West Highland Line trains offering 'poor service'

However, while the prestigious route is said to surpass the scenery on lines including the Trans-Siberian, travellers say the ScotRail trains are unlikely to win any prizes for comfort.

Despite upgrades to the rolling stock, passengers and rail sources say the "clapped-out" trains are not befitting of one of Scotland’s biggest tourism assets. 

Carriages are said to be freezing in winter and excessively warm in Summer while there is often no trolley service.

“Scotrail have pushed their luck well beyond peoples’ goodwill.

One regular passenger, who is in her 20s and lives in Glasgow, said she routinely brought hot water bottles for the journey and recalled, “being able to see my breath, it was so cold” on more than one occasion.

Last Saturday, on the early service from Glasgow to Mallaig, passengers were forced to wear jackets hats and scarves to keep warm because there was no heating and no hot drinks were available.

Passengers hark back to the spacious, warm carriages and buffet cars of the trains under British Rail, which underwent total privatisation in 1993.

One passenger, who is a former British Rail employee, said: “What is missing on the West Highland Line is comfort and warmth. Passengers had that with the old coaches.

“Up the gangway to your compartment, slide the door open and enter into comfort.

“There were no trolleys in those days, you walked along to the buffet car and sat in comfort with a meal or even a dram or breakfast.”

ScotRail ‘Super Sprinters’ took over the line on March 29, 1989 replacing the older, diesel locomotives.

The Scottish Government announced in March last year that all ScotRail services will transfer from Abellio to public ownership from April 1. Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said the current franchising system was “no longer fit for purpose.”

One rail insider said: “The stock they have on the West Highland Line is long past its best.

“It’s not like this is a commuter train where folk just want to get to work on time.

"This is 90% leisure travel.

“Scotrail have pushed their luck well beyond peoples’ goodwill.

“What about the thousands who travel from all over the world. What an advert? They just wouldn’t get away with the clapped out stock on other routes.”

He said high speed trains, while built in the 1970s, had been regularly updated and were now being used on the Inverness and Aberdeen lines.

He added: “So why has the WHL been neglected? The jewel in Scotrail’s crown.”

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Passengers say there is also a “missed opportunity” to promote the line to tourists.

One Trip Advisor reviewer wrote: “The train was packed with tourists from all around the world, but there were no maps, guides or any other information offered to travellers even in English let alone any other language.

“Is this really how ScotRail wishes to operate a world renowned rail journey?”.

Ian Blackford, SNP MP for Ross, Skye, Lochaber, believes nationalisation is an “opportunity” to fix many of the problems across Scotland’s rail network.

He said he contacted Scotrail about the poor standard of rolling stock on the West Highland Line in 2018 following complaints from constituents.

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He said: “By bringing ScotRail back into public ownership, the SNP will create a greener and more affordable system, with the aim of fully de-carbonising the rail service by 2035.

“I see this as an ideal opportunity for the Scottish Government to work with regional transport partnerships to reinstate or develop new railway branch lines across rural Scotland. 

“It is an opportunity for a much-needed refurbishment of some of the existing rolling stock, to provide new toilets, seating, better heating and a better standard of service overall – all things which I know are important to constituents. 

“This is particularly important to residents of remote rural communities who rely on the rail service as a vital public transport link, many of whom feel they are not currently receiving a decent service.”

Scotrail said the diesel Class 156 fleet which currently operate on the line went through a £16m refurbishment programme between 2018-2019.

It said improvements included seats being aligned to the windows, better heating and lighting, increased toilet and luggage space, accessible toilets and dedicated wheelchair spaces as well as free WiFi and at seat power sockets.

A spokesman said the food and drink service was currently experiencing staff shortages “due to the uncertainty during the pandemic” which resulted in employees moving to other roles or leaving.

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However, the company did not respond to The Herald on Sunday when asked to explain prolonged heating issues.

Jane Ann Lister, Secretary of passenger representative group Rail Future Scotland, said the problems on the West Highland Lane were symptomatic of a wider lack of investment across the entire network.

She said there was a danger of viewing British Rail services “through rose-tinted glasses.”

“The brain is a very clever organ, it screens out a lot of the less pleasant memories,” she said.

British Rail closed a lot of the lines, it wasn’t a golden era. People don’t particularly care who runs the railways, provided they go where they want to go, when they want to go and at a reasonable price.

“The whole of the rail network has been starved of investment for years.

Lesley Kane, ScotRail Commercial Director, said: “There’s no denying that the West Highland Line is one of the world’s great scenic rail journeys.  

"Recent investment by ScotRail and Network Rail – in refurbished trains, dedicated cycle carriages, upgraded signalling equipment, and in customer service – shows our commitment to the route. 

 “In the years to come, we’ll continue to work to support tourism, sustainability, and bring wider economic benefits along Scotland’s most scenic railways by replacing all our diesel trains with a low carbon alternative.”