The Four Train Routes Between Glasgow and Edinburgh

[@Aidythistle1231]

Just a tip for riding those 334 units, the carriages on either end of the unit are in a 2+2 configuration and armrests. A lot more comfortable for the long journey. Great video Nick.

[@rjs23565]

The Bathgate route was a complete route to Edinburgh before the 50s but the Airdrie to Bathgate section was closed to passengers in 1956. My gran used to go in the "blue Train" to Helensburgh from Airdrie when she fancied a day out at the seaside.

[@ricoblade1]

Thanks Nick and crew - That slow service from Queen Street Lower bailed me out recently when the Falkirk High line was blocked and I still made my connection at Waverley, resilience is good!

[@InkItOut]

A couple days after this video was filmed we had the same issue, all trains were cancelled via Falkirk High so we had to take the long route via Bathgate. However even though it was longer we still made it with plenty of time for our train at Edinburgh!

[@scotland753]

ive got an idea for a point to point its its charing X in glasgow - charing x in london

[@mrvwbug4423]

Perth to Perth haha, though that might be a rather long trip haha.

[@eugenedonaghy1]

Montrose in Scotland to Montrose in Ireland

[@anerdtravels]

​@@eugenedonaghy1Steve Marsh did Montrose in Scotland to Montreux in Switzerland, so along similar lines!

[@RealBrik2]

London in England to London in Canada 😂😂😂

[@myonlydemandisbacktowork8759]

@@RealBrik2 let me copy your idea - Edmonton in London to Edmonton in Alberta 😁

[@sueKay]

I live fairly close to Helensburgh and I've only done the Glasgow - Edinburgh stretch of the Helensburgh - Edinburgh route twice. It might not be the longest but it just has so many stops...and it's the busiest of the routes. I always change at Queen Street and get the train that goes via Falkirk High.

[@Sim0nTrains]

There was a 5th route via Falkirk Grahamston which was a quite route between Glasgow and Edinburgh but sadly been withdrawn an some of those puns were bad-ley 😂 But a good idea that was well executed (will admit, did hear this idea the night before Leven opened) great video

[@CoastwayWill]

Honestly, 4 routes were more than enough, I think a 5th route would've broken us! Bathgate was grueeeling 😆

[@thomascook578]

I hated working those, felt like a lifetime on them, used to get passengers on them at queen street not realising they were over an hour journey time

[@abtravel0279]

The 5th via Cumbernauld ultimately went as it was a delay nightmare. On the stretch through Edinburgh Park pre covid, you had 2ph semi fast to Dunblane, 2ph to Queen St all stops via Cumbernauld, 4ph to Queen Street via Falkirk High (split stopping pattern to give all except Haymarket/Falkirk High 2ph, the other stops having 4ph). Then you had 2ph semi fast to Milngavie and also 2ph semi fast to Helensburgh, both via Airdrie/Bathgate. Throw in the handful of other operators services that used the route and you sometimes had 13-14 trains per hour in each direction through the section at Edinburgh Park, averaging about a train every 3-4 minutes. Many of the Queen Street fasts via Falkirk High were still 4 cars at this point though, as were the Dunblane’s. Something had to give and the choice was made as a result of covid to reduce the number of trains, but lengthen most of them to 6 or 8 cars. Not only did this save money, but it freed up space and maintained a similar level of capacity compared to what was running before.

[@thomascook578]

​@@abtravel0279Newbridge Jn was and still is a nightmare, one thing goes wrong there...boof chaos

[@nigelkthomas9501]

I was thought Falkirk Grahamston was just for Sunday services as Falkirk High was shut on a Sunday. Incidentally, have you ever been to Falkirk High? It’s a very healthy walk from the centre of town!

[@kieranbeecroft8414]

@4:37 you have passed Kirknewton, my home, and fail to mention that with increased trains the Level Crossing there can now be down for upto 20 minutes a go. My record is 5 trains passing through before the barriers opened!

[@richardsinclair7076]

Simply love you videos. When I was younger I would take a train to any destination just for the pleasure of rail travel. Thank you all for sharing your adventures. Look forward to sharing your next trip.

[@katrinabryce]

Crosscountry also run one train per day between Glasgow and Edinburgh, on the same route as LNER.

