Midland Pullman HST Tours 2026

Anybody know what happened with the St. Albans Inverness trip today?
It was holding up the GB from reports on that thread and has now according to RTT made up 200 minutes in the 42 mile between Dalgetty Bay and Stanley.
Did they fix the set, send something else from Crewe and cannot see from my Track Atlas what they have cut out to grab so much time back.

 

RTT shows it taking minus one hour between those points, which I hope we can discount.

 

It looks like an incorrect manual entry. The HST has not got to Perth yet.

 

Just passed me at Kirkcaldy 15 minutes ago.

 

Thanks to you and @mattspencer

 

Today's trip to Kyle of Lochalsh cancelled due to problems with the traction equipment

 

That’s very disappointing for the punters, it was very much the highlight of our trip on this tour.

 

RTT shows it's currently at the platform for today's journey home, so presumably the cancellation of yesterday's outing gave them time to fix the broken power car. Quite lucky really that Inverness depot is one of the few on the network that still actively works on HST power cars, so there would have been plenty of help available I would have thought. A disappointing day for the passengers. I wonder how many of them went over to Kyle anyway on a ScotRail DMU? I'm on the next Inverness/Kyle tour in a couple of weeks, so hopefully there will be no issues on that one. It's already had to have the first day extended by 2 hours due to engineering work on the Marches, so it's having to go from Hereford to Shrewsbury via Worcester, Kidderminster, Wolverhampton and Telford.

 

Surely LSL would have laid on coaches in lieu?

 

I wouldn't have thought so. They will probably do a partial refund back to passengers. Trip Advisor reviews over the coming days will tell us! I'll also get the full story from the staff when I'm on it myself in a couple of weeks.

 

As I'm on the HST tomorrow I thought I'd post the timings. Swansea to Inverness, changing headcode at Penrith. Looks like leg stretches at Penrith and Perth. It is the only train tomorrow travelling between Hereford and Shrewsbury. The northern half of the Marches is closed so it's taking the Malvern line and going round via Birmingham.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U83127/2026-05-09/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U83128/2026-05-09/detailed

 

And it follows a further "scenic" route from the Glasgow area to Perth via the Forth Bridge.

 

Kyle of Lochalsh

 

Just done the Rose Street Curve to reverse back into platform 1. Nice bit of rare track. Didn't do it this morning as we left from 7.

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U83798/2026-05-30/detailed

Today's Chelmsford to Inverness didn't get far

Forget that new schedule

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:79259/2026-05-30/detailed

 

Realtime Trains | 1Z22 0512 Preston to Oban | 23/06/2026

Rather a late start due to the ECS setting off 125 behind schedule

Realtime Trains | 3Z22 0340 Crewe H.S. to Preston | 23/06/2026

 

We travelled yesterday on the Midland Pullman to Oban. 0500 off Durham, and 2344 back (17 earlier than booked!).

The Train - As ever with LSL it was immaculate and presented to the highest standard. We’d purchased my mum some flowers for her retirement and they were on her seat when we boarded, and for the prices what a display! Top marks for this, it made her day even before we set off. Coach A was our coach, and the only fault with it really was dodgy electrics. The main lights failed just outside Oban and never came back on, so it was down to just table lamps and the blue strip lights for the return which gave it a slightly different mood.

Outbound - The outbound trip was good for train running, and had welcome leg stretches and Edinburgh and Garelochhead. Lost time was made up swiftly, and the path was well built. The let down on this portion of the journey I guess was the food, not the quality but quantity. Having been up since 0400, and not arriving in to Oban till 1320, there simply was not enough. We arrived at Oban very very hungry! Bucks Fizz was served as a welcome drink (Sometimes it’s Peach Bellini depending on trip). Previously we’ve had 2/3 glasses on trips, but on this one it was very much just the 1. Around an hour in the Yoghurt/Granola was served. Again previously this has been a decent portion, but this seemed to be in short supply, and the request for an extra bit of Granola wasn’t seemingly liked. Full English next after a further hour or so, small portion again, and cold beans! And then not long after we joined the West Highland Line at Helensburgh Upper there was the morning pastries, which was just pastry! Again previous trips have seen at least 2 of these, but just one for this job. Oban was reached with empty stomachs!

Oban - What a charming place. I’d never been and I want to go back. It was lovely. Food you’ll not be surprised to hear was the first thing. We went to Coasters, which was top notch. Lovely food and great service. A few shops visited, and a new coat purchased (Yes I forgot to take a coat to Scotland, foolish!).

The Return - If it was food on the outbound that was an issue, it was pathing on the return. It was a great journey as far as Dalmuir, and then from there it was very stop and start. The 3 hours 35 booked path from Waverley to Durham was not a welcome sight, and really it didn’t need to be like that. We were held at Monktonhall for the DRS Container Job, which we then passed again at Belford, only to be held again for at Morpeth. A clear run through Monktonhall would have seen us at Dunbar in better time, even with the Signaller trying to route us on the Up Main when we were booked to set down at Dunbar. We’d have then kept better pace all the way. However, even if you take in to account Almmouth onward. The signaller clearly relied on ARS. There was no need to loop us at Morpeth for 13 minutes, there was no need to path us behind 2T64, and all in all there was no need to put the DRS back out in front of us at Tyne Yard. What was 17 early in to Durham, could have been about 60! I do think LSL need to look at the path, as there was a lot of people on board who didn’t enjoy the stop start nature of the return. The food however was more like normal. Good portions, good food, served at sensible times.

The Staff - As ever with LSL they can’t do enough really for the passengers. They were up and down for hours on end. They’d been up since 0300, and weren’t back at York till 0100 so what an effort!

So overall, 8/10 I think. Not quite the high bar that’s been set in my previous 7 outings with the various LSL outfits, but by no means appalling.

 

A great write-up Harry. It really is the staff and the service that makes an LSL trip. The Blue Pullman is out tomorrow as well on another endurance fest. Doncaster to Paignton. I'm on the small set this weekend up to Inverness and Kyle which I'm very much looking forward to.