Aberdeen - Inverness £170m Upgrade

[Deltic1961]

Same issue at Dyce unfortunately.

 

[RLBH]

Any station at Dalcross is going to be on the wrong side of the runway from the Airport terminal, and this is a major failure.

It still amazes me that when the new terminal was built back around 2000, the opportunity wasn't taken to relocate it to the south-east of the runway - making it more convenient for both the railway and the A96.

 

[hexagon789]

I was under the impression that a station at Dalcross was very much a "live" proposal.

Tornagrain was just a name on a road sign for a time, but there is now a sizable housing development. If you believe the planners' bumph, it's set to be a new "big" settlement (10k people) in the near future. Having driven through it for a bit of a nosey, it would appear that construction is progressing quite rapidly, but the current transport links are woefully inadequate. The road from Tornagrain to the airport junction with the A96 is still very much single-track with passing places and needs to be seriously looked at.

Any station at Dalcross is going to be on the wrong side of the runway from the Airport terminal, and this is a major failure.

So it is planned properly then. I knew Kintore was, but Dalcross has been planned on and off for quite a while.

Perhaps a shuttle bus to the terminal from the station?

 

[Highland37]

No one will use a shuttle bus. The station needs to be at the airport or it is pointless. Look at Edinburgh Gateway.

 

[CEN60]

It goes without saying that doubling all the way to Aberdeen would have been ideal, but as long as they've used high-speed S&C at the "country end" of the single line section then it's still possible to have a robust timetable in spite of it. That would let trains approach Aberdeen as fast as if the line was double and trains to accelerate up to the double-track line speed as soon as they depart - which has the result of reducing the pathing time required.

FYI - The turnout speed north of Hutcheon St Tunnel is 50mph (the thu' speed is 60mph - rising to 75mph just after Kittybrewsyer.) - for the record the turnout is an NR60 F21.5!

There is new connection from the south into a runround facility at Kittybrewster for access to the branch (meaning the freight does not have to go all the way to Dyce to "turn round" and enter from the north. From just north of Kittybrewster all the way to Inverurie will be 75mph on both tracks.

 

[hexagon789]

No one will use a shuttle bus. The station needs to be at the airport or it is pointless. Look at Edinburgh Gateway.

I thought the line was quite a bit away from the terminal though? In which case how could you have the station at the airport?

 

[GusB]

I thought the line was quite a bit away from the terminal though? In which case how could you have the station at the airport?

There is an existing bus service which stops outside the terminal building. Anyone with luggage would have to haul it onto a shuttle bus, haul it off again, then back onto the train. The service bus would be halfway to Inverness in that time.

 

[InOban]

Are there regular buses from the airport to Nairn Forres and Elgin?

 

[haggishunter]

It still amazes me that when the new terminal was built back around 2000, the opportunity wasn't taken to relocate it to the south-east of the runway - making it more convenient for both the railway and the A96.

I thought the line was quite a bit away from the terminal though? In which case how could you have the station at the airport?

It is but the current airport buildings are barely 20 years old, there was a potential opportunity to build a new airport terminal at the other side of the runaway, but the existing site was chosen to make an outrageous PFI scheme more profitable by having lower construction costs. Of course that meant others had to pay for a much longer new access road too as well as losing the chance for an integrated transport hub at the airport.

The PFI contract was signed by the previous Tory government in 1995, the scheme was actioned by Labour ministers pre devolution. Construction cost of the new terminal was £9.5million, by 2005 when the Scottish Government bought out the PFI to free HIAL from a disastrous PFI contract around £11m had been paid through a levy on every passenger and the termination of the contract cost a further £25m.

£36m for a £9.6m terminal built in the wrong place! Add in the construction cost for the road and it was a monumental stuff up, not least the terminal was not big enough, not able to segregate international flights etc so various bits have been added on.

 

[GusB]

Are there regular buses from the airport to Nairn Forres and Elgin?

