ScotRail (the national operator of rail services in Scotland) has announced a big step-change in its intercity trains, partnering with Beacon Rail Leasing for replacement trains.
Currently, ScotRail operates High Speed Trains (HST) Trainsets. These will be replaced with twenty-two Class 222 trains, which will be leased by Beacon, whilst Alstom will provide the associated technical support, spares, and maintenance services.
The trains will undergo an extensive £80million overhaul and refurbishment prior to delivery to ScotRail, supported by £67million of investment from the Scottish Government.
The HSTs, which operate on intercity routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness, will be replaced by more modern Class 222s, with the first of the new trains to arrive in service by late 2027, with the HSTs due to exit before the end of 2028.
Despite the HSTs being popular with customers since their introduction to ScotRail in 2018, the arrival of the Class 222s will be a boost for staff and customers, with the last HST expected to be removed from service by December 2028.
Refurbishment will be undertaken by Alstom, and the makeover will include:
- Full exterior repaint and updated livery.
- Comprehensive interior refresh, including new carpets and a full interior repaint.
- A new passenger information system, including multimedia displays.
- New Wi-Fi with Low Earth Orbit Satellite connectivity and voice-over-Internet phone capability.
- Family-friendly area, providing space for passengers with an unfolded pushchair.
- Wheelchair facilities in both First Class and two spaces in Standard Class.
- Storage for six bikes.
- New electronic seat reservation system.
- New CCTV system – enhancing the safety and security of customers and staff.
- Intelligent Engine Start Stop (automatically stops an engine to reduce emissions).
- New First and Standard Class seats and tables, with plug sockets, USB-A and USB-C at every seat.
- Onboard catering facilities to support at-seat and trolley service.
- Reconfigured carriage layout to maximise window alignment and luggage storage.
Six Class 222s will be used specifically for training, and they will start to arrive in early 2027, giving staff around nine months to get used to the new way of working before they go through the refurbishment programme.
The trains will also undergo an extensive maintenance regime before they are delivered, including overhauls of critical components, such as engines.
When the fleet enters passenger service, ScotRail will carry out the maintenance on the fleet supported by a comprehensive technical support and spares supply agreement with Alstom, worth around £250million over the next 10 years.
In Quotes
Joanne Maguire, ScotRail Managing Director, said:
“This is fantastic news for our customers and our staff, as we continue to work towards delivering a safe, green, and reliable railway.
“More modern trains are a significant factor in encouraging more people to leave the car at home and travel by rail, and this investment will deliver a considerable improvement in the journey experience.
“Introducing fully refurbished trains ensures customers will see immediate benefits, with enhancements in comfort, accessibility, and reliability.
“We are looking forward to working with our partners and the Scottish Government in the coming weeks and months as we begin the refurbishment programme and get set to welcome this fleet to ScotRail.”
Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, said:
“Resilient, reliable ScotRail services are key to encouraging more people to choose to travel by train for work, leisure and learning. Millions of journeys are made on our intercity routes between our key cities each year, and we want to encourage even more people to do so.
“This contract award takes our ambitions a step further as we move forward with replacing the existing intercity fleet with trains that offer improved facilities and accessibility. The replacement fleet will provide a range of modern passenger features, and the contract also ensures that Scottish suppliers have opportunities to contribute their expertise and services.
“This latest milestone in our rolling programme of decarbonisation supports longterm reliability across our intercity routes, making Scotland’s railway a more attractive and greener travel choice.”
Rob Whyte, Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom, said:
“This agreement represents a significant vote of confidence in Alstom’s ability to support reliable, high-quality rail services across Scotland. 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.
“This investment also underlines our commitment to sustaining skilled jobs, developing engineering capability and supporting the UK rail supply chain as the industry continues its transition to a more sustainable railway.”
Adam Cunliffe, Beacon Chief Executive Officer, said:
“We are delighted to have been awarded this contract to support ScotRail with our Class 222 fleet, helping deliver high‑quality, high‑speed services for their customers.
Working in partnership with ScotRail and Alstom on the upgrade programme for these trains will enhance the on‑board experience for passengers across Scotland. We look forward to seeing the refurbished trains enter service.”
A big step change
I understand the love HSTs (Intercity 125s, or two Class 43s with Mark III rolling stock) – and that’s me in the past, when I used to make a beeline for a train operated with an HST, rather than locomotive-hauled stock (or a multiple unit).
But HSTs over the years are the equivalent of “The Ship of Theseus” or “Trigger’s Broom“. Over their lives, they’ve had multiple rebirths, replacement engines, the works. With the rest of the UK industry moving towards multiple units for passenger use (bar a few exceptions), the cost of maintenance seems to be the final thing to push them for removal from the main line railway (given ScotRail is the last operator to have them plying daily commercial services).
The Class 222 trains are coming from East Midlands Railway, which itself is replacing them with Class 810 bi-mode units. Given that ScotRail is taking 22 units, it represents the remainder of the fleet being leased by the Scotish rail operator (with the remaining units being leased by Lumo).
There is an interesting wrinkle to this – ScotRail aren’t just putting them into service. Rather, they’ve chosen to commit to an extensive overhaul and refit of these trains, including a new seating layout.
We’ll have to see what this looks like, but this could represent a real step-change when they enter service in 2027.
For those who want a last chance of travelling on an HST in normal commercial service, you’d better head to Scotland sooner, rather than later.
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