{"id":12231,"date":"2024-10-13T16:53:43","date_gmt":"2024-10-13T15:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/therailwaydog.co.uk\/?p=12231"},"modified":"2024-10-13T16:53:43","modified_gmt":"2024-10-13T15:53:43","slug":"scotrail-inter7city-hsts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/therailwaydog.co.uk\/?p=12231","title":{"rendered":"ScotRail Inter7City HST’s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Yoshi at Edinburgh Waverley railway station with ScotRail Inter7City High Speed Train Class 43 power car behind – 14\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On September 3rd 2024, it was announced that ScotRail\u2019s Inter7City High Speed Train fleet used on routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness, is to be replaced with formal procurement due to start within weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Class 43 No. 43021 at Edinburgh Waverley having arrived at the rear of 1B82 1309 Aberdeen to Edinburgh – 14\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ScotRail operates 52 Class 43 power cars with 22 sets of Mark 3 coaches modified with sliding doors. Two, No.’s 43030 and 43140 were written off after the 2020 Carmont derailment. ASLEF, the train drivers union, have called for the withdrawal of the ScotRail HST fleet for a number of years as “not fit for purpose”citing drivers descriptions of the trains as “notoriously unreliable”, an “unmitigated disaster” and that using them is “tantamount to environmental vandalism”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASLEF have further expressed the view that “the HST\u2019s are not\u00a0crashworthy and do not meet modern safety standards. Their fibreglass cabs with wooden frames\u00a0bolted on were built in the 70\u2019s and are not fit for purpose for\u00a0speeds of up to 125 mph.\u00a0As such our members who drive these trains have little or no confidence in them.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop announced ScotRail will lead the acquisition of replacement rolling stock and a detailed delivery timetable will be announced at the award of the contract, adding; “Resilient, reliable ScotRail services are key to encouraging more people to choose to travel by train rather than car, to cutting our transport emissions and to helping to move people around Scotland for work, leisure and learning. Over 4 million passenger journeys were made on inter-city trains in the last year. We want to maintain and where possible, increase that number choosing to go by train between Scotland\u2019s cities. We want to replace the current inter-city fleet with trains which provide more comfort and\u00a0accessibility\u00a0for passengers on these routes. This planned investment will ensure the reliability of our inter-city routes for the long-term, will reduce emissions from inter-city services and will support our efforts to decarbonise Scotland\u2019s railways.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ScotRail Managing Director Joanne Maguire said “today\u2019s announcement is good news for our customers and an important step for ScotRail as we work towards delivering a safe, green, and reliable railway.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although no announcement on whether new-build or cascaded trains will be deployed, suitable inter-city rolling stock could soon become available with the introduction of East Midlands Railway\u2019s Hitachi Class 810 bi-mode units, which will replace its Class 222 Meridian DEMU’s. Introduced by Midland Mainline from 2004, EMR operates 27 sets, running in five and seven-car formations, owned by Eversholt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mention the Inter7City HST’s because we had already planned a road trip which would give me an opportunity to see these surviving trains from a bygone age of British Rail at Edinburgh and Aberdeen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Edinburgh Waverley Yoshi and I were very kindly allowed through the electronic ticket barriers and on to the platforms to photograph the HST sets. We were approached during our visit at the end of platform 18 by a member of station staff who wanted to know if we were “lost or just catching the breeze”. Once we’d explained ourselves, we had a friendly chat as we walked over to platform 2 in time for the next HST arrival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Class 43 No 43168 forming the rear of 1A81 1130 Edinburgh to Aberdeen at the buffer stops alongside Class 158 “Express Sprinter” DMU No.158741, Edinburgh Waverley – 14\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No 43179 1A81 1130 Edinburgh to Aberdeen at Edinburgh Waverley in the company of Class 158 No. 158740 and Class 334 Coradia Juniper EMU No. 334013 – 14\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Another view of Class 43 No. 43021 at Edinburgh Waverley having arrived at the rear of 1B82 1309 Aberdeen to Edinburgh – 14\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No 43126 having arrived at Edinburgh Waverley with 1B74 0905 Aberdeen to Edinburgh – 14\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No 43139 at Edinburgh Waverley leading on 1B74 0905 Aberdeen to Edinburgh – 14\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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ScotRail Inter7City High Speed Train Class 43 power cars side by side at Edinburg Waverley. No. 43177 having arrived at the rear of 1B82 1309 Aberdeen to Edinburgh and No. 43148 on the rear of 1B30 1248 Inverness to Edinburgh – 14\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No 43177 1B82 1309 Aberdeen to Edinburgh – 14\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Afternoon arrivals at Edinburgh Waverley; Class 43 No. 43028 having arrived with 1B30 1248 Inverness to Edinburgh stands alongside No. 43177 which was working 1B82 1309 Aberdeen to Edinburgh – 14\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Another view of Class 43 No. 43028 having arrived with 1B30 1248 Inverness to Edinburgh stands alongside No. 43177 which was working 1B82 1309 Aberdeen to Edinburgh – 14\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The dark blue and pale grey ‘Inter7City’ livery features large silhouettes of landmarks in the seven cities of Scotland. Before relivery, the power cars were in the plain blue livery of First Great Western.