In the last eight years, ScotRail’s Class 385 fleet of electric multiple units (EMU) has travelled the equivalent of more than 130 return journeys to the Moon.

The 70-strong electric fleet was introduced in 2018 and, until the end of July this year, had accumulated 62,827,366 miles.

In that time, they have carried an estimated 25.5 million passengers on routes between Edinburgh and Glasgow, across the south side of Glasgow, and east towards North Berwick.

Most of the trains were introduced to replace ScotRail’s Class 170 diesel multiple units (DMU), and resulted in an estimated 82 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared with the diesel units they replaced.

The Class 385 units were built by Hitachi Rail, and are maintained by ScotRail and Hitachi teams at Craigentinny depot in Edinburgh.

The tremendous mileage achieved by the units is recognised across the rail industry for their reliability and performance.

In two of the last three years, they have achieved a Golden Spanner award, which recognises the UK’s most reliable train fleets across a range of categories including performance and maintenance data.

As well as the mileage record achieved by its Class 385 fleet, ScotRail recorded more than 2.1 million passenger journeys in the week from Sunday, 26th July to Saturday, 1st August, which is the most it has ever recorded in a single week.

“Clocking up more than 62 million miles is a significant milestone for the Class 385 fleet and for everyone who works hard to keep the trains running safely and reliably. To put that distance into perspective, it is the equivalent of travelling to the Moon and back more than 130 times. Since entering service in 2018, the trains have carried more than 25 million passengers and have become an important part of daily travel for communities across central Scotland.

The fleet’s two Golden Spanner awards in the past three years show that these trains continue to be recognised across the rail industry for their reliability and performance. They have also helped us significantly reduce the environmental impact of operating these routes, with an estimated 82 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared with the diesel trains they replaced. This achievement reflects the dedication of our engineering teams and the strength of our partnership with Hitachi Rail at Craigentinny.”

Barbara McIntyre, Engineering Director, ScotRail