TSSA sees victory in campaign to replace Scotland’s High Speed Trains

Rail union TSSA has welcomed ScotRail’s announcement that Scotland’s fleet of High Speed Trains (HSTs) will be replaced within the next two years. 

The trains – dubbed ‘museum pieces’ by the union - operate on inter-city routes between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness and are often several decades old. The first of the new trains – modern Class 222s – will be in service by late 2027.  

TSSA has long campaigned for the removal of HSTs, raising multiple concerns both before and in the wake of the Stonehaven derailment in 2020 in which three people died.  

Commenting on the announcement, TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust said: “This is the right move from ScotRail and can’t come soon enough because HSTs are museum pieces and should have been retired from service a long time ago. 

“They are really not fit for purpose on our railways as some are nearly 50 years old and simply not up to modern safety standards. Our union’s focus is and will always be on the safety of Scotland’s rail passengers and workers.  

“What we need to see from the Scottish Government in future is public money well used to modernise the railway, making sure all replacements of fleets and refurbishments are done in the name of safety rather than profit.”