During the day you'd have to catch the 11 from the airport, then change onto a 10 at Nairn for onward travel. In the evening, the 10a stops at the airport, so no change required.

 

[hexagon789]

There is an existing bus service which stops outside the terminal building. Anyone with luggage would have to haul it onto a shuttle bus, haul it off again, then back onto the train. The service bus would be halfway to Inverness in that time.

How else would you get to the terminal though?

 

[hexagon789]

It is but the current airport buildings are barely 20 years old, there was a potential opportunity to build a new airport terminal at the other side of the runaway, but the existing site was chosen to make an outrageous PFI scheme more profitable by having lower construction costs. Of course that meant others had to pay for a much longer new access road too as well as losing the chance for an integrated transport hub at the airport.

The PFI contract was signed by the previous Tory government in 1995, the scheme was actioned by Labour ministers pre devolution. Construction cost of the new terminal was £9.5million, by 2005 when the Scottish Government bought out the PFI to free HIAL from a disastrous PFI contract around £11m had been paid through a levy on every passenger and the termination of the contract cost a further £25m.

£36m for a £9.6m terminal built in the wrong place! Add in the construction cost for the road and it was a monumental stuff up, not least the terminal was not big enough, not able to segregate international flights etc so various bits have been added on.

A shame they went for a lower cost but more awkwardly situated terminal. That's certainly come back to bite them.

 

[vlad]

Perhaps a shuttle bus to the terminal from the station?

There used to be one from Dyce but apparently hasn't run for years due to lack of passengers.

When I was waiting for the replacement coach to Inverurie a couple of weeks ago a lad asked us about buses to the airport and was told he'd have to walk - I don't think he was happy.

 

[Highlandspring]

There used to be one from Dyce but apparently hasn't run for years due to lack of passengers.

I’m very surprised to hear the Stagecoach bus which went up Wellheads Drive to the turning circle on Foinavon Close has stopped - I used it in 2016 (typing this I can hardly believe it’s so long sice I’ve used Aberdeen Airport..) to get from the airport and loads of folk got off at the station with me. Travelline Scotland does appear to confirm it though.

When I was waiting for the replacement coach to Inverurie a couple of weeks ago a lad asked us about buses to the airport and was told he'd have to walk - I don't think he was happy.

He could have walked 100 yards to the road end and got a First bus from there or taken a taxi, of which there are always loads hanging around at Dyce.

 

[haggishunter]

There used to be one from Dyce but apparently hasn't run for years due to lack of passengers.

Think it stopped early 2018, it run a loop via an industrial estate and lots of oil industry offices. Drop in use by these seemed to seal its fate. There is however a direct bus to Aberdeen station from the airport.

 

[hexagon789]

There used to be one from Dyce but apparently hasn't run for years due to lack of passengers.

Dyce to Inverness Airport?

When I was waiting for the replacement coach to Inverurie a couple of weeks ago a lad asked us about buses to the airport and was told he'd have to walk - I don't think he was happy.

I doubt many people would be!

 

[vlad]

He could have walked 100 yards to the road end and got a First bus from there or taken a taxi, of which there are always loads hanging around at Dyce.

If the bloke supervising the rail-replacement buses says you have to walk then you assume there aren't any other options.

Dyce to Inverness Airport?

I never said I was paying attention to this thread.

 

[hexagon789]

I never said I was paying attention to this thread.

What did you mean then sorry? Bit confused.

 

[vlad]

What did you mean then sorry? Bit confused.

I assumed we were talking about Aberdeen airport, hence my mention of Dyce.

If the thread was actually about Inverness airport then that's my fault for not paying attention.

 

[hexagon789]

I assumed we were talking about Aberdeen airport, hence my mention of Dyce.

If the thread was actually about Inverness airport then that's my fault for not paying attention.

Oh right, no its not as such. The particular post was about the new station at Kintore which prompted me to ask about Dalcross (long proposed for Inverness Airport), if that makes sense?

 

[Jordan Adam]

There used to be one from Dyce but apparently hasn't run for years due to lack of passengers.

