Borders Railway - Now Open

[70014IronDuke]

What about intra-line traffic?

There has to be some, I assume, not everyone goes to/from Waverley, do they?

Or is it insignificant?

 

[iain-j]

What about intra-line traffic?

There has to be some, I assume, not everyone goes to/from Waverley, do they?

Or is it insignificant?

Two of the Edinburgh College campuses are next to both Brunstane and Eskbank. They must see passengers originating from stations other than the Waverley.

I've noticed the station figures for Brunstane and Newcraighall are always shown as one, would be interesting to see there performances separately as they are very different types of station in that Brunstane is a local station with no proper car park, where as Newcraighall is aimed at car users making use of its location to get to the A1 and the Edinburgh City Bypass.
Have some of the Newcraighall passengers started and finished their journeys by train at a station nearer to home?
Is overcrowding meaning passengers are not getting on at these two stations when they used to be able to?

 

[fegguk]

Two of the Edinburgh College campuses are next to both Brunstane and Eskbank. They must see passengers originating from stations other than the Waverley.

I've noticed the station figures for Brunstane and Newcraighall are always shown as one, would be interesting to see there performances separately as they are very different types of station in that Brunstane is a local station with no proper car park, where as Newcraighall is aimed at car users making use of its location to get to the A1 and the Edinburgh City Bypass.
Have some of the Newcraighall passengers started and finished their journeys by train at a station nearer to home?
Is overcrowding meaning passengers are not getting on at these two stations when they used to be able to?

The Brunstane/Newcraighall figures here are the extra numbers added since the new railway opened. Obviously not every passenger goes into Waverley as the figures show. Newcraighall has shoppers going to Fort Kinaird from both directions. People go from Tweedbank and Stow into Gala. etc etc.

 

[adrock1976]

Perhaps what's needed for Brunstane and Newcraighall is the reintroduction of the shuttle service that was there before Borders opened.

Perhaps some ticket barriers might also come in handy to stop the tree trips too.

Perhaps there could be a 15 minute frequency between Edinburgh Waverley and Newcraighall, with the Tweedbank trains extending every 30 minutes as at present.

The short EDB - Newcraighall workings could easily be provided as an extension of the Dunblane trains, and would partially restore the original concept of Edinburgh Crossrail from the early noughties. Edinburgh Park, Brunstane, and Newcraighall were opened as part of the Edinburgh Crossrail project back then.

Before anybody mentions about rolling stock, I am aware of the diesel fleet being stretched at the moment, but as EDB - Newcraighall already has wires alongside EDB - Newbridge Junction (soon to extend along the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway, and onto Caledonian Railway metals both north and south around Greenhill), this would be a handy future electric service.

 

[47271]

Didn't Newcraighall have an electric service at one time, I'm sure I remember driving past years ago and seeing a 321 or whatever they used on the North Berwick trains in the early 2000s?

 

[deltic08]

There have been quite a few announcement in the last week here are some

Some 4 and 3 car trains at peak times

http://www.bordersrailway.co.uk/news/extra-peak-time-seats-every-week-for-the-borders-railway/

CBR actual figure for first year

https://campaignforbordersrail.word...-attacks-borders-railway-forecasting-failure/

Here is a comparison of the first and 2nd 6 months. I think quite a lot of the change is use may be due to the novelty factor wearing off. Sorry tables don't work well here

First 6 months Second 6 months % difference
Tweedbank 183918, 153943, 16.3%
Galashiels 104953, 96713, 7.85%
Stow 24356, 23926, 1.76%
Gorebridge 39400, 35491, 9.92%
Newtongrange 50480, 46255, 8.37%
Eskbank 65672, 67449, -2.70%
Shawfair 9398, 7458, 20.64%
Brunstane/Newcraighall 11344, 10320, 9.03%
Waverley 205302, 170371, 17.01%
overall 694823, 611926, 11.93%

With Stow being the only station with half a service yet still showing growth, perhaps Bill Jamieson should be pressing for all trains to stop there.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Equally the low demand in Midlothian means running a dedicated Gorebridge service wouldn't have made sense and the fact Tweedbank and Gala are well ahead of predictions shows that the Midlothian stops don't put off Borders users..

But we do not know. Footfall at Tweedbank and Gala may have been much higher if trains were non-stop Stow-Waverley in 40-45 minutes. If the line is extended to Hawick they will have to be to make Hawick-Waverley attractive in time for commuting.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

While there's a shortage of DMUs, yes. Once the 385s start taking over E-G duties then it might be possible - limitations of the infrastructure allowing, of course.

Why not electrify Newcraighall-Gorebridge and use electric shuttles?

 

[iain-j]

Perhaps there could be a 15 minute frequency between Edinburgh Waverley and Newcraighall, with the Tweedbank trains extending every 30 minutes as at present.

The short EDB - Newcraighall workings could easily be provided as an extension of the Dunblane trains, and would partially restore the original concept of Edinburgh Crossrail from the early noughties. Edinburgh Park, Brunstane, and Newcraighall were opened as part of the Edinburgh Crossrail project back then.

Before anybody mentions about rolling stock, I am aware of the diesel fleet being stretched at the moment, but as EDB - Newcraighall already has wires alongside EDB - Newbridge Junction (soon to extend along the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway, and onto Caledonian Railway metals both north and south around Greenhill), this would be a handy future electric service.

Would have to be after Portobello Junction finally gets upgraded as trains heading for the Borders dawdle through there as it is holding ECML traffic up.
If trains were heading to Newcraighall every 15 minutes from Edinburgh Park (And half terminating there) would it not ramp up calls for a service round part or whole of the ESSJR since the paths in and out of Waverley had been found on both sides of the station.

 

[Photohunter71]

As Edinburgh is expanding, revisiting and modifying or updating an "Edinburgh Crossrail" project may seem a good option. More houses being built by Wallyford Toll and up to Tranent. Would a split at Wanton walls jctn be possible to run just behind Musselburgh and Wallyford through to Tranent/Macmerry on to Haddington? How could that be implemented?

 

[railjock]

Interesting that the morning train from Eskabank that I sometimes get terminates at South Gyle and no longer goes on to Fife. Where will the train go after South Gyle?

 

[fegguk]

Interesting that the morning train from Eskabank that I sometimes get terminates at South Gyle and no longer goes on to Fife. Where will the train go after South Gyle?

It goes to the sidings at Dalmeny the reverses and goes back to Haymarket Depot or Edinburgh depending which of the 2 South Gyle terminating trains it is.

 

[najaB]

It goes to the sidings at Dalmeny the reverses and goes back to Haymarket Depot or Edinburgh depending which of the 2 South Gyle terminating trains it is.

I wonder if it's worth adding another stop at Edinburgh Gateway since it's there.

 

[railjock]

I wonder if it's worth adding another stop at Edinburgh Gateway since it's there.

I wondered that as well.

 

[railjock]

It goes to the sidings at Dalmeny the reverses and goes back to Haymarket Depot or Edinburgh depending which of the 2 South Gyle terminating trains it is.

Thanks. Seems an odd arrangement but the train no longer sits at Waverley for 15 minutes which significantly shortens the journey.