ScotRail HST Class 43 First Class - Aberdeen to Edinburgh

[@barbaralcharles]

Outstanding. You showed a lot of it, which is appreciated, and your photography was top notch.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching and appreciate the comment. The east coast is a beautiful part of the UK.

[@sarribel]

How beautiful and magnificent the river Dee is. These sneaky, brave mighty waters guarded HM the Queen in her last trip. THX

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi, thanks for watching - appreciated.

[@laurah7254]

I wouldn´t think that the landscape of that route is sooo stunning. I´m going to Edinburgh in 3 months and now thanks to your video I´m considerin taking the train to Aberdeen from Edinburgh. it´s amazing!!!!

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi Laura, thank you for watching. You should, it is a lovely journey.

[@KempSimon]

The best part of the rail journey from Edinburgh to Aberdeen is when you cross the Rivers Forth and Tay by two amazing Victorian bridges!

[@stormhammerfirebrand5820]

Another great report! A few months ago, myself and a couple of long time friends did a few HST moves between Edinburgh/Dundee. Good to see the old girls in revenue earning service, even though we hated them back in the early 80's due to them replacing the Deltics! Also - honestly didn't know about the Scotrail booze ban! We were all having "refreshments" throughout the day, and the guards on all trains never mentioned it!

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching and for you continued support. Yeah, the ban on alcohol is weird - they announced ’ScotRail have a zero tolerance on alcohol’ although nobody really enforced it at all. I’d quite happily spend all day on 125’s or LNER’s 225’s.

[@rolandharmer6402]

Fabulous scenery! Great pictures. Thanks for posting.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, appreciated and thank you for watching. A lovely journey and the weather gods were in my favour.

[@nigelphillips1385]

Travelled this route many times. Loved it and still do

[@Pik871229]

I always traveled with HST between Aberdeen and Edinburgh back to my time when studying there...provided by East Coast Train. Miss the old days

[@gwengemmell2822]

I went on them in First Class. I think it is absolutely excellent 😮😃😃😃

[@ametrinemoon]

What no catering at all? Nice to see a route I love and I've not been into Aberdeen for yonks.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - appreciated. No, absolutely nothing, there’s even a cafe car on board that’s just shut so they have the faculty to do it. Crazy days, but it is a fantastic route - from Aberdeen to Berwick

[@SMILEVIDEOTRAINS]

great journey. great train. nicely presented. thank you

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - appreciated and totally appreciate the comment. Thank you again.

[@AleksGawel]

U what

[@emmaslater7927]

I loved this video it was amazing.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thank you for watching - appreciated and glad you enjoyed it!

[@devon896]

Regarding the refurb all they've done is changed the carpets, installed a PIS board and put leather covers over the old GWR ones. They haven't done anything else to First Class.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - appreciated

[@kevanhubbard9673]

I think that Scot Rail use ex GWR HST 's but shortened.Does seem a bit over powered using two big locos on a 4 car train and they would probably be better off using a DVT at one end .

[@hermanmunster3358]

One end was a DVT, when he looked through the window 11:15 at the end of the coach, you could see that it was a guards van.

[@TheArkamedBat]

@@hermanmunster3358 That's a engine, although there is a guard area.

[@hermanmunster3358]

@@TheArkamedBat Ah ok, I thought the actual motor took up most of the space in the power car, and the guards van was only at one end of the train. You live and learn.

[@typhoon-7]

It wouldn't work. First of all, redundancy but also the ability to climb Slochd summit with one power car in poor rail conditions is too risky. At the very least it would lose time, at worst it would slip to a stand.

[@JohnSmith-zx3ch]

That's sort of the point though - asides the obvious redundancy point made below, they're incredibly fast due to the high power to weight ratio. They get up to 100 in no time at all, miles faster than the 170s they replaced on most of these services. On one power car they offer fairly similar performance to a 170.

[@timbounds7190]

I wonder how many times those HSTs have been refurbished / refitted / repainted???? Normally most of the refurbs look worse than the original, but I was quite impressed by the latest appearance of 1st class in the vid! Nice looking seats, though I thought the tartan carpet was a Scottish cliche too far.

[@stephenblanchard8973]

...another top review...catering is a must...and It's unfortunate about the alcohol ban...!?

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thank you watching - appreciated. Yeah it is unfortunate although there are ways around it. 😃

[@Lita1]

That's a nice looking train I liked this video The Geordie Travels yes!!!!👍😅

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi, thanks for watching - appreciated and yes they are nice looking trains.

[@anthonywarrener1881]

Thank you for an excellent review. The refurbished HSTs are excellent, and their ride and seat quality is far superior to the LNER Azumas ! The lack of onboard service now is a disgrace, and the non availability of alcohol smacks of interference from the Scottish government. Scotrail really should sort out the use of these trains, as they are underused. On the other hand they have said they will be keeping the HSTs until 2030 !

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thank you for watching - appreciate the comment. Totally agree, but the lack of on board facilities is shocking, ScotRail are missing out on potential being a great operator. I’ll happily keep using them whenever I’m in Scotland, just keep the moonshine under the seat!?

[@realman6ft6]

Wow no refreshments not even hot/cold drinks and biscuits/ snacks?

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi, thanks for watching - nope, absolutely nothing.

[@gftyhify]

My birthplace the Granite City

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi thanks for watching - appreciated. A lovely place too, I had a fair bit of time and had a good walk around.

[@gftyhify]

@@TheGeordieTravels did you know Aberdeen is where you can also catch the longest train journey in the U.K. once a week on Saturday mornings at around 8.30 there is a train that goes all the way to Penzance. 44 stops 13 and Half hours in a cross country voyager

[@milesthemelonator]

What do ScotRail give as the reason for no catering in first class? They can't really use the covid excuse anymore

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi, thanks for watching. Appreciated. Scotrail didn't give an excuse, they have all the facilities to but just don't.

[@peterboulton137]

Didnt like the loud conversation from other passengers-----inconsiderate!!

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - appreciated. Agree with that

[@hermanmunster3358]

The Scots don't even pay for their prescriptions, so it stands to reason that they are tighter than a fishes a*se when it comes to hospitality on their trains 😜 The seats in the coaches do look fantastic though, but do they REALLY need to splatter everything with tartan? I think if I was to make that trip, I would go LNER, as they seem to offer much better value for money.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - appreciated. Yeah I agree with the ‘tightness’ 😂😂 fair point.

[@typhoon-7]

LNER also offer a rock hard seat and sterile ambience....

[@hermanmunster3358]

@@typhoon-7 Their first class seats are supposed to be better, apparently. And you can get a good price on advance tickets.

[@nkt1]

@@hermanmunster3358 I travelled Edinburgh to Inverness and back over Christmas, Azuma north, ScotRail HST back, first class each way. I liked the Azuma, but the HST seats were vastly more comfortable. You can tell that just by looking at them. There was catering on the HST, but it was limited to self-service water and biscuits; apparently there had been hot drinks on the train’s previous working. To be fair, it was late afternoon on Hogmanay, and there were umpteen cancellations due to the weather.

[@JohnSmith-zx3ch]

We do pay for our prescriptions - via our higher income tax in comparison with England and Wales.