When I was waiting for the replacement coach to Inverurie a couple of weeks ago a lad asked us about buses to the airport and was told he'd have to walk - I don't think he was happy.

First are starting a new X27 from the 1st July which will link the Rail station to (almost) the Airport terminal. Rather than serving the terminal the route just serves Argyll Road / Forties Road, which for the bulk of people is close enough and will be better than having to walk from Craibstone P&R!

Think it stopped early 2018, it run a loop via an industrial estate and lots of oil industry offices. Drop in use by these seemed to seal its fate. There is however a direct bus to Aberdeen station from the airport.

The service was axed in May 2017 as part of a wider collection of service cuts by Stagecoach in the area.

 

[GusB]

Well, it looks like Dyce signal box will soon be reduced to rubble.

https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp...aberdeen-signal-box-set-to-be-be-demolished1/

Permission has been given for a railway station signal box to be demolished – despite a campaign to save it.

The Dyce Signal Box, which has been on the site since 1880, has been at the centre of a campaign to save it after a building warrant was lodged with Aberdeen City Council to demolish it.

As part of the Network Rail Highland Enhancement Programme (HEP) project, the signal box, on the platform at the station, is no longer required.

A building warrant to demolish the equipment was put forward in June by IKM Consulting on behalf of Bam Nuttall, the contractors for the Aberdeen to Inverness infrastructure project.

Network Rail invited members of the public or other organisations to come forward if anyone was interested in taking it on, after a meeting with councillors Gill Al-Samarai and Neil MacGregor.

Several options were put forward, including bringing it into use by the community as a cafe or a museum. There was also a suggestion it could be dismantled and be put on display at the Grampian Transport Museum. However, the cost of maintaining the building would have been £15,000, and it would have needed repainting every five years – which comes with a £20,000 price tag.

The demolition work is expected to cost around £30,000. Despite the call, no groups came forward.

Councillor MacGregor said: “Although Historic Environment Scotland say this is an increasingly rare example of the traditional signal box, they do not consider it deserves listed status and because Network Rail are upgrading to colour light signals, it will become surplus to requirements.

“We would like to thank all who tried to help with this project.”

It's a shame that nobody expressed an interest, but it'd be an expensive exercise to relocate it, and it would seem that keeping it in its current location isn't possible.

 

[Highland37]

I agree. I thought it looked lovely but if local people aren't that interested, so be it.

 

[RLBH]

As is usually the case with these things, the 'campaign to save it' (a Facebook group with 104 members) relied on an assumption that someone else would pay for it. If each of those members was willing and able to commit £182.69 a year - not a trivial sum, but not ludicrously high either - they'd have covered the cost of maintaining it.

 

[yorkie]

This thread is to discuss what is actually happening with the upgrade.

Just a gentle reminder that all speculative ideas belong in the Speculative Ideas section, thanks

 

[Legolash2o]

Aberdeen to Inverness railway line to fully reopen next week
https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp...ness-railway-line-to-fully-reopen-next-week1/

Workers are fitting the final pieces of equipment along the line, which has been closed since May.

Rail replacement services were in operation to connect commuters heading between Dyce, Inverurie and Huntly.

Some areas have seen new double track installed to help increase capacity and upgrade the service between the two cities.

The benefits of the upgraded line are expected to be seen by commuters from December 2019.

The double-tracking of the section is also being carried out in preparation for the construction of a new station at Kintore, due to open in time for new timetables being introduced next May.

In total, 18km of new track has been laid, along with 32,000 sleepers and 72km of cables.

 

[Ben.A.98]

The new signalling was commissioned this morning which I believe went well and on time. Three days of driver training are now taking place with the line reopening to passsengers on Tuesday morning.

 

[InOban]

There are pics on the NR A2I Twitter, including showing the new platforms at Kintore.

 

[Tobbes]

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailA2I/status/1163048905971576832

 

[InOban]

Thanks. I'm not good at posting Twitter links from my phone.