At the end of the day Pacers can only be scrapped if there is a suitable alternative, that has similar running costs.
NickW is right about the pacer doors being unreliable, and yes slam doors would be far more reliable, but the HSE won't like that, and without any despatchers it's not really feasible and is a pointless discussion anyway.
As for the "mini HST" idea, that is daft. HSTs are designed for high speed, and branch lines are not. A bizarre idea that requires no further thought.
Nick, I know you want to work on the railway, but if that's the case then I suggest you get some real experience of the railways. If you think you can just go to Uni, become a manager instantly, and then come up with ideas like this, you may be in for a shock. However I know you are ignoring the advice to volunteer at the NRR, which is a shame. Good luck with these ideas when you become a manager straight from Uni in 5 years time, you'll need it.
NickW is right about the pacer doors being unreliable, and yes slam doors would be far more reliable, but the HSE won't like that, and without any despatchers it's not really feasible and is a pointless discussion anyway.
As for the "mini HST" idea, that is daft. HSTs are designed for high speed, and branch lines are not. A bizarre idea that requires no further thought.
Nick, I know you want to work on the railway, but if that's the case then I suggest you get some real experience of the railways. If you think you can just go to Uni, become a manager instantly, and then come up with ideas like this, you may be in for a shock. However I know you are ignoring the advice to volunteer at the NRR, which is a shame. Good luck with these ideas when you become a manager straight from Uni in 5 years time, you'll need it.