ScotRail has announced a range of new timetable improvements which will add thousands of extra seats for passengers
With new trains, it means that there are now 115,000 seats more every day than at the start of the franchise.
Announcing the changes to its timetable from 19 May 2019, ScotRail has said that it will enhance services thanks to the introduction of new Class 385 trains.
With 20,000 seats being added to services, the total number of weekday seats available for customers is now 625,000.
The completion of the electrification of the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Shotts line provides even more improvements with a new hourly service at Breich, and more than 3,500 extra seats on weekdays.
The train operator will also withdraw more class 314s from service as part of the continuing process presenting better ride quality.
Some of the other improvements include:
- Glasgow to East Kilbride: the first phase of enhancements on the route with more peak services operating with six carriages, providing more than 1,000 additional seats on weekday services.
- Glasgow to Barrhead: strengthening of some services to four carriages during peak periods and an additional 3,000 seats on weekdays.
- West Highland Line: additional services added to the West Highland Line on Sundays through the winter period between Glasgow, Fort William and Mallaig.
- Edinburgh to Glasgow via Shotts: almost all services operated with electric trains, providing an extra 3,500 seats on weekdays.
- Glasgow to Lanark: the introduction of brand-new class 385 electric trains providing more comfortable journeys on the majority of services.
- Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High: more 42-minute journeys and an average journey time of just 47 minutes on weekdays.
- Edinburgh to Stirling, Alloa and Dunblane: all services will be operated by brand-new class 385 electric trains, with faster journey times and 1,500 extra weekday seats.
- Glasgow to Stirling, Alloa and Dunblane: all services will be operated by brand-new class 385 electric trains, with faster journey times and 4,000 extra weekday seats.
Further timetable improvements will be delivered in December 2019.
What did the officials say?
ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes said:
“The timetable changes we are making will see even more improvements on Scotland's Railway, with the unprecedented investment in new trains and infrastructure delivering faster journeys, more seats and more services for our customers.
“We are now providing 115,000 extra seats every day since the start of the franchise, and everyone across the ScotRail Alliance is working hard to deliver the service that our customers expect and deserve.”
Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity said:
“This Scottish Government wants rail to continue to grow, making it an attractive alternative to the car. Our ongoing investment is expected to deliver real benefits, not only through improved infrastructure but also as more new and upgraded trains enter service.
“We also want passengers to benefit from the additional capacity and look to the ScotRail Alliance to ensure as smooth a timetable change as possible.”
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ScotRail should start using the Class 385s on the Shotts Line between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central following the completion of the Shotts Line electrification.
Sad to see the Class 314s go for scrap as Class 385s are replacing them. Except Scotrail will keep the Class 320 and Class 318 as those trains were built in the 1980s aswell the Class 153 & Class 156 DMU Sprinters that were also built in the 1980s.