[@paultidd9332]

07:15 I think you need to do a video on how many devices you can power from one train socket 😂

[@davidheyworth7947]

I just plug my ebike battery in... it works

[@77smp]

There's technically a fifth but it's not direct. No change of stations or platform but a change of train at Falkirk Grahamston. Having done all these routes I'm keen to watch 🙂 Also just found out that the 21:05 Cross-country service from Glasgow doesn't run anymore, it was unique in not going via Haymarket but coming in from the south. Cool, hope you enjoyed it 🙂 Regional service indeed, it's an express Intercity route! The fact it's not very long, or fast, and prone to flooding is beside the point! 😉

[@Saint_Dan132]

you went passed where i grew up, garrowhill , what a video thanks for coming to visit my lovley city and this train route is how my hubby gets to uni, the Glasgow central express to Edinburgh

[@shaunflanagan8735]

I stay right beside the Glasgow to Edinburgh via shotts line as I live in Bellshill lol those train go by my house many many times a day 😂

[@mark2rob]

Thanks, love your videos and enjoy the contributions from your travelling companions.

[@NickBadley]

Thank youuuuu!!

[@kevinoconnor2754]

This is a great video, and thanks for posting it. It feels like there could be other cities in the UK where this would work. I think there are at least three routes: Manchester-Liverpool and a similar number: Sheffield-Leeds. There are probably more that could create this into a mini series.

[@stevenking9346]

Edinburgh to Glasgow Central via Carstairs takes less than an hour if go with LNER or Cross Country. Scotrail only takes longer because it has more stops and has to wait at Carstairs for a while. Also the train you got to Queens street low level. Stops at Partick. Where you can get to Glasgow Central low level and Motherwell. saves you ever walking between Central and Queen Street.

[@TheSamGrahamShow]

I work with Clara at The Bo’Ness and Kinneil Railway :)

[@paultidd9332]

That’s a great heritage railway, just a shame it doesn’t link with a mainline railway service.

[@Thatspuremental]

@@paultidd9332it would be good to see a service from Edinburgh Waverley or heck haymarket to Bo’ness

[@peterski2925]

1:30 mini tram chilling at the train's window

[@ccityplanner1217]

New challenge idea: Scotrail Pendler: you have 24 hours to go back & forth between Edinburgh (counted as touching the Scott Monument) and Glasgow (touching the state of the Duke of Wellington) as many times as possible. However, you cannot use the same route (counted as a train or bus that has the same calling pattern or the same calling pattern in reverse for the section between Edinburgh & Glasgow) more than once. You can start or finish as early or as late as you like but it must be done within one 24-hour period.

[@Thornaby37]

Great video comparing the four routes 👍 The Shotts line is considerably faster than when I first did it in 1988 in a first generation (class 107) DMU

[@MrPaulFCockburn]

Some trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Shotts stop at 19 stations-which is about the same number as the Bathgate/Airdrie option.

[@auldfouter8661]

Fun fact - my granny was born at Muirhouse farm in 1896 , which is now long gone but it was right next to Falkirk High Station.

[@Trainspotting_Mayhem]

Cross Country also goes via the Carstairs route to get from Edinburgh to Glasgow

[@Thebusandtrainenthusaist]

Via shots is crazy packed during rush hour

[@skerryvorefan1684]

i was at central the other day going from corker hill it was good to go on a class 380 again ❤

[@fenpikey]

I wonder if the Irn-Bru vending machine was deliberately placed near a girder! And I also wonder how many get what I mean!!!!! 😉

[@colinnich]

Anyone who's Scottish I imagine. And over 40 😂

[@fenpikey]

@@colinnich Lol, yer probably right!! 🤣🤣

[@Nooticus]

Great video as always, and very funny that you published it when I was visiting Edinburgh

[@stanley3647]

In "old days" Nottingham to Skegness summer service has one train per day with 8 carriages plus 2 locos. It was a bit surreal to look at this set in tight curves on this line. But because HST sets was withdrawn from service - not anymore.

[@MB100-u8f]

I thought it would be 4 people racing each other but it's better to see you all together

[@mik99D]

Another good one. I thought that it would be one person for each service. But this had better feedback from the group.

[@nathanw9770]

Crosscountry occasionally use 8 or 9 cars trains on some of their services, I think mainly Edinburgh to Plymouth. It's more of an Intercity service than Regional though. Still very rare for a service that doesn't touch London though.

[@Gordanovich02]

To be fair to the Airdrie-Bathgate route it was always meant to be a suburban service that happened to have a large city at each end, rather than being an out-and-out intercity service.

[@ReecesTrains]

That was a great video and idea, Nick! I can say with complete honest that I haven't been on all four and probably only done two of them! 😂

[@SamsVlogstrainsmore]

Great vlog Nick. I’ve been to both Glasgow and Edinburgh but not taken the train between the 2 cities before.

