ScotRail (National Express)

This article is about the Scottish rail network operated by National Express between 1997 and 2004. For the story Scotland's railway network since creation of the ScotRail name, see ScotRail.

ScotRail
Rèile na h-Alba

File:Scotrail logo.svg
Franchise(s)	ScotRail 1997 - 16 October 2004
Main area(s)	Scotland
Other area(s)	London, Watford, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle and Newcastle
Fleet size	309
Stations called at	336
Parent company	National Express

ScotRail (Scottish Gaelic: Rèile na h-Alba) was a brand name used by National Express for all Scottish regional and commuter rail services, including some cross-border services, from 1997 to 2004, taken from the brand name created by British Railways manager Chris Green.

Branding

The brand was adopted by National Express when it became the first franchisee following on fromm British Rail in 1997. When the franchise was award to First Group, it subsequently revised the brand under the name First ScotRail when it took over the franchise on 17 October 2004, having outbid National Express.

Livery

The first unique ScotRail livery was introduced shortly after privatisation under National Express, who introduced their own livery. Initially, vehicles received the new ScotRail logo applied with vinyl stickers; a stylised outline of Scotland composed of three flashes in the corporate colours of green, red and purple. Multiple units were painted into the new livery with bodies in white (lower half) and purple (upper half) with green, red and white stripes bordering the purple, overlain by and a wide diagonal white band in the centre of the carriage. There were no units left with Regional Railways livery in Scotland at the end of the National Express franchise period, although the Class 305 electric units retained it until withdrawal in 2001. The latter were replaced by ex-Stansted Skytrain Class 322 units which were never repainted under the National Express franchise, receiving only ScotRail logo transfers. When the Class 322 hire ended in 2004, they were replaced on the North Berwick branch by EWS Class 90 electric locomotives hauling former Virgin Trains Mk.3 coaching stock, in the old Virgin red and grey livery, again with ScotRail logo transfers.

Fleet

Post privatisation, National Express ordered a total of 55 Class 170 units from 1999-2004 and by 2004, the only slam door services were also the only locomotive hauled services, the Caledonian Sleeper services from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William along with a single regional service between Edinburgh Waverley and North Berwick. First ScotRail have since leased electric multiple units to run between Edinburgh and North Berwick.

ScotRail contracted EWS to haul the Caledonian Sleeper between London and Scotland. EWS operate a dedicated pool of 5 Class 90 electric locomotives to haul the Caledonian Sleeper between London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central, together with a fleet of Class 67 diesel locomotives to haul the various sleeper portions north of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Class 37 diesel locomotives were used in place of the Class 67 locomotives, specifically on the Fort William sleeper.

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Built
			mph	km/h
Class 101		Diesel multiple unit	70	112	1956–1960
Class 150 Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	1984–1987
Class 156 Super Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	1987–1989
Class 158 Express Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	90	145	1989–1992
Class 170 Turbostar		Diesel multiple unit	100	160	1999-2004
Class 303 Blue Train	File:303s 40central.jpg	Electric multiple unit	75	120	1959–1961
Class 314		Electric multiple unit	75	120	1979
Class 318		Electric multiple unit	90	145	1986-1987
Class 320		Electric multiple unit	75	120	1990
Class 322		Electric multiple unit	100	160	1990
Class 334 Juniper		Electric multiple unit	90	145	1999-2002
Mk 2 Coach		Passenger Rolling stock	100	160	1969–1974
Mk 3 Coach (Sleepers)		Passenger Rolling stock	125	200	1975–1988

External links

• http://www.railscot.co.uk/ScotRail/frame.htm