ScotRail takes delivery of its final InterCity 125 in a programme aimed to boost passenger capacity on the railways; the trains operate on the Highland mainline and Inverness-Aberdeen, among other routes
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A PROGRAMME working to bolster passenger capacity on the rail network and improve journey times has reached its latest milestone.
ScotRail has taken delivery of its final upgraded InterCity 125 high speed train.
The rail operator has been introducing them on rail routes connecting each of Scotland's seven cities – including the Highland mainline and Inverness-Aberdeen route.
The refitted trains, which were also rebranded as Inter7City in recognition of the seven city destinations, can carry more passengers owing to their size. They also provide more luggage capacity.
The arrival of the trains has increased seating capacity by a third.
Journey times between Inverness and the central belt have also been reduced by 10 minutes on average, with Glasgow to Inverness taking less than three hours.
The refurbishment programme was carried out by Wabtec Doncaster (coaches) and Brush Traction Loughborough (power cars) from late 2017 through to 2021.
Syeda Ghufran, ScotRail Engineering Director, said: “The final upgraded Inter7City high speed train to be unveiled in Scotland is the last piece in the jigsaw to connect our seven cities, bringing better on-train facilities and quicker journey times.
“We are confident customers will continue to benefit from all of these enhancements once the current coronavirus restrictions are lifted.”