[@ReubenAshwell]

Brilliant video Nick, I thought the joke about the caledonian sleeper train sleeping at the depot was brilliant.

[@JoshHodginsTrains]

Thanks

[@JayJourneys_1]

Do you film trains)

[@JoshHodginsTrains]

@@JayJourneys_1 no

[@NickBadley]

Thank you!

[@JoshHodginsTrains]

@@NickBadley you're welcome

[@JayJourneys_1]

@@NickBadley you welcome

[@simon11235]

Another great video - excellent!

[@FusionZenFlame]

I was suprised how fast the Edinburgh - Glasgow Queen Street via Faliirk High was... It was my first time riding a 385 but I didnt know about Scotrail Express services beforehand. It blew my mind because of how efficient fhe connection is.

[@therathergoodengineer9285]

the fastest routes take between 39 and 43 minutes! they dont stop at croy or polmont.

[@FusionZenFlame]

@@therathergoodengineer9285 I went on the one that skipped Croy. Then on return I stopped at all the stops.

[@Ayrshore]

I’m watching this while sitting on the platform at Waverley having realised the train I came for here leaves 30 minutes before the next one but arrives in glasgow 3 minutes later, at the wrong station.

[@acfbrown1]

I mainly use the Falkirk High route as it's back to every 15 minutes off peak in the week but if I'm going to Glasgow Central I might go from Slateford or Wester Hailes. I've only used the Airdrie-Bathgate route once in 2016 to see my sister when she lived by Partick station.

[@MichaelScott-kw6gv]

Fantastic Video. Well Done.

[@david1731048]

Whilst its great they opened a continuous roure from Helensburgh to Edinburgh, its so slow that its quicker to get off at Q St, go upstairs, wait for a Falkirk High service and you'll still be in Edinburgh first.

[@DTPORT5723]

There was previously five. The hourly Glasgow Queen Street - Cumbernauld - Falkirk Grahamston service was extended to Edinburgh some point after the E&G electrification works but was cut back to Fkg in the May 2022 timetable change as part of the "fit for future" scheme. If memory serves right it took about 1hr15m end to end. To be honest ..while it was nice having a direct link (living in Springburn area), very few people would go all the way through so wasn't making a massive profit - and this is pre-covid I'm talking. People from my way can just change in Glasgow, and people in and near Cumbernauld could travel a brief distance to Croy with its large Park & Ride facility and just get the fast service there.

[@garymacdonald7165]

The train via "Shotts" is the one for Glasgow to Heriot Watt University (get off at Currie)

[@RoyTheMouth]

Edinburgh to Glasgow via the Airdrie to Bathgate Route I managed to do as a pub crawl with railway colleagues!! You are right there is a lot of station stops! 🍻🤣🤣

[@officialmcdeath]

Love the Shotts (sic) when the crew emerge from behind you \m/

[@teecefamilykent]

Brilliant video, for pointless journeys have you thought of doing: Bromley north to bromley south via bromley by bow and bromley cross? Or Sydenham NI to Sydenham London?

[@YTdannycookevids]

..I did Edinburgh Waverley from Wallyford.. Couldn't stop being entertained by the name, noted they have LNER, TPE, Lumo ect through there, so suspect I was on the main route in. P.S. also caught the Sleeper leaving Fort William (recommended visit up there. Quiet, but scenic!)

[@tickyjim]

What train service is most accommodating for large pieces of luggage going from Glasgow to Edinburgh? My wife and I will have two large pieces of luggage. Thank you!

[@MichaelTavares]

Nick Badley? More like Nick Goodley!

[@hoover517]

I last rode between Edinburgh and Glasgow in 1982 on a push pull set. Class 47 and DVT

[@therathergoodengineer9285]

wow, consider yourself lucky

[@Clivestravelandtrains]

The film omitted the Cumbernauld route, which had direct trains Glasgow-Edinburgh until the timetable rationalisation post-Covid. Now it involves a change of trains at Falkirk Grahamston. When these were running through, people sometimes caught them at Edniburgh without realissing they weren't the fast trains! I believe the plan is to re-instate them when passenger numbers reaches pre-Covid levels again.

[@DanBen07]

I have a suggestion for video where you travel between two stations in different ways. Example 1: East Croydon and West Croydon one way you would go by rail and have to change trains and the other way you go directly by tram. Example 2: You take two destinations and go one way by train and the other by bus and see which is better.

