ScotRail 1L81 Train from Edinburgh Waverley to Perth

This day trip out of Edinburgh was to visit Perth and Dundee, so I can visit 2 more of Scotland’s then-7 cities (now 8) which I aimed to complete during my trip in Scotland, and with the then-new timetable, to bash on the short spurs of Ladybank-Perth and Perth-Dundee between the 2 main Highland Main Line and Edinburgh-Dundee Line.

Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station

Heading into Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station from the Market Street entrance.

Heading to the main gate line to check which platform the next train to Perth via the Fife Circle Line and Markinch was departing from.

Looks like the next train was departing from this gate line.

Scanning my mTicket from my phone on the ScotRail app. I had purchased a Super Off-Peak Day Return Ticket for this weekday day trip which is only available as a ScotRail app mTicket, which was cheaper than the usual Off-Peak Day Return Tickets.

Platform 16 was just in front of me.

ScotRail 1L81 from Edinburgh Waverley to Perth

This was a 5-car train, but with a Class 170 Turbostar. ScotRail only had 3-car Turbostars in their fleet. This should be a multiple-unit working train then.

And true enough, the front set was not a Class 170 Turbostar, but a Class 158 Express Sprinter.

The Class 158 Express Sprinter front train working as a multiple-unit with the Class 170 Turbostar.

The Class 170 Turbostar has air-conditioning but with tinted windows. The Class 158 Express Sprinter on the other hand has no air-conditioning, but has clear windows. It was an easy decision for me to choose which set I wanted.

Hint: Scotland is cold.

The old logo of Abellio ScotRail still remained on the doors of this Class 158 Express Sprinter.

The Class 158 Express Sprinter in front of the Scott Monument.

My Super Off-Peak Day Return Ticket ScotRail app mTicket for this day trip. To further save money on the day trip, I also took the opportunity to split my ticket at Perth for Dundee.

While the Super Off-Peak Day Return Ticket allows for a break of journey, it was cheaper to buy 2 separate tickets for Edinburgh-Perth return and Perth-Dundee return than a Edinburgh-Dundee return. I also used another National Rail rule later in the day which is when multiple tickets can be used in succession on a single train, as long as the train stops at the station which the ticket break is done, so that I could travel through on a single train with 2 cheaper tickets without the need to change trains, as compared if I had just bought a normal Dundee-Edinburgh ticket.

Just another day of playing the National Rail ticketing rules game.

A rare opportunity for my train to be sandwiched in between 2 ScotRail Inter7City HSTs.

Boarding the ScotRail 1L81 train after the doors had opened.

The interior of the Class 158 Express Sprinter. Seems like the train isn’t busy, or most passengers would take air-conditioning behind.

Since the train has no crowd, I picked a table to stretch out for this journey.

Toilets are available on board the Class 158 Express Sprinter.

My ScotRail 1L81 train departed from Edinburgh Waverley on time at 11.35am.

Heading through the Haymarket Tunnels.

Passing under the Edinburgh Castle in between the 2 tunnels.

Heading through the Haymarket Tunnels.

Haymarket Railway Station

Making a brief stop at Haymarket Railway Station.

Passing by Haymarket Depot.

Passing by Murrayfield Stadium.

Passing by Balgreen tram stop.

The Edinburgh Tram tracks cross over the railway tracks after Balgreen.

South Gyle Railway Station

Making a brief stop at South Gyle Railway Station.

Edinburgh Gateway Railway Station

Making a brief stop at Edinburgh Gateway Railway Station.

Passing by Edinburgh Airport.

Passing over South Queensferry on approach to Forth Bridge.

Crossing over the Firth of Forth.

Heading on the Forth Bridge over the Firth of Forth.

Looking out to the Queensferry Crossing and the Forth Road Bridge from Forth Bridge.

Passing over North Queensferry on leaving the Forth Bridge.

Passing by Ferrytoll Park & Ride.

Inverkeithing Railway Station

Making a brief stop at Inverkeithing Railway Station.

Passing by Inverkeithing East Junction, splitting away from the Fife Circle Line towards Dunfermline and Glenrothes with Thornton.

Meeting the other side of the wye junction.

Dalgety Bay Railway Station

Making a brief stop at Dalgety Bay Railway Station.

Aberdour Railway Station

Making a brief stop at Aberdour Railway Station.

Skirting along the coast.

Burntisland Railway Station

Making a brief stop at Burntisland Railway Station.

Continuing alongside the beach.

Kinghorn Railway Station

Making a brief stop at Kinghorn Railway Station.

Departing from Kinghorn.

Approaching Kirkcaldy.

Kirkcaldy Railway Station

Making a brief stop at Kirkcaldy Railway Station. This is the last stop on the Fife Circle Line circle that this train serves. Passengers continuing on to Glenrothes with Thornton should alight here.

Passing straight through Thornton South Junction, away from the Fife Circle Line towards Glenrothes with Thornton and Dunfermline.

Passing straight through Thornton North Junction, merging from the Fife Circle Line from Glenrothes with Thornton. This is not generally used by passenger trains.

Markinch Railway Station

Making a brief stop at Markinch Railway Station.

Ladybank Railway Station

Making a brief stop at Ladybank Railway Station.

Splitting off the Edinburgh-Dundee Line at Ladybank onto the short spur to Perth.

Crossing with an opposing train at Ladybank Branch Loop.

Passing by Ladybank Golf Club.

Passing by the Lindores Loch.

Passing by Newburgh with the River Tay in the background.

Passing through Hilton Junction.

Meeting the Highland Main Line at Hilton Junction.

Approaching Perth Railway Station.

Perth Railway Station

Entering Perth Railway Station on the straight. Perth Railway Station is located on a junction itself on the Highland Main Line, with the curved platforms turning right for the branch line to Dundee.

With this layout, there is a slim-to-wide triangle platform at Perth Railway Station.

My ScotRail 1L81 train arrived at Perth Railway Station on time at 1.03pm.

The buffer stop at Perth Railway Station Platform 3.

There are bridges within the station over to Platforms 4 to 7.

However, the station exit was right at Platform 3, so that’s easy access for me.

Heading out of the gate line.

Heading out of the station building.

The façade of Perth Railway Station.

The Station Hotel just beside Perth Railway Station still remains as a grand Victorian mansion. This has since been taken over by and is now known as Radisson Blu Hotel, Perth.

Heading out of Perth Railway Station to explore a bit of the town, which holds quite important significance for Singapore actually.

Perth Bus Station

Making a very slight detour to Perth Bus Station just to see what it is.

From here, I headed on for lunch and to go find William Farquhar.