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abellio ScotRail received nine 4-carriage and 17 five-carriage trainsets from Great Western Railway (GWR) for use on longer-distance services between the major Scottish cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The power cars were refurbished at Brush Loughborough, with the coaches being refurbished at Wabtec Doncaster. The first set, which included power cars No.’s 43021 and 43132, was delivered to ScotRail on 1st September 2017. The set was transferred to Aberdeen Clayhills on 10th September for the start of driver training. The first refurbished set was due in February 2018, with a full fleet in service by December 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the 15th October 2018 after months of crew training, the first revenue earning and fully branded ‘InterCity’ diagram began and ran with power cars No.’s 43033 & 43183 along with refurbished MK3 Set HA26 on the Edinburgh – Aberdeen route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Class 43 No. 43137 arrives at Aberdeen working the 1A87 1530 Edinburgh to Aberdeen service 17\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No. 43152 rests at Aberdeen Clayhills Carriage Maintenance Depot. I didn’t think to check on the power car at the other end! The Caledonian Sleeper stock shares the depot with Class 73 No. 73968. Clayhills depot is used for maintaining and stabling long distance locomotive hauled services, more specifically, ScotRail\u00a0Class 43, High Speed Trains, their respective\u00a0Mark 3\u00a0carriages,\u00a0Class 158\u00a0Express Sprinters\u00a0and\u00a0Class 170\u00a0Turbostars,\u00a0as well as\u00a0LNER\u00a0Class 800\u00a0Azumas – 17\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No. 43175 at Aberdeen having arrived at the rear of A87 1530 Edinburgh to Aberdeen service 17\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No. 43003, the oldest HST power car in service at Aberdeen having arrived with 1A49 1539 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen – 17\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No. 43137 arrives at Aberdeen having terminated working 1A87 1530 Edinburgh to Aberdeen service 17\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No. 43124 has arrived at Aberdeen with 1A49 1539 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen prepares to depart as 5A75 1853 Aberdeen to Aberdeen Clayhills Carriage MD. No. 43175 in the background will be leading on 1T62 1836 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street – 17\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No. 43003 has arrived at Aberdeen Clayhills – 17\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Screenshot of Class 43 No. 43028 passing over the River Dee Railway Bridge working 1T50 1535 Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street. The bridge, built by Lock and Errington in 1848 has 11-spans, consisting of 7 principal spans of steel trussed on granite and sandstone piers, with cutwaters forming a crenellated parapet for mesh railings. There are four round-arched sandstone approach spans with polished arch rings and a coped parapet. The original bridge, as constructed by the Aberdeen Railway Company, included wooden beams on stone foundations, but from the 1880’s onwards, these were replaced by iron girders as a major programme of bridge improvements to accommodate heavier trains 18\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Another chance encounter with Class 43 No. 43003 in Glasgow preparing to work 1A49 1539 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen – 19\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No. 43003 prior to working 1A49 1539 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen – 19\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Class 43 No. 43003 at the head of 1A49 1539 Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen – 19\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While in Aberdeen, as well as taking the opportunity to pop down to the railway station one evening to see some ScotRail HST workings, I was also able to observe Class 73\/9 No. 73968 at rest having worked into the station on empty coaching stock move 5B16 1935 Aberdeen Clayhills Car.M.D to Aberdeen prior to heading the Aberdeen to Edinburgh section of 1B16 2143 Aberdeen to London Euston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Class 73\/9 No 73968 at rest having arrived at platform with 5B16 1935 Aberdeen Clayhills Car.M.D to Aberdeen – 17\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Class 73\u2019s are Electro-Diesel locomotives, built by English Electric between 1962-1967 for the Southern Region of British Rail. Primarily <\/a>intended to work on 3rd rail electrified lines, as built they were also equipped with a 600hp diesel engine for short distance movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 2013 and 2016, eleven of these locomotives owned by GB Railfreight were rebuilt by Wabtec at the Brush Traction works in Loughborough and designated Class 73\/9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plaque detailing rebuild on No. 73968 – 17\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The rebuilt locos have a 1600hp MTU ‘R43 4000’ V8 diesel engine, coupled to a new Lechmotoren alternator. The existing bogies and DC traction motors are retained. The locos