New East Linton Station - Progress & Updates

[numtot12345]

East Linton Station

scotlandsrailway.com

The Scotland's Railway website only mentions trains towards Berwick and Newcastle. Stopping too many trains on that part of the ECML will cause no end of capacity issues, and that's before you look at the financials.

For stations like East Linton and Reston on such a major line, I assume it would exponentially increase the cost if they split the tracks such that trains stopping at those stations come off the main tracks for the platforms at the side so that any fast trains could effectively overtake the stopping ones?

Or even if they did that, is the capacity still not available?

 

[zwk500]

For stations like East Linton and Reston on such a major line, I assume it would exponentially increase the cost if they split the tracks such that trains stopping at those stations come off the main tracks for the platforms at the side so that any fast trains could effectively overtake the stopping ones?

Or even if they did that, is the capacity still not available?

Putting a loop for the platforms would indeed increase the cost by an eye-watering amount, especially at East Linton where the line curves quite sharply for 125mph. You'd need to demolish half the village to straighten out the track enough to get the pointwork down. Then there's the capacity impact of slowing down to stop, and the fact that to let a train pass you'll be stopped for 5/6 mins. Finally, you've got the performance consideration that the train behind has to hit the gap perfectly to avoid seeing yellow signals and slowing down.

 

[swt_passenger]

Putting a loop for the platforms would indeed increase the cost by an eye-watering amount, especially at East Linton where the line curves quite sharply for 125mph. You'd need to demolish half the village to straighten out the track enough to get the pointwork down. Then there's the capacity impact of slowing down to stop, and the fact that to let a train pass you'll be stopped for 5/6 mins. Finally, you've got the performance consideration that the train behind has to hit the gap perfectly to avoid seeing yellow signals and slowing down.

Yes, and I’d add that if you then want to add track to allow your “stopper” to run at linespeed - except for the time for its station call - then the loop needs to be many miles long, which effectively means significant lengths of four tracking…

 

[Starmill]

There might be other places between Newcastle and Edinburgh where overtaking could become a more regular thing with a combination of loop length extensions and higher turnout speeds, but it's unlikely that any of them would be at stations. Many hundreds of millions of pounds, or indeed billions of pounds for the old favourite of a Morpeth cutoff line, would be required to get up to the point where it can be done without penalising the fast or the stopping trains, however.

 

[numtot12345]

Thanks for clarifying that. Mindful as well there are aspirations for quad tracking east of Edinburgh, which might be what you are referring to for other locations for overtaking? My guess again is that would help facilitate the capacity for both the more local and longer distance services.

 

[92002]

Thanks for clarifying that. Mindful as well there are aspirations for quad tracking east of Edinburgh, which might be what you are referring to for other locations for overtaking? My guess again is that would help facilitate the capacity for both the more local and longer distance services.

Dunbar for instance which currently exists.

 

[hibtastic]

Platforms well on their way at East Linton.

 

[Acfb]

East Linton Station progressing well.

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailSCOT/status/1565289185623396352/photo/2

I will have a look out when I go to Reston again tomorrow.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

East Linton Station progressing well.

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailSCOT/status/1565289185623396352/photo/2

I will have a look out when I go to Reston again tomorrow.

Did you manage to make that visit and if so, what have you to report?

 

[92002]

Did you manage to make that visit and if so, what have you to report?

Came past the station last week. Both lift towers are now installed and work progressing on the platforms. No lifts installed yet and presumably a bridge will form part of the structure.

Crane still on site for the lifts and footbridge.

 

[Acfb]

Did you manage to make that visit and if so, what have you to report?

I've made two return trips to Reston. I caught brief glimpse of the lift shafts but it was hard to notice anything else as the team whizzed through On the last one, a few Saturdays ago, I got the 11.33 to Berwick from Edinburgh and there were seven people getting off including myself and about a dozen cars in the car park. On the return 16.42 trip however noone else got on (unlike my first visit).

It was a nice day out I managed to walk to Eyemouth in about 1hr20 and then got some dressed crab by the harbour. Unfortunately Gunsgreen House was closed but the Eyemouth museum was interesting with a lot about the old Blacksmiths at Reston.

I then got the 15.00 bus back to Reston and waited 80+ minutes for the train.

I think the Mon-Sat service level is broadly fine, just need to cut their fares to encourage more people to travel to/from Reston/Berwick to try and fill their trains.

I also saw a couple of pingo vehicles around eyemouth but I haven't used that service yet.

I went to East Linton as well last Sunday to visit Preston Mill but the station works are not visible driving into East Linton. I'm not totally sure about the exact access, if it will be past the Mart or what?

 

[dan4291]

Just drove through East Linton this morning. The lift shafts have got some cladding on and there's some paving on the Up platform edge, including tactile paving.

 

[ian1944]

I've made two return trips to Reston. I caught brief glimpse of the lift shafts but it was hard to notice anything else as the team whizzed through On the last one, a few Saturdays ago, I got the 11.33 to Berwick from Edinburgh and there were seven people getting off including myself and about a dozen cars in the car park. On the return 16.42 trip however noone else got on (unlike my first visit).

