ScotRail

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ScotRail

Franchise(s):	ScotRail 1997 - 16 October 2004
Main area(s):	Scotland
Other area(s):	London, Watford, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle and Newcastle
Fleet size:	309
Stations called at:	336
Parent company:	National Express
Web site:	www.scotrail.co.uk

ScotRail was the brand name created in 1984 under its manager Chris Green under which British Rail during the Sectorisation era^[1] and, following privatisation, GNER and National Express operated passenger rail services in Scotland and cross border services to Northern England and London. The franchise transferred from National Express to First Group, under the name First ScotRail, on 17 October 2004 after First Group outbid National Express in the first re-franchising round post privatisation. National Express operated the franchise for a total of seven years, from 1997 through to 2004.

Fleet

When ScotRail was created by BR, services were operated by a variety of diesel locomotives and coaching stock together with diesel and electric multiple units. Prior to the introduction of Class 158 DMUs by British Rail and later Class 170 DMUs by National Express, services were operated by slam-door stock such as the Class 101 DMUs.

ScotRail - to replace slam door stock - received 46 Class 158 units from 1989-1992, and post privatisation, National Express ordered a total of 55 Class 170 units from 1999-2004 (First would receive the last of the units ordered by National Express and would later transfer 4 units from its Hull Trains subsidiary) and by 2004, the only slam door services were also the only locomotive hauled services, the Caledonian Sleeper services from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William along with a single regional service between Edinburgh Waverley and North Berwick. First ScotRail have since leased electric multiple units to run between Edinburgh and North Berwick.

ScotRail, since privatisation, has contracted EWS to haul the Caledonian Sleeper between London and Scotland. EWS operate a dedicated pool of 5 Class 90 electric locomotives to haul the Caledonian Sleeper between London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central, together with a fleet of Class 67 diesel locomotives to haul the various sleeper portions north of Edinburgh and Glasgow. When British Rail and National Express ran ScotRail, Class 37 diesel locomotives were used in place of the Class 67 locomotives, an arrangement which continued under First Group through to 2006.

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Built
			mph	km/h
Class 101		Diesel multiple unit	70	112	1956 - 1959
Class 150 Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	1984 - 1987
Class 156 Super Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	1987 - 1989
Class 158 Express Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	90	145	1989 - 1992
Class 170 Turbostar		Diesel multiple unit	100	160	1999
Class 303 Blue Train		Electric multiple unit	75	120	1959 - 1961
Class 314		Electric multiple unit	75	120	1979 - 1980
Class 318		Electric multiple unit	90	145	1986
Class 320		Electric multiple unit	75	120	1986
Class 322		Electric multiple unit	100	160	1989
Class 334 Juniper		Electric multiple unit	90	145	2000
Mk.2 Coach		Passenger Rolling stock	100	160	1969 - 1974
Mk.3 Coach		Passenger Rolling stock	125	200	1975 - 1988

Livery

BR

ScotRail, under BR used customised versions of the existing British Rail liveries, with passenger locomotives and coaching stock painted in a lightly modified version of the InterCity Executive livery. The red stripe was replaced with a saltire blue stripe, and the InterCity name was replaced with the ScotRail name. Diesel and Electric multiple units carried normal versions of the Regional Railways livery.

ScotRail branding on Mark 2 coach number 5174 at the Northampton & Lamport Railway on the 26 January 2008. This carriage carries Regional Railways livery.

National Express

The first unique ScotRail livery was introduced shortly after privatisation under National Express, who introduced their own livery. Initially, vehicles received the new ScotRail logo applied with vinyl stickers; a stylised outline of Scotland composed of three flashes in the corporate colours of green, red and purple. Multiple units were painted into the new livery with bodies in white (lower half) and purple (upper half) with green, red and white stripes bordering the purple, overlain by and a wide diagonal white band in the centre of the carriage. There were no units left with Regional Railways livery in Scotland at the end of the National Express franchise period, although the Class 305 electric units retained it until withdrawal in 2001. The latter were replaced by ex-Stansted Skytrain Class 322 units which were never repainted under the National Express franchise, receiving only ScotRail logo transfers. When the Class 322 hire ended in 2004, they were replaced on the North Berwick branch by EWS Class 90 electric locomotives hauling former Virgin Trains Mk.3 coaching stock, in the old Virgin red and grey livery, again with ScotRail logo transfers.

First

First Group have introduced their regional livery of pink, grey and purple and a new logo of a pink circle and an italicised "f" character. Legislation requiring train doors to be painted in a contrasting colour to the body for visually-impaired passengers has resulted in white doors with a pink stripe. Like National Express, First applied their logo on units by transfer until repainting. A large number of units now been re-branded into this livery, including the Class 322 units re-acquired (and refurbished) for North Berwick service and the Class 90 locomotives used on Caledonian Sleeper services.

Transport Scotland

Transport Scotland has come up with a new livery which will be applied to all of Scotland's trains, when they go into maintenance. Unit 170434 has already been painted into the new livery. The new livery is dark blue background, with grey doors and a white dotted 'Saltire' Scottish flag. A new logo is also applied, ScotRail, with the tag line 'Scotland's Railway'. Stations and staff uniforms are also getting a new look - dark blue. This livery is not going to be replaced when the franchise ends. ^[2]

External links

• http://www.railscot.co.uk/ScotRail/frame.htm

References