are now fitted with AAR multiple working control and can also work with class 66 and 67 locos, however the old Style MW jumpers are kept for compatibility with un-rebuilt Class 73\u2019s. Other features retained were the driving controls on both sides of the cab, the drop-head buckeye coupling, central buffing plate and retractable side buffers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five locos for duties in Southern England are numbered 73961 to 73965 and painted in GBRf livery. Six of these locomotives are deployed on Sleeper services north of Edinburgh replacing Class 67 locos from 2016. The locos utilised for Caledonian Sleeper duties are numbered 73966 to 73971, and painted in ‘Midnight Teal’ livery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Having arrived with the Caledonian Sleeper ECS, Class 73\/9 No 73968 will work the Aberdeen to Edinburgh section of the 1B16 2143 Aberdeen to London Euston sleeper service – 17\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

No. 73968 was formerly No. 73117 (E6023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Caledonian Sleeper locos No.\u2019s 73966-971 have several detail differences to the earlier No.\u2019s 73961-965 batch:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Driving Desk is more extensively modernised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The cab centre window is ‘unblanked’ and fitted with a wiper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* 1-piece miniature obstacle deflectors fitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* High-level air hoses removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Communications jumper socket left of coupling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Additional main air reservoir pipe left of coupling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* NRN Radio and aerials. (NRN radios removed in 2016).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* ETS on\/off indicators on the sides of the Headlamp clusters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Electric Train Supply to coaching stock increased from ETH 38 to ETH 70.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* 3rd-rail pick-ups were initially retained, but isolated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* RETB-NG (fitted to the locos in Scotland during 2016).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The buckeye coupling and central buffing plate would later be removed in favour of drop-head Dellner couplings, with the obstacle deflectors changed to accommodate this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The cab centre window (formerly a 2-character headcode display) was not installed on locos No.\u2019s 73966 and 73967 until return visits to Loughborough in February 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The conversion programme and introduction to service (originally intended for the 1st April 2015) was severely delayed, a major factor being the new alternators suffering from vibration problems, particularly when at full power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* From October 2016 the Sleeper Class 73\/9s were only providing ETH, with Class 66 providing traction, rather than working in multiple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Delivery of the final conversion No. 73971 was postponed until November 2016, while a solution to the alternator issue was sought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Class 73 No. 73968 at Aberdeen with the Caledonian Sleeper – 17\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

* Further changes to the locomotive were required to operate with the new Mk5 sleeper coaches which have dellner semi-automatic couplings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The first to be equipped was No. 73971 which went south to Brush at Loughborough on 19th of April 2017 and returned to Craigentinny on 9th July 2017 with its new drop-head Dellner coupling fitted, but covered up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The class 73\/9s had initially retained 3rd rail pick-up shoes, but these were removed when the six locomotives visited Eastleigh Works for new wheelsets in 2019\/2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: http:\/\/www.scot-rail.co.uk\/page\/Class+73#google_vignette<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For The Record<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Heart of Wessex Line closed between Castle Cary and Weymouth on Monday 23rd September 2024 to Sunday 29th September 2024 as Network Rail replaced less than a mile of over fifty year old track. Improvements were also made to the junctions either side of Maiden Newton railway station. A rail replacement bus service operated during the closure period for passengers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GB Railfreight Class 66 No. 66789 awaits clearance to proceed at Yeovil Pen Mill at the head of engineers train 6G12 2145 Hinksey Sidings to Maiden Newton. The locomotive was scheduled to return to Eastleigh East Yard via Dorchester West and the South Western Mainline later that morning but the driver was not cleared for the route, so instead the Class 66 travelled back through the engineering possession to Yeovil Pen Mill and made its way to Eastleigh via Westbury – 23\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Colas Railfreight Class 70 No. 70807 at Yeovil Pen Mill at the head of 6C01 2047 Hinksey Sidings to Yeovil Pen Mill – 23\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The first two engineering trains in association with the works arrived at Yeovil Pen Mill in the early hours of 23rd September. Colas and Freightliner were also involved with engineering trains during the ensuing days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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