on Fridays and weekends.

With services expected to be busy, customers are advised to buy their ticket before they board – either on the ScotRail app, scotrail.co.uk, station ticket office, or ticket machine.

ScotRail Alliance head of customer experience Graham Heald said:
“We’re building the best railway Scotland has ever had, and a key part of this is keeping our customers moving as we head into Christmas.

“The run-up to Christmas is one of our busiest times of the year, so we’re doing all we can to get everyone where they want to be by adding extra services and more carriages.

“Whether customers are heading to the Christmas markets, a night out, or just picking up presents, we hope they have a great time – but we ask them to please double-check their last train times via the ScotRail app, or at scotrail.co.uk.”

Hitachi Rail at Newton Aycliffe proudly shows off four trains ready for Scotrail, which will run between the Edinburgh and Glasgow line.New trains for Scotland are another step closer as the ScotRail Alliance revealed the interiors of its new fleet.

The new Class 385 electric trains – which are being built by Hitachi Rail Europe – will deliver faster journeys, more seats and better services for Scotland when they are rolled out next year.

One of the first fully fitted trains was recently completed at Hitachi Rail Europe’s Newton Aycliffe plant. Offering bright, modern, contemporary finishes, once in service, customers across the central belt will benefit from:

• Power sockets at each pair of seats
• Free WiFi throughout the train
• More luggage storage
• Cycle spaces in a clearly marked area
• Flexible storage area (prams, golf clubs etc)
• Two wheelchair spaces
• Accessible toilet in every train, including a new ‘assist’ facility to allow companion access to the cubicle while maintaining privacy
• Windows closely aligned with seats
Dedicated first class carriages boast plug sockets at every seat, premium leather seats, LED lighting and more luggage storage.

Class 385s can operate in three, four, six, seven and eight car formations, providing much more flexibility to match demand with capacity. Unlike the existing Class 170 trains, the Class 385 have ‘through’ gangways between all coaches so that every part of the train can be accessed from the inside.

Electric trains mean no diesel engines, resulting in quieter journeys for customers and reduced noise pollution for those living and working near the railway.

When eight-car trains are introduced on the Edinburgh – Glasgow via Falkirk High route, this will improve capacity by up to 44% at peak times.

There will also be more seats during peak periods on the Glasgow / Edinburgh – Stirling / Dunblane / Alloa lines, Edinburgh – North Berwick, and Glasgow Central – Edinburgh via Shotts.

ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes said:

“It’s great to finally see the interiors of our new trains. They look great, and I know customers will agree.

“The finish of these trains will significantly improve the experience of customers travelling with us. Their design has resulted in bright, spacious and accessible carriages – perfect for commuters, business customers and leisure travellers alike.

“We’re building the best railway Scotland has ever had – and providing our customers with modern trains plays a big part in that.”

Mitsuo Iwasaki, Head of Technical at Hitachi Rail Europe, said:

“We expect customers to be really pleased with the interiors of our new trains. We’ve worked closely with ScotRail and various passenger groups to include their ideas into the design and the result is a visible improvement for people travelling.

“In addition to full size tables and more seats, customers will also now be able to stay better connected on their journey with fast WiFi and plug sockets.”

06/11/17 - 17110601 - ABELLIO SCOTRAIL  QUEEN STREET STATION - GLASGOW  Poppy Trains Launch  Fusilier Stewart Casey, Kelly Walker, Sayid Gaufran The ScotRail Alliance has unveiled one of five specially-branded trains as part of its support for this year’s poppy appeal.

The trains were unveiled by soldiers from the 2nd and 4th Battalions, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, alongside ScotRail Alliance staff. The carriages have had their ScotRail logos replaced with a poppy-inspired design, and will be seen on routes linking Scotland’s ‘seven cities’ – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, Stirling, and Inverness.

The trains are the latest demonstration of the ScotRail Alliance’s support for Poppyscotland, for which it raised over £57,000 last year.

This year, collection tins have been placed at all staffed stations, with poppies for sale at every ticket office. There are also collections every day until 11 November at four of Scotland’s busiest stations: Glasgow Central, Queen Street, Edinburgh Waverley and Haymarket.

Syeda Ghufran, head of engineering projects at the ScotRail Alliance, said:

“At this time of year, it’s important that we remember those who gave their lives for our country. However, it’s just as important to remember those who did come back, and the support that they require.

