Scottish Electrification updates & discussion

[gingertom]

Platform extensions to take 8 x 23m coaches would be a good start that would also be useful even once you have doubled and electrified the line. Could be relatively quick and simple to achieve as well.

8 x 23m should really be the new standard operating length for the busier lines in the Central Belt. E-G via Falkirk and Glasgow - Ayr are based on that now so any platform lengthening or enhancements on busier lines should be using that as a minimum to aim for.

that would be far too sensible.

 

[Southsider]

My team put them up last Wednesday, definitely F & F, not ROCS.

Many thanks. Sounds like the Twitter team have got their wires crossed!

 

[route101]

maybe a couple of 153s (without bike racks) in the mix? Really needs to be the wires though as extra DMUs won't address the environmental concerns mentioned in the article.

Im just thinking its 156s displaced off Shotts , Falkirk and Alloa .

 

[Fougasse]

Many thanks. Sounds like the Twitter team have got their wires crossed!

No problem. Dunblane station Down Loop and Down Main strung today.

 

[alangla]

No problem. Dunblane station Down Loop and Down Main strung today.

Was up that way yesterday, wiring train was plodding about around Dunblane station. Lots of cherry pickers in the car park at Bridge of Allan, but no activity there. Massive rail replacement operation, though not a huge number of passengers by the looks of things

 

[route:oxford]

Was up that way yesterday, wiring train was plodding about around Dunblane station. Lots of cherry pickers in the car park at Bridge of Allan, but no activity there. Massive rail replacement operation, though not a huge number of passengers by the looks of things

Plenty of notice and timed to match the tattie holidays.

It was quite slick.

 

[Southsider]

It’s an interesting comparison - you get the clear impression that these schemes (SDA and Shotts) are near completion and will see electric trains in service soon whereas, reading the Blackpool to Manchester thread, you almost get the feeling it’s going backwards!

 

[Aictos]

It’s an interesting comparison - you get the clear impression that these schemes (SDA and Shotts) are near completion and will see electric trains in service soon whereas, reading the Blackpool to Manchester thread, you almost get the feeling it’s going backwards!

Maybe just maybe the Scottish teams ought to head south of the border to supervise the English teams and help them out with any Electrification projects, it can't not help could it?

 

[Southsider]

Maybe just maybe the Scottish teams ought to head south of the border to supervise the English teams and help them out with any Electrification projects, it can't not help could it?

They may well have to given the absence of confirmed follow on work in Scotland. Hopefully East Kilbride can be pushed through the approval process quickly to minimise the workload gap.

 

[Fougasse]

Dunblane station Up Main wired today. That's all the wires up from Bridge of Allan to the end of the electrification at Dunblane.

 

[Southsider]

Dunblane station Up Main wired today. That's all the wires up from Bridge of Allan to the end of the electrification at Dunblane.

What about the other direction? Any information on that?

 

[InOban]

They've posted that all the work planned for this blockade will be done by 10.00pm. I suspect it's all nearly done, but I haven't heard a date for energisation.

 

[InOban]

I tweeted NR EGIP and they say there's still a few weeks work to do.

 

[59CosG95]

I tweeted NR EGIP and they say there's still a few weeks work to do.

Is that until all the works of SDA are done, and the OLE is authorised for passenger use?
IIRC, there's a lot of testing to do on the route, and the wires at Grangemouth need to be finished off too.

 

[InOban]

A few weeks until energisation.

 

[59CosG95]

Scottish Wiring Progressometer - Post 8.1 (dated 22nd October 2018)
Shotts (due March 2019)
All mileages taken from Holytown Jct (1m 24ch) to Midcalder Jct (23m 11ch).
New signalling system for the route tested & commissioned. Route due to go live in mid-November.

Holytown Jct (1m 24ch) to Midcalder Jct (23m 11ch)
Fully wired west and east of the Carfin-Cleland Cutting on both lines. Bespoke masts are being/have been installed in the Carfin-Cleland Cutting.

