Scottish Electrification updates & discussion

[najaB]

I thought the Alloa branch was done in a blockade earlier? Or was that just the masts?

Even if it was just masts, considering how much can be strung in an overnight possession it wouldn't take that long to get the wires up.

 

[InOban]

The route will be closed N of Carmuirs Junction every Sunday in September and October, with all trains from Glasgow to Aberdeen and Inverness being diverted via Fife.

 

[59CosG95]

There is every indication that work is proceeding to schedule. The final major infrastructure, Kerse Road Bridge, is due to reopen on 23rd October.

I thought the Alloa branch was done in a blockade earlier? Or was that just the masts?

The Alloa end of the branch was fully wired; recent photos show that only the earth wires are up around Craigmill (though the registration arms are up and folded out of the way).

 

[385001]

The Network Rail EGIP twitter account advised an "intensive period of work still to come over the Autumn' in a tweet on 22 August 2018.

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailEGIP/status/1032251051674624000

 

[Altnabreac]

Kerse Road in Stirling is pretty much the final bit of structural clearance with completion due at the end of October.
http://www.egip.info/projects/kerse-road-stirling-bridge-works

From all I can see it looks like works are going pretty much to plan with both Kerse Road and the wiring progress.

 

[gingertom]

The Alloa end of the branch was fully wired; recent photos show that only the earth wires are up around Craigmill (though the registration arms are up and folded out of the way).

there's been progress since then: catenary and drop wires installed but no contact wire. Won't stay like that for long.

 

[DuncanS]

The route will be closed N of Carmuirs Junction every Sunday in September and October, with all trains from Glasgow to Aberdeen and Inverness being diverted via Fife.

Six days notice to passengers though - not a single mention of it until it was on the boards this morning.

Poor to keep it under their hat for so long.

 

[Stopper]

No trains between Carmuirs (Larbert) and Perth every Sunday in Sept/Oct. Aberdeen/Inverness services via Fife are going to call at Falkirk High & Inverkeithing, rather than Linlithgow & Inverkeithing as they previously did.

Half-hourly Edinburgh to Grahamston will run, aswell as an hourly Grahamston to Queen Street (via Croy rather than Cumbernauld).

 

[47271]

As of this morning, a lot has gone up around Bridge of Allan and there's quite a bit of prep work such as new fencing done at Dunblane.

The Alloa branch looked complete to me other than there's absolutely nothing up on the Forth viaduct yet.

 

[59CosG95]

Scottish Wiring Progressometer - Post 3.0 (dated 27th August 2018)
Shotts (due March 2019)
All mileages taken from Holytown Jct (1m 24ch) to Midcalder Jct (23m 11ch).
Almost all masts, bar the Cleland Cutting,, are up.
Further wiring was paused until 21st of August (or thereabouts) to allow the new signalling system to be tested & commissioned.

Holytown Jct (1m 24ch) to Shotts (8m 30ch)
SPS up through

• Carfin (1m 69ch);
• Cleland (3m 52ch); and
• Shotts (8m 30ch).

Gaps in the SPS are at

• The Carfin-Cleland Cutting: drilling work still ongoing;
• The viaduct east of Cleland; and
• Just west of Shotts.

Platforms are being extended at Carfin.
At Cleland, CCTV cameras & CIS are being installed.
Earth wire now up alongside the eastbound line at Hartwood.
At Hartwood Station (6m 62ch), the old footbridge needs to be removed. Eastbound platform doesn't look to have any other access except via Footbridge so not clear if plan here is a new footbridge or building an entirely new access route. CCTV/CIS improvements are also underway at the station.
The accommodation bridge at Hartwoodhill looks finished.
At Shotts station, Station Rd Bridge is being rebuilt, and platforms are being extended.

Shotts (8m 30ch) to Addiewell (16m 50ch)
SPS up through

• Fauldhouse (11m 70ch); and
• Breich (14m 00ch): masts are up but no SPS yet.

A gap in the SPS is present around Benhar Jct (11m 03ch).
At Fauldhouse Station, CCTV and CIS screens are being installed/improved.
Breich Station is closed for 12 weeks, from 23rd of June. Platforms will be reprofiled; good progress underway, with access to the eastbound platform now coming from the north, avoiding the need for a new footbridge.[/COLOR]
Addiewell Station's old footbridge has gone, and the New Footbridge almost complete. CIS screens and CCTV cameras are also being installed.

Addiewell (16m 50ch) to Midcalder Jct (23m 11ch)
Fully wired. Wires currently extend westwards from Addiewell towards Breich.

