ScotRail Class 170 “Turbostars” 2020 - 2023

Описание: Here come’s the next instalment of the compilation series. Introducing the Class 170 Turbostars…

The Class 170 is a member of the Turbostar family of trains alongside the 168, 171 and 172. Built between 1998 and 2005 by AdTranz and later Bombardier at Derby’s Litchurch Lane factory, 139 of these trains were built in either two or three car configurations. Capable of a top speed of 100mph, their primary role are regional and express services between the majority centres either replacing or running alongside the older Class 158 Sprinters. Their initial introduction was seen with ScotRail in 1999 running the Edinburgh to Glasgow flagship express via Falkirk High, this coincided with the service becoming an every 15 minute shuttle between Scotland’s two biggest cities. They soon followed onto the lines up north to Aberdeen and Inverness. They were originally kitted out with a space to house the RETB equipment should they be deployed onto the West Highland, Far North or Kyle lines in future years although it was never used. ScotRail took delivery of 26 units including two Strathclyde Passenger Transport ordered as part of the failed Class 157 project in 2001. All of the Class 170s passed to First ScotRail in 2004 who ended up becoming the largest operator of the class with 54 units total, having acquired both new sets and ex Hull Trains units after the Meridians entered service. It stayed that way until Abellio took control of the franchise in 2015, after that 170421 - 424 sodded off down to Southern to be reclassified as 171s and more recently 16 sets went down to Northern and another four (416-420) went to EMR in 2019/20. Nowadays due to electrification of almost all central Scotland routes, they only run the Maryhill Line, Fife Circle, Borders Railway and the trunk routes from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness.

Class 170s also played trade with various companies in England and more recently Wales as well. Hull Trains, Central Trains, Midland Mainline, South West Trains and Anglia Railways received the remainder of the units between 1997 and 2001. The first set swap from these units were the Hull Trains sets to be sent to First ScotRail in 2004. Midlands Mainline then withdrew their sets to Central Trains who in turn sent sets to One, South West Trains sent their nine Class 170s to First TransPennine Express in 2007 in exchange for Class 158s. The Central Trains franchise was broken up in 2007 with sets going to CrossCountry, National Express (Central’s ex parent company) or London Midland, those of NXEA wandered into Anglia to join the Anglia fleet of 170s. It stayed like this until 2015 when First TransPennine Express withdrew their 170s initially to be replaced by Class 185s on the Manchester Airport to Hull and Cleethorpes services, in 2019 Greater Anglia took order of Class 755 FLIRTS built by Stadler to replace all Class 153, 156 and 170s operating the Gainsborough, Wherry, Bittern, Breckland and Ipswich to Cambridge and Peterborough lines with those sets transferring over to Transport for Wales to operate service between Maesteg and Cheltenham Spa. In 2022, Class 196s started to appear on West Midlands Trains services out of Birmingham New Street to Hereford displacing the 170s to EMR to strengthen their existing fleet, some of those will go to CrossCountry in the future. Northern also received 16 sets from ScotRail between 2018 and 2020 to operate services around the Yorkshire area.