[@Computer895]

You are ridding the gossip line today and got on at reddish south and you got off in Denton

[@Northerner_Transport_Hub]

Another great video Nick! Seems like you and Natt had a nice time in Scotland. One thing I will say is that, despite having guests that do the journeys with you is nice, I miss the videos that just you and Natt used to do. No offence to your friends though.

[@joshtrains-qr8ie]

WOW i did not know thereee are so many foreigners in scotland.!!!

[@CoastwayWill]

2/4 people in this video are Scottish to some degree

[@GazzaBins]

Clara is from Scotland.

[@owenstockwood5040]

A tip for if you find yourself on a 334 again, try sitting in the driving cars, as those have seating in a 2+2 arrangement, rather than the 2+3 in the middle coach. That, and you also get arm rests.

[@davejoey]

Enjoyable video as usual Nick! As there were 4 of you, I thought you all were going to do a route each. Also why was there 2 editing cuts when Natt was talking at the 9 min mark?

[@NickBadley]

They were two rather long pauses so I just cut them out as to improve the flow a bit!

[@CoastwayWill]

@davejoey I had planned this one and we were considering a format like this, but in the end decided just to be a bit more free flowing (plus I had to remake my notes on the spot as I'd left them back at my flat!)

[@MrBobSter82]

⁠@@NickBadley Hello there. Plz go Plymouth 1 day

[@Lewisjma21]

@@NickBadleyhey nick! Can u do a ‘how many trains we do’ Chesterfield-Derby-Birmingham New Street-Leicester-Nottingham-Chesterfield

[@From_Keyboard_to_Journey]

great vlog all of you

[@deltic1964]

Great Video Nick havent seen a Pointless Journey off you in a while is one looming??

[@tommarshall1660]

Working on the premise that we have had The 3 musketeers. Now we have the " 4 stooges". No offence meant guys lol Great video.....

[@NickBadley]

4 stooges, I like it!

[@tommarshall1660]

@@NickBadley I hoped you would Nick and Nat. Remember and vote tomorrow.

[@therathergoodengineer9285]

Could you do Edinburgh to Glasgow train vs bus.

[@Listenerandlearner870]

There seem to be many trains from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh.so it is not necessary to go to Queen St.

[@joshuaellams9216]

you say that about the 8 car services, on a very rare occasion, Liverpoool - blackpool had 8 car 319s during peak time

[@SuperKurashima]

This means you've passed through Breich, which was at one point Britains least used station

[@luketaylorsversion13]

I think the Carstairs one vaires on stops

[@MrPaulFCockburn]

Also, quirky historical fact: the eastern terminus for the original Edinburgh-Glasgow line was, in fact, Haymarket Station. The underground extension linking it to Waverley Station came a tad later…

[@abby4590lohan]

Could you do from Blackpool north to Blackpool south but a longer route

[@therathergoodengineer9285]

What about Blackpool north to the pleasure beach station

[@jacobporrett]

Great video Nick. I enjoyed watching. With four of you and four routes why didn't you have a race? That would have been good.

[@DitzyNizzy2009]

It would have to have been a time trial, as they don't all go at the same time.

[@jacobporrett]

@@DitzyNizzy2009 something like that yeah.

[@dianekivi5349]

What about fron Edinburgh up to Sterling change then take another train to Glasgow!

[@dianekivi5349]

What about Glasgow via Springburn Falkirk Gramerston to Edinburgh!

[@Andrewjg_89]

But which one is the quickest to get to Glasgow from Edinburgh by train. I would say via Shotts since the Shotts line have been electrified.

[@nkt1]

The express service via Falkirk High is by far the quickest. As mentioned in the video, it takes around 50 minutes, and all four routes are electrified.

[@Brucemcleod2345]

What is the most scenic route for a tourist with suitcases?

[@Joshthetrainspotter85]

Coatbridge Sunnyside used to be my local station now jst recently a moved so local stations now Lenzie Did you go on the last Glasgow Subway 2nd Gen stock btw?

[@simonwaldman5497]

The term "regional" feels perjorative to me, and is mostly only used by rail geeks and Londoners... Is it "regional" to travel between Scotland's two biggest cities?

[@PaulDean-y5o]

Brilliant 😊

[@andrewbeadle9168]

HELENSBURGH - GLASGOW QUEEN STREET- BATHGATE- EDINBURGH end to end is 2hrs 04 mins ( monday to friday) 2hrs 22 mins ( sundays and late evenings)

[@Mz-ui]

Nice Vine reference :)

[@alexturlais8558]

Great video. Was there a difference is ticket price?

