BRITISH passenger operator ScotRail has signed a contract to replace its inter-city fleet of HST diesel trains with second-hand DMUs leased from Beacon Rail. Operating between Scotland’s seven largest cities, the refurbished HST fleet was introduced by ScotRail in 2018, having become surplus elsewhere in Britain.

However, the fatal derailment of an HST following a landslide at Carmont in August 2020 called into question the crashworthiness of the fleet designed in the 1970s. ScotRail subsequently agreed to replace the fleet with more modern trains.

The HSTs will be replaced with 22 five-car class 222 DMUs formerly operated by East Midlands Railway (EMR), where they are being replaced by class 810 bi-mode trains supplied by Hitachi.

Built by Bombardier (now Alstom) in 2003-2005, the class 222 will start to enter service with ScotRail in late 2027.

The DMUs will be comprehensively refurbished under an £80m programme, to which the Scottish government is contributing £67m in funding. Beacon has awarded Alstom a contract to carry out work including the installation new seats, tables, carpets, LED lighting, onboard Wi-Fi, CCTV, passenger information and seat reservation systems.

The trains will also be fitted with automatic engine start-stop and upgraded cabs. Alstom told IRJ that no decision has yet been made on where refurbishment will take place.

Six non-refurbished trains will be delivered to ScotRail early next year for staff training, with the fully refurbished fleet expected to be in service by December 2028 when the last HSTs will be withdrawn.

Support agreement

ScotRail has also signed a 10-year technical support and spares supply agreement (TSSSA) with Alstom worth £250m, which includes an option for a further six-year extension.

Initial maintenance and support activities will be provided at ScotRail facilities including Polmadie, Haymarket and Inverness. Alstom will supply technicians, supply chain support, spares management, specialist tooling and data hosting services. The contract also includes driver and maintenance personnel “train the trainer” programmes to support fleet introduction.

“The class 222 fleet has a strong service history, and through this comprehensive programme of technical support, refurbishment and heavy maintenance, we will help to ensure these trains continue to deliver a safe, comfortable and dependable experience for passengers for many years to come,” says Rob Whyte, managing director, UK and Ireland, at Alstom.

An Australian version of the HST, known as the XPT and built in Australia in the 1980s, is still in service on inter-city trains from Sydney, although these are due to be withdrawn by the end of this decade.

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