Edinburgh-Falkirk-Glasgow
All mileages taken from Queen Street High Level (0m 00ch) towards Haymarket (46m 02ch).
Electric services (Class 380s) running between Glasgow Queen Street High Level & Edinburgh Waverley via Falkirk High (21m 63ch) in regular service; due to switch to Class 385 operation in December '18.

Via Falkirk Grahamston - LIVE as of 1/5/18. This includes

• Greenhill Upper Jct to Greenhill Lower Jct;
• Greenhill Lower Jct to Polmont Jct via Falkirk Grahamston;
• Grangemouth Jct;
• The "Larbert Triangle" (Larbert Jct, Carmuirs West Jct, and Carmuirs East Jct).

Now signed off for passenger service; Class 365s in operation as of 23/6/18.
Wires up and live as far north as Larbert Jct (but no further); SPS-bearing portals extend a short way north from Larbert Jct., along with a short run of catenary wire.
Steelwork is also up in the Grangemouth Terminal area, however the extent of SPS & wiring there is not yet known.

Larbert - Stirling - Dunblane/Alloa
Stirling-Alloa route reopened on 16th April after wiring closure. Alloa station now has contact & catenary wires installed; only the earth wire is up at Craigmill (nr Stirling).
Within Larbert Stn, both main lines now have catenary & contact wires; the Down Passenger Loop was wired over the night of 23/6/18.
Earth wires now going up around Plean; masts are fully bedanglied around the M9.
TTCs up to the north of Hope's Crossing (between Cowie & Bannockburn).
A gap of around 4 TTCs can be found around Cowie, awaiting works from Scottish Power to alter pylons.
Lots of masts (mostly single masts, but a few TTCs too plus a pair to bear a portal boom) now up to the south of Millhall Rd Footbridge, between Kerse Rd & the A91.
Kerse Rd bridge undergoing reconstruction.
Within Stirling, many masts/TTCs/portals are now up.

• SPS up over bay platforms 7 & 8, affixed to a multi-track portal.
• From Stirling Middle SB to the platforms, a large number of TTCs and portal booms (all with SPS) have gone up.
• SPS (on TTCs) up over through platforms 6 & 9 (on the east side).
• SPS on single masts up and folded out of position by Platform 10 (on the astern edge of the station).

Large number of masts (single masts, TTCs and a two-track portal) are up in the area around Stirling North Signal Box; a few piles remain unmasted at present.
Many masts up on both sides of the track around Cornton, just north of the diversion with the Kincardine Lines.
Many masts have now sprung up at the south end of Bridge Of Allan, along with a handful to the north. The TTCs in the northbound platform in Bridge of Allan now have booms, some of which have SPS.
First pile in at the SW end of Dunblane. Concrete base with a cable embedded now in at the northern end of the station; possibly for a replacement signal?

Glossary of Terms
SPS - Small Part Steelwork; the "dangly bits" that hang off the masts e.g. registration arms.
TTC - Twin Track Cantilever; the "gallows" style masts with 2 sets of small part steelwork on it.
CIS - Customer Information Screen; the "dot matrix" displays shown on most modern stations.

 

[Altnabreac]

At Hartwood Station (6m 62ch), the old footbridge needs to be removed. Eastbound platform doesn't look to have any other access except via Footbridge so not clear if plan here is a new footbridge or building an entirely new access route. CCTV/CIS improvements are also underway at the station.

I believe the Eastbound platform has always had a narrow footpath access from the road to the immediate north west of the station.

Last time I went through here it looked like an improved, DDA compliant access was being installed here which will presumably allow the footbridge to be removed.

 

[59CosG95]

I believe the Eastbound platform has always had a narrow footpath access from the road to the immediate north west of the station.

Last time I went through here it looked like an improved, DDA compliant access was being installed here which will presumably allow the footbridge to be removed.

Thanks very much for that @Altnabreac; forgot to update that one! I knew something similar was ocurring at Breich, but I didn't know Hartwood was getting the same treatment.

 

[Aictos]

The Class 365s will still be used by Scotrail in December though or will the Falkirk High route only see Class 385s?

Is it likely that Shotts and Larbert - Stirling - Dunblane/Alloa will be seeing regular EMUs in passenger service from the end of November?

Ie the work you very kindly update all on to be finished by then?

 

[InOban]

Although SDA will be finished by December, I don't suppose that it'll be signed off by the ORR by then.

Shotts isn't due to be finished until March.

Hopefully there'll be a big timetable change in may.

 

[gingertom]

The Class 365s will still be used by Scotrail in December though or will the Falkirk High route only see Class 385s?

Is it likely that Shotts and Larbert - Stirling - Dunblane/Alloa will be seeing regular EMUs in passenger service from the end of November?

Ie the work you very kindly update all on to be finished by then?

