First ScotRail Wants To Introduce Loco-Hauled Stock On Fife Rail Route

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Slam-door carriages will be used to ease overcrowding on a busy commuter route, First ScotRail has said (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7407347.stm

The company has appealed for six old carriages to be hauled by a locomotive on the Fife circle line between Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline and Edinburgh.

First ScotRail wants to introduce two extra services a day from May 2009 through to December 2010, running at peak times.

The temporary introduction of hauled trains would fill a gap until the electrification of the Airdrie to Bathgate route. That would free up additional diesel trains to run on the Fife line.

"This is good news for customers as it means more trains and more seats across the Scottish rail network. It's a short-term solution while we wait for our new trains to arrive in 2010.

"Locomotive-hauled diesel trains operate on the East Coast Main Line very successfully. Our priority is our passengers and this is the best solution to meet the growing demand for rail travel."

This is interesting, given that First Great Western ruled out a similar solution when I suggested it in January 2008 :

STAGE ONE (December 2008-December 2010)

Key "Cross-Bristol" trains run using loco-hauled stock. This frees up units for use elsewhere, including a Class 153 unit for the extra Frome/TransWilts services contained in the link below. The loco-hauled services are gradually replaced by Class 150/1 units released by London Midland.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/jan08/salyeoswin2.xls

[swlines]

It's not particularly surprising. Scotland is in the situation where services are under overall control by Transport Scotland and have a stranglehold on the franchise holders who basically just operate the trains (different to the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) England and Wales situation).

Scotland's rail network is thriving and the additional capacity is urgently required - even some trains in first class are getting busy (and that follows standard class being standing room only).

[grahame]

Lee, Tom, I've looked at the story and see it illustrated with some real old carriages.   

Wasn't there some change in the law with regard to slam door stock and central locking which meant that heritage dmus (at least) could no longer be used on main line services.  And some sort of modification done on the Aylesbury to Princes Risborough and Cardiff Bay trains, which are being run using stock from that generation?  How does this effect loco hauled slam door?  Is this law different in Scotland?

[Shazz]

Lee, Tom, I've looked at the story and see it illustrated with some real old carriages.   

Wasn't there some change in the law with regard to slam door stock and central locking which meant that heritage dmus (at least) could no longer be used on main line services.  And some sort of modification done on the Aylesbury to Princes Risborough and Cardiff Bay trains, which are being run using stock from that generation?  How does this effect loco hauled slam door?  Is this law different in Scotland?

Mods were done to allow them to lock

[swlines]

Lee, Tom, I've looked at the story and see it illustrated with some real old carriages.   

Wasn't there some change in the law with regard to slam door stock and central locking which meant that heritage dmus (at least) could no longer be used on main line services.  And some sort of modification done on the Aylesbury to Princes Risborough and Cardiff Bay trains, which are being run using stock from that generation?  How does this effect loco hauled slam door?  Is this law different in Scotland?

The Aylesbury to Princes Risborough, Cardiff Bay services both have a form of secondary door locking via use of an automatic lock and magnets (very similar to that used on the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fleet). The Lymington Pier shuttles have the same problem, and are locked via the use of powerful electromagnets.

In order for stock to run on the mainline in passenger service - there must be at least some form of secondary door locking that people can use (on many railtours, this is just a small lock on the door).