“These poppy trains will encourage people across the country, not just to remember, but also to show their support in practical ways.”

Gordon Michie, Head of Fundraising at Poppyscotland, said:

“The poppy trains looks absolutely fantastic. Not only will they remind the public of the importance of the poppy during the remembrance period, but given they will be proudly on display beyond this year’s Scottish Poppy Appeal it will highlight the need to support our Armed Forces community all year round.

“These trains demonstrate once again that the ScotRail Alliance is going the extra mile in its support of Poppyscotland and those who need our life-changing services.”

The ScotRail Alliance today announced that customers in the south of Scotland are set to reap the benefits of major new investment – with more services and more seats.

From 10 December, commuters, business travellers and leisure customers will benefit from an additional 1,500 seats per day on an extra five services, in each direction, between Dumfries and Carlisle. This will benefit customers travelling from those two stations, as well as those travelling from Annan and Gretna Green.

The improvements mean customers in the south west of Scotland will see close to an hourly service throughout the day, with better connections for trains to and from London at Carlisle.

In addition, the ScotRail Alliance is introducing a new early morning train from Dumfries to Glasgow, and a late evening service from Glasgow to Dumfries – providing 300 more seats between the stations.

ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes, said:
“We are building the best railway this country has ever had – and that applies to all of Scotland.

“The major investment we are making will mean more services and more seats in the south of Scotland. It will also help to grow the economy in this part of the country, which makes it an exciting time for everybody in the area.

“We’ve listened to feedback and made positive changes for commuters, business travellers and tourists looking to get out and about across this great country. More regular trains mean more seats and more choice, providing greater flexibility for trips to Glasgow and better connection with trains to London.”

Minister for Transport and the Islands Humza Yousaf, said:

“These additional services being introduced will be welcomed by passengers in the South West of the country. By providing more services, seats, and improving connectivity, we can encourage more people onto trains.

“The near hourly service between Dumfries and Carlisle is designed to meet the demands of current and future growth, and comes following feedback from local user groups and transport partners.

“It is also pleasing to note the earlier morning service between Dumfries and Glasgow, providing enhanced commuter options to Kilmarnock and Glasgow for the Cumnock Valley, and the additional evening train between Glasgow and Dumfries opening up more opportunities for commuters and leisure users alike.”

Andrew Wood, chairman of SWestrans, the regional transport partnership for the south west of Scotland, said:

“I welcome this increase in service and the added connectivity it will bring to many residents of the region.

“I look forward to continuing the good working partnership we have developed between the ScotRail Alliance and SWestrans and the delivery of future rail timetable and infrastructure enhancements across Dumfries and Galloway.”
Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of Commerce President Tom Armstrong, said:

“It’s great to see the ScotRail Alliance deliver over a thousand extra seats per day. This shows its commitment to building a railway for the 21st century and shows that Dumfries is part of it. I am confident that these timetable changes will be a major draw for the region.

“It will allow easier access to Dumfries’ diverse and growing business base, its academic institutions and its impressive cultural attractions and events. As well as allowing easier access for the regional residents to get away for the day, get to work in the central belt or Cumbria.”

IMG_8170-1• Autumn conditions mean heavier leaf fall by mid-October
• Annual performance at 91.1 per cent
• Daily rail clearing teams keep network open as part of £2.6m investment

New figures published today show that leaf fall so far this autumn is more than double what it was at the same point last year.

The figures show that 52 per cent of leaves have fallen already – compared to 24 per cent by this week in 2016.

The information was published as the latest ScotRail Alliance performance figures were released.

The ScotRail Alliance’s moving annual average – the rolling performance for the previous 12 months – now stands at 91.1 per cent. This means 91.1 per cent of trains arrived within five minutes of their scheduled time.

This remains above the UK-wide performance for the previous 12 months, which stands at 88.4 per cent.

The ScotRail Alliance’s performance for the four weeks to 14 October 2017 was 88.3 per cent.

Leaves on the line mean drivers must brake and accelerate more slowly than normal, which causes delays and disruption. Other factors impacting performance in recent weeks include four incidents of cable theft or vandalism, a fault with overhead wires, and an empty third party locomotive mistakenly passing a red signal, resulting in all signals on that line turning red. This meant all trains on that line were stopped until Integrated Control could establish why this happened and resume safe operations.

