There is a perfectly acceptable explanation on why these 'vintage' high speed trains are coming to Scotland. Almost all of them are still running. They are the fastest diesel locomotives in the world. You can read about how good they are in this wiki entry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterCity_125

A recent BBC article says they are 'much loved'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31831603

"A new Japanese train is arriving on British shores to replace the much loved InterCity 125. Will people take it to their hearts in the way they did its veteran predecessor?'

This Abellio ScotRail article provides information on the refurbishment of these high speed trains coming to Scotland and the new services.

http://www.abellio.com/scotrail-pass...twork-scotland

This Abellio ScotRail article provides information on the new trains coming to Scotland.

http://www.abellio.com/scotrail-pass...alloa-dunblane

Hope it helps.

I don't have a problem with them using reburbished older trains - so long as they have been properly refurbished. The problem right now is the absence of sufficient trains, or too many three carriage trains where five is required.


I doubt it's really a war chest for the next referendum. I thought the SNP were still paying off the debts from the last one (not EU, they didn't spend much on that). All of the money will be for general campaigning, hoping to get into a position to hold another referendum, but they can't say that in public or they wouldn't get the cash.

Of course we wouldn't need to use rickety old trains if the SNP had a coherent rail policy that included electrification of the mainlines to Aberdeen and Inverness.

Another crisis loan from The Lotto Winners might be on the cards.

How many single track lines in the UK have been electrified?

I don't know, how many of them are major economic centres served by national mainline services?

Apologies, from your posts about the trains I thought you were an expert on train types and especially electrification. Personally, I'd prefer to reopen Beeching lines like Dunblane to Crienlarich or Aviemore to Keith, but they would require a lot of investment.

You do understand that the part of Scotrail responsible for the actual infrastructure, including the tracks signalling and all the other gubbins, isn't actually devolved?

Abellio are responsible for the trains and their maintenance and upkeep. Railtrack are the ones who provide the means for getting them from A to B. Where is the outrage at HS2 making marginal improvements using national funds when there's no similar proposal for major improvements on the line to a city so closely associated with what was, and might be again, a source of wealth for the UK?

HS2 should have been developed 30 years, one failure of Government policy doesn't justify the other, and the Scottish Government does have jurisdiction over track and station infrastructure in Scotland. Railtrack ceased to exist 13 years ago btw.

It's Network Rail, I'll give you that, but explain this

Former Labour transport minister Tom Harris, one of the report’s authors, also dismissed calls from Scottish Labour and others for operator ScotRail to be nationalised follow over-crowding and delays.

He instead issued a plea for Network Rail’s Scottish operations to be brought under the control of ministers in Holyrood rather than those in Westminster.

Mr Harris said those calling for ScotRail to be nationalised are missing the point because most of the delays are primarily linked with Network Rail, the public sector body that maintains the UK’s railways.

“Reform Scotland believes that Network Rail in Scotland should be fully accountable to the Scottish Government, and that means it must be devolved,” he said.

I dunno though, I wouldn't be too keen on someone trying to sell me a refurbished Ford Cortina from 1976. A few new seats and a digital radio would still make it a Cortina

I admit I never knew the 125's we're on East Coast/Cross Country - so I have possibly have used one, yet I thought these trains had gone, guess on the other I was use to at one point in the past remembering the the brand "intercity"

Reading the time difference I guess for Dundee-Glasgow - it'll be about an hour and 5 mins Dundee-Edinburgh about 1hr 15 mins Dundee-Aberdeen 1hr 5mins (or about 55 mins) of course again the problem is that even explaining info Abellio/Scotrail acknowledges central belt-Glasgow mostly regarding difference with trains they do mention Inverness to Glasgow-Edinburgh, saying that I noticed when I go to Newcastle the quickest one is at least 2hrs 53 mins (East Coast) and about 3hrs with (Crosscountry) but I think there needs to be more trains from Scotland going to Newcastle to terminate (unrelated obviously to Scotrail) as anytime I head to Newcastle I have to get one of 3 and the rest is making the connection in Edinburgh to go down (and timings can range from 10 mins to 40 mins or an hour for connection to Newcastle), so for my own argument there needs to be more trains coming from Aberdeen/Dundee with East Coast/Cross Country to England this is an issue I have.

Ford Cortina

I hope it's grey with a whiplash aerial and racing trim.

[for those who didn't get the reference https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n77yEvuFDsg]

Can we just upgrade it up from a Ford Cortina ....lets upgrade it to Plaxton President Bus!

I'm too young to know that song lol ....

Regarding more trains from Scotland to Newcastle.. Hope this helps..

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/b...ress-franchise

Vintage as in not suitable for disabled passengers I expect amongst other things, when Humza the transport liar opens his mouth his nose grows longer, when Abellio lies he does nothing.

I don't know who they are running the network for but it's not for the commuter or even casual traveller.

31 brand new state of the art 125's yet the SNP and Abellio think forty year old unreliable museum pieces are good enough for the beleaguered commuter up here.

Great second class thinking from second class idiots.

Have the SNP got it wrong regarding the HIE.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp...ocal-campaign/

As someone who spent 15 years living in the North i always viewed the HIE as a positive force for the North and on the face of it the SNP seem to view it as just a delivery vehicle for Government policies now.

Is there still a place for the HIE, I believe there is. This move will not be a vote winner.

This is interesting because the SNP were elected on a Manifesto that promised to keep taxes at the same level for the life of the Parliament. Something which I am critical of and I can agree with the Green stance here.

http://www.thenational.scot/politics...pay_more_tax_/

On the other hand, if your an SNP supporter you can accuse a few Greens of using their limited but highly important numbers to have a much greater influence over SNP policies than they should have.

It's 125 mph

If you add the 31 brand new First trains to the 70 brand new Abellio trains, Scotland will have 101 brand new trains in 2017 and 2018.

Again the issue I raised and what was answered in that link covers Edinburgh/Glasgow and Motherwell ... I am on about more Crosscountry/East Coast trains starting in Aberdeen and terminating say at York (example) as after a certain time us in the North East of Scotland have to make connections in Edinburgh and connections in Edinburgh vary to getting down south.

Example times: I can get a train to Newcastle from Dundee at 9.02am, 9.32am and then 11.03am after that I have to get a Scotrail train to Edinburgh to make the connection down its similar back up, yet from Newcastle there is more trains terminating in Edinburgh than Aberdeen!

the thing i got to laugh about it is fair enough put these trains on the track but would this be allowed had this been a bus from the 70's back on the road, picking up passengers?

Talking about liars, your rant about a passenger in a wheelchair not being able to get on last week seemed a wee bit off. It's not just a matter of turning up and getting on as ramps have to be put in place and removed. Fairly certain you book that with station staff. Nor was the stop you mentioned the last one before Waverly.

From Scotrail's disabled protection policy:

Assistance for passengers
It is our aim to provide assistance to you throughout the ScotRail network whether this has been booked in advance or not. We will always do our best to help passengers who need assistance at
stations even when they have not booked in advance. We have staff on-board all of our trains who are trained to check for passengers awaiting assistance. They will assist you to board and alight between the platform and train.

Ramps
We have portable ramps at all our accessible staffed stations and on all our trains. Our staff will deploy these ramps for you to allow easy access if you require, and our on-board staff will help you on or off the train
at stations without staff. Passengers who have not booked assistance should notify our on board staff on boarding any ScotRail service in order to ensure our staff know they can offer appropriate assistance.[quote][quote]

While it is advisable to book at least 4 hours in advance it is not a prerequisite for receiving assistance.