[@bridgethuggett1052]

No, its the same price by any route

[@dirty_mac]

Dang you never got to ride the declassified first class on a class 385 (it's declassified on every route except via Falkirk High)

[@lazerjetjordanscottcrawfor2008]

juniper's are cool becuase i love these trains

[@RE-mm3nw]

You commented on the intermediate stops on the Bathgate line between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street low level as having the most stops, that is incorrect. The line between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central via Shotts has the most at 19 stops.

[@billmilligan1705]

You never mentioned the annual all women Ruud Gullet lookalike contest in Airdrie.

[@MichaelTavares]

How does ticketing work? If I turned up at Edinburgh and bought a ticket to Glasgow could I catch a train on any of those routes? Or do I have to buy a ticket for a specific route?

[@DitzyNizzy2009]

It looks like any of them, as a ticket via each one costs the same.

[@networkerfan]

what about via Falkirk Grahams ton

[@thedevonianfootiefan9871]

Point to Point Idea, It’s rather Long, but Tynemouth to Teignmouth or vice versa

[@RichardOldroyd]

I thought each of you were going to do a route each.

[@roberthillman5057]

Avanti use Carstairs diverting for Lon Edinburgh service via Birmingham

[@allanm6246]

There is a faster train on the Airdrie - Bathgate line which skips a lot of the stations.

[@camero3266]

Who are the people you did it with

[@InkItOut]

There’s me (Natt), Coastway Will and Clara! :)

[@ljjordanscottcrawford2008]

once i got a first class seat once

[@paulharvey9149]

It has to be said, the demand for the first three is distinctly underwhelming, if the number of unoccupied seats around you are anything to go by...! Also, there was until the covid lockdowns, a fifth Edinburgh - Glasgow route, via Falkirk Grahamston, Cumbernauld and Springburn; and until 1968 these was indeed a sixth route between the two cities - via Dunfermline, Oakley and Stirling (although I believe the odd one of these may have turned off after Alloa and crossed the Forth Viaduct to Larbert and therefore omitting Stirling, which might be a sort of seventh route, if you think about it! Also, it might be worth just mentioning that the Airdrie to Bathgate route isn't new, it is in fact a reopening of a through route that was closed to passengers in 1956 and to freight in 1982; and that it didn't all reopen at once as the short, single track, unelectrified branch from Ratho Junction to a then-new but now-old Bathgate station, reopened in 1984; and the short extension from Airdrie to a differently-sited Drumgelloch station opened in 1987!

[@pal2011]

Don’t forget the bus routes that could be faster (and definitely cheaper)

[@mrvwbug4423]

SRE from GQS to Waverly via Falkirk High is pretty quick. Outside of the handful of intermediate stops the train is usually going 100mph for most of that route.

[@johnclements8534]

Glasgow Queen street springburn cumbernauld falkirk Grahamston haymarket edinbugh

[@mrvwbug4423]

If LNER is withdrawing its Glasgow service does that mean AWC is withdrawing their Edinburgh service? I do know that AWC's Edinburgh service doesn't call in Glasgow, they take the Midcalder bypass to get to Edinburgh without passing through Glasgow.

[@CoastwayWill]

Avanti are keeping their Edinburgh runs. There's plenty of service between Edinburgh and Glasgow you can use in place of the LNER service, but Carlisle to Edinburgh would have a frequency of just a single train every two hours without Avanti

[@QALibrary]

My question is why is it called Shotts?

[@kieranbeecroft8414]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotts

[@Jonathan_55018]

intresting vlog

[@williamwallacedebruce9221]

In Scotland Irn Bru kicks the shit out of Pepsi and Coke

[@TaffieMproductions]

The one thing you could do is go to sandwich railway station and eat a sandwich on the platforms 😂.

[@Dunco3550]

Then go to nearby Ham Railway Station and eat Ham

[@thisisstuart7951]

I thought you were going to have a race

[@georgerutherford24]

Meanwhile folks outside the Central belt have no electric lines and not many trains.

[@mrvwbug4423]

At least there's some electric lines. Wales has basically no electric lines except for the small corridor to/from Cardiff. So you get your choice of crammed to the gills 158 or 197 for most trips in Wales.

[@bigcrispyhied]

52% of the Scottish population stays within 10mls of the M8. I'm afraid the money will nearly always be spent in the central belt.