A new inter city era for Scotrail
Driver training has begun on the HST trains which will enter service next year
Last updated 14th Sep 2017
Scotrail is showing off the first of the high speed trains which will bring back inter city standards and comfort to long distance services in Scotland.
Driver training has begun with the first of the trains which will start to go into service next year connecting Glasgow and Edinburgh with Stirling, Perth Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness.
The new 'Seven Cities' network will also see the HST sets running between Aberdeen and Inverness.
The trains are promising a return to a style of travel which hasn't been available on internal Scottish services for more than a quarter of a century.
Before going into service the carriages will be refurbished with the seating replaced, new toilets and more space for passengers' luggage including bikes.
Scotrail Managing Director Alex Hynes told us: "The arrival of the first HST is an exciting milestone in our plan to build the best railway Scotland has ever had.
"Our refurbished trains will offer better connections for commuters, business travellers and an opportunity for tourists to get out and about in this great country.
"It will mean more seats, better services and an improved experience for our customers. The investment we are making in high speed trains is a sign of the Scotrail Alliance's commitment to building a world class railway for the whole of Scotland."
The iconic HST, which still holds the record as the fastest diesel train in the world, is still regarded by many passengers as the most comfortable trains ever to run on the UK network.
Research carried out for Transport Scotland showed many passengers on the routes to Aberdeen and Inverness planned their journeys to take advantage of the Virgin East Coast services to London, using HST trains, rather than the multiple units currently operated by Scotrail.
The trains will be made up of four or five carriages which are going to go through a refurbishment programme to bring them up to the latest safety standards including the fitting of power doors.
Passengers will also see new seats and tables, new floor coverings and carpets, additional at-seat power sockets and improved LED lighting.
First class carriages will feature reclining leather seats.
All trains will have wifi availability throughout.