IIRC Alex Hynes tweeted Stirling/Dunblane/Alloa will be ready for the December timetable using 365s initially until there are enough 385s. Shotts won't be ready until the spring.

 

[jamieintercity]

The Earth wire is now put up near bridge of Allan heading towards stirling

 

[route101]

Are Falkirks Grahamston - Glasgow services mostly EMU or DMU now?

 

[Highlandspring]

Exclusively DMU for now - the use of EMUs on Grahamston services for a couple of days last month was only to free up DMUs for the Open Championship at Carnoustie.

 

[Jessicas Dad]

I suspect that the existing footbridge over P6 and P9 at Stirling Station is going to be lifted out this weekend.

The road alongside the P10 side of the station has signs up saying it will be closed between Friday and Sunday, and when I passed tonight the existing bridge was fenced off with men in orange jackets looking like they were disconnecting it from the steps.

The steps up to the temporary bridge look pretty steep!

 

[Jessicas Dad]

I suspect that the existing footbridge over P6 and P9 at Stirling Station is going to be lifted out this weekend.

And indeed it has been - with pictures / videos on social media this morning showing it being removed.

Ross

 

[route:oxford]

And indeed it has been - with pictures / videos on social media this morning showing it being removed.

Ross

Yes, saw that on various Facebook posts this morning.

So what's happening with that bridge? Just refurbished and replaced like for like?

If so, it's not ideal for access for people with limited mobility. Although I suppose that wheelchair access is available via the back gate. Any chance that a lift will be installed to allow the old underpass to be used?

 

[InOban]

It's being refurbished and replaced, but raised enough to give OHLE clearance. I know DA is being provided, can't remember how.

 

[Jessicas Dad]

It's being refurbished and replaced, but raised enough to give OHLE clearance. I know DA is being provided, can't remember how.

They are demolishing the existing staircase on P9/10 and building a new one that includes a 16 person lift.

From the Stirling council online planning page

https://pabs.stirling.gov.uk/online...423/pdf/18_00311_NPA-09A_-_GENERAL-573310.pdf

 

[jopsuk]

So I happened to be in the Alloa area by bike so got some photos. Cambus image is by the bridge over the Devon

Alloa approach

• jopsuk
• 2 Sep 2018

Alloa station approach wired up, looking towards Stirling

Alloa approach

• jopsuk
• 2 Sep 2018

Alloa station approach with wires into platform siding and rusty rails on the through line

Alloa station

• jopsuk
• 2 Sep 2018

Alloa station with wires up, a Turbostar stabled and an RRS bus

Cambus earth wire

• jopsuk
• 2 Sep 2018

Earth wire at Cambus

 

[59CosG95]

So I happened to be in the Alloa area by bike so got some photos. Cambus image is by the bridge over the Devon

Alloa approach

• jopsuk
• 2 Sep 2018

Alloa station approach wired up, looking towards Stirling

Alloa approach

• jopsuk
• 2 Sep 2018

Alloa station approach with wires into platform siding and rusty rails on the through line

Alloa station

• jopsuk
• 2 Sep 2018

Alloa station with wires up, a Turbostar stabled and an RRS bus

Cambus earth wire

• jopsuk
• 2 Sep 2018

Earth wire at Cambus

Excellent visual update there @jopsuk; AFAI can make out, there's only 1 wire run at this end of the branch - the stretch that runs into the station itself.
I suspect that once the wires reach Stirling, the gap through Cambus will be plugged swiftly.

 

[385001]

3:20pm · 4 Sep 2018
Wires now up through Larbert station! Electric trains coming soon. @ScotRail @NetworkRailSCOT @NetworkRailEGIP

 

[Chris125]

Some very positive comments at a recent RIA meeting: https://twitter.com/Rail_Elec/status/1036959880781934592

'Scotland in CP6 will have a rolling, long term, work bank for electrification'
'We are seeing electrification unit rates in Scotland being some of the lowest in the UK'
'Peaks and troughs for workbanks are the enemy of efficiency'
'Steady, long term workbanks provide long term employment for local regions'

 

[snowball]

Some very positive comments at a recent RIA meeting: https://twitter.com/Rail_Elec/status/1036959880781934592

'Scotland in CP6 will have a rolling, long term, work bank for electrification'

None of it announced yet, though.

 

[gingertom]

I was in the Craigmill area today. Looks pretty much complete as far as Causewayhead at the rugby club. No visible progress between Broomridge and Plean. Lots of activity at Stirling station.

 

[Southsider]

I see in the local press that the Busby to East Kilbride Line is 150 years old this year. Electrification of the route would make a nice birthday present from the Scottish Government. Hopefully it will be part of the major infrastructure investment announced yesterday.