New call to replace ageing Scottish transport fleet - and it's not ferries

First of three sets of greener trains were due to have been ordered two years ago

ScotRail has among the oldest trains in Britain and needs new ones to attract more passengers and make them “fit for the future”, its managing director has warned.

Joanne Maguire, while not making a direct comparison, was highlighting the key importance of replacement carriages, two years after an order was due to have been placed for the first of three new fleets.

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ScotRail’s class 158 diesel trains, which operate on lines north of Inverness, are 36 years oldScotRail’s class 158 diesel trains, which operate on lines north of Inverness, are 36 years old
ScotRail’s class 158 diesel trains, which operate on lines north of Inverness, are 36 years old | Niall Laybourne

A further delay to the process was signalled last month when Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced that the Scottish Government’s target for phasing out ScotRail’s remaining diesel trains - one of the world’s most ambitious - had been put back a decade to 2045.

Ms Maguire told a conference in Glasgow organised by Modern Railways magazine: “We want to drive our patronage and we need to do it by providing products that are fit for the future.”

The urgency was underlined by Frank Roach, who spearheads rail development in the Highlands for the region’s transport co-ordinating body, who pointed out at the conference that some of its diesel trains still awaiting replacements were 38 years old.

Mr Roach, partnership manager for the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership, said: “Older trains are less reliable - they break down more, leading to a growing number of delays and cancellations.

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“Cancellations mean a loss of passenger confidence, and hit folk harder when frequencies are low.

“The next available train may be the following day. We need to offer more modern trains - however they are powered - to entice people out of cars and help with the [Scottish] Government's climate change and car miles reduction targets."

Ms Maguire, after referring to ScotRail’s ageing workforce, said: “We have got another challenge with ageing - that’s our fleet. We have one of the oldest fleets in Britain.”

She said the Scottish Government-owned operator wanted to reduce its 11 fleets - comprising 343 trains - to five, to provide an “easily identifiable product for our customer”. This included to improve provision for wheelchairs and cycles, and provide more “family-friendly layouts”.

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The managing director added: “We want to simplify and reduce training time for staff and improve accessibility.

“We know we need to work with Transport Scotland and [ScotRail parent body] Scottish Rail Holdings to build a robust case to invest in the railway to improve the economy, to deliver sustainability.”

The first of the new fleets was due to run on lines from Edinburgh to Fife and Tweedbank in the Borders, whose trains are 26 years old, from 2027. But no orders have been placed since Transport Scotland announced the plans in 2022.

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Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop admitted to MSPs on Thursday that trains would continue running in Fife with too-few carriages, or “short formed”, which causes overcrowding, until that new fleet arrived - but gave no date.

She said: “I absolutely sympathise with the situation, which is not acceptable for passengers.

“The timescale will depend on fleet replacement. I will, of course, update members when that occurs.

“A rolling programme of decarbonisation and new-fleet procurement strategies will reduce the need for diesel trains across the network, and will bring in new trains with improved reliability.”

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A contract for a separate fleet to replace ScotRail’s Inter7City “High Speed Trains” (HSTs), which are nearly 50 years old, is due to be announced this year after a procurement process was launched last month.

However, it may be for second hand trains operating elsewhere in Britain.

The third new fleet, which would run on rural lines, such as in the Highlands, was due to have been ordered by March.

Scottish Conservatives transport spokesperson Sue Webber said: “This damning verdict exposes how the SNP are continuing to neglect Scotland’s rail fleet.

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“Passengers are paying through the roof to often end up travelling on trains that are simply not fit for purpose.

“Not only are they near the end of their shelf life but they are regularly overcrowded and the wifi doesn’t work.

“SNP ministers responsible for running ScotRail must invest in services that are fit for the future and encourage more people out of their cars and onto trains.”

Ian Budd, convener of the Friends of the Far North Line, between Inverness, Wick and Thurso, said: “It's good to know that there is movement on replacing the Inter7City HSTs.

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“For comfort they will be a hard act to follow - it's vital that the standard isn't allowed to fall, whether it's new or cascaded trains [from elsewhere in the network].

“Meanwhile, the need for new trains on the Far North Line is critical to help stem the flow of cancellations on what is already a minimalist service.

“If we are serious about attracting new passengers, there's no room for error here.”

Scottish Labour transport spokesperson Claire Baker said: “Scotland deserves a reliable, modern rail service but under the SNP our train fleet has been left to rust.

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“Islanders have dealt with years of cancellations and chaos due to the SNP’s failure to replace Scotland’s ferries – we cannot have a repeat of this fiasco on our trains.

“The SNP must set out a clear plan to upgrade and modernise Scotland’s train fleet and deliver the reliable, comfortable rail service passengers need.”

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “Plans in relation to suburban and rural fleets are in development.”

A revised version of its plan to replace the remaining diesel trains with electric, battery and perhaps hydrogen models is due to be published this year.

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