The ScotRail Alliance is investing £2.6million to keep the trains moving during the autumn – including 11 leaf fall teams and a fleet of seven specialist leaf-busting trains.

ScotRail Alliance Infrastructure Director David Dickson said:

“Our investment and efforts to keep our network open in autumn are paying off. We understand just how important it is to run a punctual, reliable service for our customers. That’s why we are investing £2.6million to keep people moving during the autumn.

“While often scoffed at as an ‘excuse’ for delays, leaves on the line are a big problem for the railway as they make rails dangerously slippy. We’re tackling the difficult conditions created by leaf fall every day just now.

“This has been a challenging few weeks, but we are doing everything we can to address any problems that arise quickly, to take preventative action wherever possible and make sure that our customers are given good quality information. It’s all part of our plan to build the best railway Scotland has ever had.”

Picture caption – One of seven Railhead Treatment Trains in action at Stirling.

IMG_8069-1With the dark nights upon us and the days growing ever colder, Hallowe’en is just around the corner – and the ScotRail Alliance is marking this today with the launch of specially-branded trains.

The carriages have had their distinctive ScotRail logos altered to feature ghouls, pumpkins, bats and witches. The trains will be in service on the Edinburgh – Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk route, and other routes across the country until the start of November.

This follows the success Pride logos on a number of ScotRail trains earlier this year to mark Pride Glasgow.

Syeda Ghufran, head of engineering projects at the ScotRail Alliance, said:
“If you’re dressing up this Hallowe’en, have a scream but stay safe.

“Please remember to store your broomsticks in the luggage racks provided, and customers are reminded to speak to a member of staff if they see any unaccompanied ghouls, ghosts or zombies.”

IMG-20171018-WA0012The electrification of the Edinburgh to Glasgow mainline took positive steps forward on Wednesday, as the ScotRail Alliance prepares for full testing of its new trains on the electrified route.

One of the new Class 385 electric trains – which has still to be fitted with interiors – successfully travelled between Edinburgh and Linlithgow at 02:00 hours on Wednesday 18 October.

This marks clear progress for the infrastructure as this is the first time that an electric train has travelled on any section of the route.

When the final safety checks on the infrastructure along the remainder of the route are complete, full testing of the new trains will begin.

The new fleet will enter passenger service over the next few months, offering faster journeys, more seats and better services for customers travelling between Scotland’s two biggest cities.

ScotRail Alliance Programmes and Transformation Director Ian McConnell, said:

“Yesterday’s trial was a hugely important step towards completing the electrification of the line between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Having a train run on the route is one of the final phases of the electrification process. That it has gone so well tells us that we are almost ready to begin the next stage – which is to start fully testing the new trains themselves.

“We are building the best railway that Scotland has ever had. When we replace the diesel trains with the brand new, state of the art, electric fleet we will deliver enormous benefits to our customers. Cleaner, greener travel – with more seats and faster journeys will completely transform travel between our two biggest cities.”

Hitachi Rail Europe Programme Manager Andy Radford, said:

“It’s positive so see that progress is being made on Edinburgh to Glasgow electrification.

“We’re hopeful that we’ll be given permission to start full testing soon so we can guarantee the trains can run for passengers safely. We’ve now got trains at our factory in Newton Aycliffe ready to travel to Scotland as soon as they can run on new electric power line.”

The ScotRail Alliance is asking customers to check their journey times before they travel, as improvement works are taking place two Saturdays in September on routes through East Lothian.

As part of our work to build the best railway Scotland has ever had, essential track maintenance work is taking place on the east coast mainline. On Saturdays 16 and 23 September, buses replace trains between Edinburgh and Dunbar. Buses also replace trains to North Berwick on 23 September while the essential engineering work takes place.

Rob Shorthouse, ScotRail Alliance communications director, said: “We are working hard to build the best railway that Scotland has ever had. We know that having your regular journey changed can be a pain, but all this work really is going to be worth it. We are carrying out the biggest upgrade to the network since it was built in Victorian times – and it will mean more seats, faster, more reliable journeys and more and better services.

“You can find out more about these changes and what it means for your own journey by visiting the ScotRail website or by downloading our free app. Even although your normal journey might be different while this work is going on, we will keep you moving.”