Platforms are being extended at Carfin.
At Cleland, CCTV cameras & CIS are being installed.
At Hartwood Station (6m 62ch), an entirely new DDA-compliant access route is being built, to allow removal of the old footbridge without the need for a replacement. 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.
At Fauldhouse Station, CCTV and CIS screens are being installed/improved.
Breich Station reopened after a 12-week closure. Platforms have been reprofiled, with access to the eastbound platform now coming from the north, avoiding the need for a new footbridge.
Addiewell Station's old footbridge has gone, and the New Footbridge almost complete. CIS screens and CCTV cameras are also being installed.

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).
Steelwork is also up in the Grangemouth Terminal area, however the extent of SPS & wiring there is not yet known. Wires are now largely up in the vicinity of Fouldubs Jct, but work has yet to be completed with snagging etc.

Larbert - Stirling - Dunblane/Alloa
Line blockade from 14/10 to 21/10 (inclusive) for wiring between Dunblane/Alloa and Larbert is now complete.
The Alloa branch has now been wired over the Forth Viaduct to Causewayhead Junction; thus completing the wiring on the branch.
At Larbert, both main lines and the Down Passenger Loop are fully wired.
Wires extend south from Stirling to Larbert over both lines.
Kerse Rd Bridge now reopened.
Within Stirling, all lines have full OLE in place through the station.
Wires extend north from Stirling, through Bridge of Allan, and through Kippenross Tunnel to Dunblane; all tracks through Dunblane are also wired.
New LED Signals at Stirling North have been commissioned.

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.

 

[dtaylor84]

Not entirely sure it's accurate, but ScotRail's Journey Check service just emailed me the following:

Disruption has been reported to services between Edinburgh and Stirling.

The 18:05 is expected to arrive at Stirling at about 19:08, 11 minutes late due to damage to the overhead electric wires.

 

[mcmad]

AS far as I could see from the road, Larbert to Bannockburn seemed to be complete so all fully wired up ready for testing?

 

[MadMac]

NR's Twitter infers that it's complete all the way through, but given that they apparently don't know their conductor bar from their contact wire, it should be taken with the proverbial pinch. Notwithstanding that, there's presumably some registration work still to take place before it gets juiced up, plus the feeder station at Stirling is still apparently awaiting a couple of bob in the meter.

 

[gingertom]

NR's Twitter infers that it's complete all the way through, but given that they apparently don't know their conductor bar from their contact wire, it should be taken with the proverbial pinch. Notwithstanding that, there's presumably some registration work still to take place before it gets juiced up, plus the feeder station at Stirling is still apparently awaiting a couple of bob in the meter.

is this a power feeder station or a track switching cabinet? With there being a power feed not very far away at Greenhills another power feeder station at Stirling might be a bit of overkill. Unless there's short-term plans to extend the wires north....? Even then Hilton Junction or closer to Perth station itself might be a better place for a power feed.

 

[MadMac]

Is this a power feeder station or a track switching cabinet? With there being a power feed not very far away at Greenhill another power feeder station at Stirling might be a bit of overkill. Unless there's short-term plans to extend the wires north....? Even then Hilton Junction or closer to Perth station itself might be a better place for a power feed.

I thought I had seen mention of it awaiting a feed from Scottish Power, but that may well be merely for operating the equipment therein. I'm a signals fellow, so I'll bow to the superior knowledge of others

 

[gingertom]

I thought I had seen mention of it awaiting a feed from Scottish Power, but that may well be merely for operating the equipment therein. I'm a signals fellow, so I'll bow to the superior knowledge of others

I don't know either, was hoping someone in the know could elaborate.

 

[59CosG95]

Any news on the Carfin-Cleland gap on the Shotts route?

 

[MadMac]

Any news on the Carfin-Cleland gap on the Shotts route?

They're apparently currently installing the "hardware", which was specially made for the cutting. Word is that it's still on schedule to get livened up next month.

