Things I like about ScotRail:
1. The name. It does what it says on the tin. Nothing more, nothing less. The tag-line for ScotRail is, in fact: “Scotland’s Railway”. This is not amazingly imaginative but, again, functional. If it were “ScotRail: Cornwall’s Railway” – that would be a bit odd.
2. The automated train announcements. They are done in a Scottish accent. This, at first, doesn’t seem odd: it is Scotland after all. But when you start to think about it, nowhere else in the UK does this. Every other train operating company has a clipped, English, automated voice. Maybe we’re all missing out on something? Maybe the automated announcements on Arriva Trains Wales should all be in a ‘valleys’ accent? Maybe the automated voices on the tube should be in cockney, or Souf Laarndan drawl? Maybe every automated announcement on East Midlands Trains should start with ‘all-right ducky?’.
Come on rest-of-the-UK… Scotland’s leading the way on this one!
3. The non-automated train announcements. Example from today: “We’re now arriving at Dunkeld. If you’re alighting here at Dunkeld please be aware of the very large gap between the train and the platform. Really, the platform is very, very low. There are steps available but, even with those, it’s still really, very, very low. I don’t know why…(trails off)”.
4. The free WiFi on all services. COME ON every-other-train-operating-company-in-the-UK. Sort it out! The free WiFi allows your passengers to post blogs as they’re traveling along your lines. Don’t give me any crap about signal problems…this works in the Highlands!
5. The colour scheme. Purple and grey is the new black.
That is all.
The Muscovy Duck 