News - Class 158
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The first refurbished Northern Class 158 entered traffic at the end of October.
Three-car 158752 has been fitted with new carpets and seat cushions, LED lighting has been installed, designated wheelchair spaces in the carriages have been introduced, and call for aid buttons have been installed. The on-board toilets have also been refurbished and fitted with improved baby changing facilities. (Permalink) Class 158 Northern |
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A spate of breakdowns on Scotland's new flagship railway has been blamed on a fleet-wide fault affecting the route's newly-refurbished Class 158 trains which causes them to overheat in hot weather.
ScotRail is seeking replacement radiators for the diesel trains, which are used on several lines including the Borders Railway, in a bid to iron out the flaw which is believed to have been a factor in at least 18 service cancellations on the new Edinburgh-Tweedbank route over the summer. The two-car units are notoriously the least reliable in the ScotRail fleet, but industry magazine, 'Rail', reports that the company has linked the latest problem with the Class 158s to hot weather. (Permalink) Borders Railway Class 158 ScotRail Weather |
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Rail passengers in the Highlands have been reassured that the region would not lose modern carriages to a new railway in the Borders. A spokeswoman for Abellio ScotRail said all but one of Class 158 trains would continue serving the north.
(Permalink) Abellio Abellio ScotRail Class 158 ScotRail  Inverness: 158702 BBC Scotland 75 years brings up the rear of the 19.58 to Elgin, at Inverness on 20 April.  Inverness: Motive power line up under the trainshed at Inverness in March 2009 comprising (L to R) 158702, 158731 and 158741. On the far left 170403 can partly be seen having arrived from Glasgow. |
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First ScotRail has awarded two contracts to Bombardier Transportation, the
rail industry supplier based in Derby. The move is set to bring a range of further improvements to the train operator's diesel fleet, for the benefit of customers. The main contract is a fleet support agreement for which Bombardier will provide technical support and spare parts for First ScotRail's 59 Class 170 trains, up until 2011. Bombardier will also supply heavy maintenance materials for these carriages which operate services between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness, as well as in Fife and local services from Glasgow Queen Street. This maintenance work will be carried out at Haymarket depot, which is currently undergoing a £6 million programme of enhancements, thanks to joint funding by Scottish Executive and First ScotRail. In addition, the contract includes the installation of remote monitoring hardware and the development of condition monitoring software, to further improve and enhance fleet performance. A second contract, valued at over £1.5 million, has also been agreed. This will see the installation of Passenger Information Systems (PIS) on First ScotRail's Class 158 diesel trains as well as the upgrade of the existing PIS equipment on the earlier Class 170 trains. This programme of improvements will also be carried out at Haymarket depot. (Permalink) Bombardier Transportation Class 158 Class 170 Derby Haymarket Depot Haymarket MPD ScotRail Scottish Executive  Haymarket MPD: 40052 inside Haymarket Depot in 1983. Before the year was over the loco had been withdrawn and cut up at Crewe Works.  Haymarket MPD: 47701 'St Andrew' and 47704 'Dunedin' outside Haymarket shed looking east to Edinburgh Castle in 1983. The Class 20 in the sidings appears to be stored or withdrawn.
 Haymarket MPD: 47701 'St Andrew' and 47704 'Dunedin' outside Haymarket shed in 1983. 47704 has since been scrapped but 47701 is still with us - latterly with Nemesis Rail. |
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This week Virgin Trains eliminated use of Class 158s in Scotland, substituting Voyagers.
(Permalink) Class 158 Virgin Trains |
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The Strategic Rail Authority announced a £84k award of Rail Passenger Partnership funding to Highland Rail Developments towards the £200k cost of reopening Beauly Station (which closed 13 June 1960) from the start of the winter 20001/2 timetable as a very short platform alongside which the two centre doors of a Class 158 will open.
Chris Austin of the SRA and Charles Kennedy MP were photographed afterwards standing on the old platform with the 1152 Kyle of Lochalsh to Edinburgh posing alongside them. (Permalink) Beauly Class 158 Far North Line Kyle Line |
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Class 334 driver training started 27 November, and in December Alstom received certification for test-running to commence in multiple. On 20 December Adtranz agreed to undertake a modifications programme to improve the reliability of ScotRail Turbostars. The ScotRail Class 158 refurbishment programme is now nearing completion at Shields, and Class 150/2s are emerging in the new ScotRail livery. The new station building at Largs came into use in mid-December.
(Permalink) Class 150 Class 158 Class 334 Driver training ScotRail |
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