Content
ScotRail Turbostar (UK)
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At a Glance
Travel Pass Supplement
Rail Pass Reservation Fees
Reservations
Available
Time of Day
Day
Accessibility
Accessing the train
Wheelchair Spaces
Bikes Allowed
Train Specification
Attributes of the train
Has a Conductor
Country
Which country these trains operate in.
Great Britain
Travel Passes
Eurail
InterRail
On Board
First Class
Perks
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Trolley Service:
A catering trolley with hot and cold drinks and snacks should be taken through the train at some point during its journey.
Welcome drinks:
First Class ticket holders will be given a complimentary hot/cold drink and some Scottish shortbread – guaranteed to enhance any journey, though be aware that additional items ordered from the catering trolley require payment.
Second Class
Perks
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Trolley Service:
A catering trolley with hot and cold drinks and snacks should be taken through the train at some point during its journey.
Travel summary:
Externally these Turbostar trains can resemble trains used for shorter-distance commuter routes, but internally the seating layout is comparatively generously spaced; though on these trains, First Class is particularly spacious in comparison to standard class.
(However, many of these trains only convey Standard Class seats).
Longer-distance routes:
(1) Edinburgh – Kirkcaldy – Perth – Pitlochry – Aviemore – Inverness (a few departures)
(3) Glasgow Queen St – Stirling – Perth - Dundee – Arbroath – Montrose – Stonehaven – Aberdeen (a few departures)
(4) Glasgow Queen St – Stirling – Perth - Pitlochry – Aviemore – Inverness (some departures)
(5) Aberdeen – Elgin – Inverness (a few departures)
Though the Inter7City trains now provide most of the services on these routes,
Seat reservations:
The system of seat numbers on these trains is bizarrely random, so finding an assigned seat can require patience.
Also a fairly common scenario is for these Turbostar trains to be substituted for a planned departure by Inter7City trains and when that occurs seat reservations for what was to have been an Inter7City train become largely irrelevant.
The station and on-board staff can fail to communicate this, so in these scenarios you may be lucky and able to match up a coach and seat number(s) to your reservation, but other passengers will have to sit in random seats and hope nobody claims them.
Catering:
IOn the longer-distance routes a catering trolley with hot/cold drinks, snacks and sandwiches available is taken through the train, so both First and Standard Class travellers will receive an at-seat catering service.
(Though this catering service was suspended during the pandemic and doesn't seem to have resumed, June 2022).
First Class ticket holders will be given a complimentary hot/cold drink and some Scottish shortbread; guaranteed to enhance any journey.
Bicycles:
Spaces must be reserved in advance of boarding on those five long-distance routes.
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