 

[The_Engineer]

I don't know either, was hoping someone in the know could elaborate.

I am sure substations and section cabins require a metered supply from the local domestic/industrial 415/40V network. This is required to operate the control of the switchgear, and domestic voltage lighting, monitoring and alarm equipment -for example fire alarms, data links, modems…… I have managed engineering for new tramway installations and mine certainly did!!

 

[MadMac]

I am sure substations and section cabins require a metered supply from the local domestic/industrial 415/240V network. This is required to operate the control of the switchgear, and domestic voltage lighting, monitoring and alarm equipment -for example fire alarms, data links, modems…… I have managed engineering for new tramway installations and mine certainly did!!

Right. Makes sense. As I said, not my subject. Now, if it has red, yellow (one or two) or green lights.....

 

[47271]

Jeez, I'm personally inconvenienced by this, I had no idea that EGIP was the cause.

Surely to goodness they could work out how to run a Sunday HML service, either via Ladybank or as far as Perth, and ensure that there's enough stock in the right place on Monday morning? This just looks like it's a convenient excuse to save a bit of money.

Anger over closures on Highland Main Line due to works 100 miles south

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/f...hland-main-line-due-to-works-100-miles-south/

Rail bosses have sparked anger by disrupting the north train service for five Sundays in a row – because of work going on more than 100 miles away.

Commuters and visitors on the Highland Main Line face a bus replacement service due to engineering works taking place in central Scotland.

MSP Rhoda Grant condemned plans by Scotrail to suspend all rail services on the 118-mile Inverness to Perth line for the next five Sundays, as Network Rail engineers conduct electrification works on the Alloa, Stirling and Dunblane lines.

Transport operator Scotrail said the reason for the change was to ensure normal timetables can resume on Monday morning and the first Glasgow train is in the right place to go north.

Despite the works having no direct advantage for Highlanders, passengers heading north are to bear the brunt of the closures; a move Ms Grant believes should have been given additional thought.

She said: “It is unfortunate that rail passengers between Inverness and Perth have to be disrupted when there is actually no work ongoing on the Highland main line. However, I understand from Network Rail that the engineering works affect the Central Belt.

“They tell me if they kept trains running on the Highland Main line and not elsewhere, there would be a knock on effect for services on the Monday mornings with the trains being in the wrong locations.

“However, I wonder with a little thought whether some trains could not have been kept north of the engineering works to provide services from Inverness to Perth because one of the first services on Monday morning leaves from Inverness. I would have through that the Scotrail Alliance could have come up with a better solution, however they are very Central Belt orientated.

“I have long since advocated for better and more punctual train services for the North and this is simply another example of the Scotrail Alliance’s disregard for those in the north.”

Replacement buses are scheduled to run during the works, adding an additional hour onto their original two and a half hour journey. The route is scheduled to re-open as normal from Sunday, December 2.

A ScotRail spokesperson said: “We’re building the best railway that Scotland’s ever had, and that means more seats, faster journeys, and better services.

“While Network Rail carry out the necessary work to make this possible, some trains will be replaced by buses over the next few Sundays.”

 

[ld0595]

If that is indeed the case, that is exceptionally poor planning from Scotrail and a pretty lousy excuse. Perhaps there is maintenance work running on the Highland Mainline to coincide with it?

 

[Class 170101]

Not certain what dates the Sunday disruption is referring to but on Saturdays its a bus from Glasgow to Perth whilst on Sundays its been a train via Falkirk High and Inverkeithing, the limiting factor on capacity being the single line between Ladybank and Perth.

This has been usual practise for sometime. I think the MP needs to do some research.

 

[InOban]

I'm fairly certain that the all-day closure of HML is nothing to do with the electrification, because the Stirling area is only getting closed after 21.00. The HML closure will be for the enhancements at Pitlochry and Aviemore for the enhanced HST services. It was announced sone time ago that the work would be taking pkace in November.

I no idea why Scotrail have posted such a misleading notice.