It was a nice day out I managed to walk to Eyemouth in about 1hr20 and then got some dressed crab by the harbour. Unfortunately Gunsgreen House was closed but the Eyemouth museum was interesting with a lot about the old Blacksmiths at Reston.

I then got the 15.00 bus back to Reston and waited 80+ minutes for the train.

I think the Mon-Sat service level is broadly fine, just need to cut their fares to encourage more people to travel to/from Reston/Berwick to try and fill their trains.

I also saw a couple of pingo vehicles around eyemouth but I haven't used that service yet.

I went to East Linton as well last Sunday to visit Preston Mill but the station works are not visible driving into East Linton. I'm not totally sure about the exact access, if it will be past the Mart or what?

Road access will be off Haddington Road via Orchardfield, which is west of the Mart. The car park is south(west) of the station but there will be pedestrian access from the park to the north(east).

 

[hibtastic]

Latest pics of the station works from this morning

 

[hibtastic]

VIDEO: Footbridge installed at £15m new East Linton train station

A NEW footbridge has been installed as work on bringing a new train station to East Linton gathers pace.

www.eastlothiancourier.com

Footbridge now installed at East Linton

 

[hibtastic]

A pic from the weekend showing progress

 

[och aye]

New footbridge installed:

East Linton Footbridge Install - Oct 22.mp4

This is "East Linton Footbridge Install - Oct 22.mp4" by Eddie Harbinson on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

vimeo.com

Press release here:

Footbridge installed at the new £15m East Linton station

A new footbridge has been installed as part of the new East Linton station development.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

A new footbridge has been installed as part of the new East Linton station development.


Network Rail has installed a new footbridge as part of the £15m East Linton station development.


The work was carried out by contractor Bam Nuttall, across two nightshifts, to manoeuvre five bridge sections and four A-frame sections into position.


Using a 500-tonne crane, the footbridge was successfully positioned between the two new lift shafts which were installed in late-August. The main bridge span, which was the largest section, was 17.8 metres long, 4.3 metres wide and weighed 25 tonnes.

 

[Tormod]

Any current info on when the station is expected to open?

 

[92002]

Any current info on when the station is expected to open?

According to the article in the local paper
March 2024. With the nain construction starting in February 2023.

 

[Tormod]

The main construction has been going for some time, and the platforms are in place.

 

[92002]

The main construction has been going for some time, and the platforms are in place.

Passing the site a week or two ago the ludt towers have been installed and a start made on platform bases.

A new accessory bridge for vehicles needs to be built to replace a levrl crossing.

So the timeliness look about there. With a park and ride facility created and local access roads changed.

So hardly going to open much this side of the year end.

 

[swt_passenger]

The main construction has been going for some time, and the platforms are in place.

I’m puzzled too.

Network Rail‘s photos linked in post #77 seem to show one platform (the right hand), with its coping slabs already fitted, and the other side seems ready for them, and that’s from early October last year. Post #67 included photos and reported platform structures “well on the way”

To me that’s more like “main construction almost complete”, certainly not starting next month?

 

[dan4291]

I drive through East Linton regularly and last time I saw it (Saturday just gone) both platforms had coping slabs and one of the platforms had been tarmacced.

 

[hibtastic]

I think the station itself is well on the way however there is still a fair bit to do in the car park and I believe there are some land ownership issues delaying this.

 

[dan4291]

From what I've seen the station itself looks pretty much complete, with platforms tarmacced with tactile paving and even working PIS screens. Don't know about the surrounding area, car park, etc.

 

[92002]

From what I've seen the station itself looks pretty much complete, with platforms tarmacced with tactile paving and even working PIS screens. Don't know about the surrounding area, car park, etc.

Car park has yet to be completed.

A new access bridge to replace a level crossing to gain the car park area will need a line closure. Presumably which will be completed in a September weekend closure.

 

[hibtastic]

The new access bridge is at Markle further along the line. This apparently starts in April and will take 9 months to complete. This will replace the Markle level crossing which is apparently required before the station opens due to the different speeds of express and stopping services.

The station car park is pretty much the only major outstanding bit of work at the station itself.

So there will come a point where the station is complete and ready but won’t be able to open until the works a mile or so down the line are finished which is a shame.

 

[InOban]

Won't there be a TSR at Markle while the works are taking place, so all trains could be at the same speed?

 

[RailScotia]

When I’ve been driving through this week, the platforms do look almost complete as has been said, but I agree a lot of work still to be done elsewhere.

At Markle, is the road being re-routed? Just all seems a bit tight to put a bridge in? I’m not familiar with the plans.

 

[hibtastic]

The road is being rerouted as per this link which gives more info:

Proposals for Markle level crossing replacement | Markle level crossing replacement project | East Lothian Council

Markle level crossing replacement.

www.eastlothian.gov.uk