Paisley Canal Electrification

[sdrennan]

I am aware they are doing prep work, cutting trees back etc. But does anyone have any details.
looking to find timeline and if they are doubling any sections

 

[DaveNewcastle]

This document might help. Route Q: Scotland West - Network Rail

2014 Development in CP4

 Paisley Canal Electrification
 Development of electrification of the Paisley Canal line from Corkerhill to Paisley Canal (part of Electrification phase 2 Glasgow Suburban in-fill.)

However, this ATOC document (Sept 2011) refers to the works being undertaken in CP5 & CP6 : Initial Industry Plan Scotland

phase 2 includes electrification of the remaining diesel operated passenger
lines in the central belt (Shotts, Whifflet, Paisley Canal, East Kilbride,
Kilmarnock and Shields to High Street). This phase is currently being
developed and is proposed for initial delivery during CP5 with completion in
Control Period 6 (CP6).

There's plenty time left for this to be reconsidered, revised or rescheduled!
There's no mention of doubling.

 

[rail-britain]

There's plenty time left for this to be reconsidered, revised or rescheduled!

Not really, as it has been pulled forward and work has already commenced for completion within 15 months (for December 2012 timetable)

 

[tbtc]

Didn't realise Shotts was on the "to do" list

 

[rail-britain]

Didn't realise Shotts was on the "to do" list

Yes, pretty much all the routes out of Glasgow and Edinburgh, up to 30 miles, that you can place on a map
The only real loser is Whifflet, the line gets electrified but the service ends (integrated into Glasgow Low Level services)

 

[CarterUSM]

I can see a few lines coming off my route card.......

 

[bluenoxid]

Yes, pretty much all the routes out of Glasgow and Edinburgh, up to 30 miles, that you can place on a map
The only real loser is Whifflet, the line gets electrified but the service ends (integrated into Glasgow Low Level services)

How is this a loss for Whifflet?

 

[CarterUSM]

How is this a loss for Whifflet?

Longer journey time probably.

 

[sdrennan]

Are all the other lines working to the same deadline of Dec 2012.

Are any lines /part of lines being redoubled around Glasgow in near future

 

[rail-britain]

How is this a loss for Whifflet?

At the moment there is a dedicated Glasgow Central - Whifflet service
Once this route is electrified that service ends and an existing Motherwell (Glasgow Central Low Level) service will use this route instead
Passengers currently enjoy a very frequent (and generally more reliable than it used to be service) and typically lightly loaded, this will turn into a service dependent on time keeping elsewhere on the network and much busier
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Are all the other lines working to the same deadline of Dec 2012
Are any lines /part of lines being redoubled around Glasgow in near future

No, Paisley Canal has been prioritised, as this only requires electrification without new rolling stock due to the low PVR
The other projects remain unchanged for completion between 2014 and 2016, and will require new rolling stock

There will be some minor route improvements, but nothing including full redoubling
The obvious ones are Barrhead - Kilmarnock and Busby - East Kilbride, but as I understand neither will be improved any further although the signalling along the entire routes will be replaced (full four aspect rather than the strange setup at the moment)
Another change will be one additional bidirectional track at Rutherglen, so that local trains do not to affect trains to/from Polmadie (Glasgow Central) as much as they do at the moment
However this does mean the frequency of trains through Cambuslang will be reduced (serving Whifflet instead)

 

[tbtc]

At the moment there is a dedicated Glasgow Central - Whifflet service
Once this route is electrified that service ends and an existing Motherwell (Glasgow Central Low Level) service will use this route instead
Passengers currently enjoy a very frequent (and generally more reliable than it used to be service) and typically lightly loaded, this will turn into a service dependent on time keeping elsewhere on the network and much busier

Whifflet will get longer trains serving more stations in central Glasgow (with service through to Partick etc too), as well as the link to Motherwell that you mention.

 

[rail-britain]

Whifflet will get longer trains serving more stations in central Glasgow (with service through to Partick etc too), as well as the link to Motherwell that you mention

Longer, yes not by much, but the services are already busy and diverting them along this corridor will simply increase this

 

[p123]

This is probably a really uneducated answer in comparison to those discussing the timescales for electrification etc.

But... a whole load of the suburban lines in Glasgow have recently had lineside trees cut down anyway. Just before leaf fall season (hurrah!)... and it has been noticeably more in past years.

Perhaps what the OP saw may have been that? Sorry to ruin everyone's hopes of electrification...

 

[MacCookie]

I am aware they are doing prep work, cutting trees back etc. But does anyone have any details.
looking to find timeline and if they are doubling any sections

How do you know that this is prep work for electrification and not, as p123 suggests, simply tree cutting?

Ewan

 

[sdrennan]

I know the cutting was prep work as the team doing it and other work stated this wad the case. Also friend who neighbors the railway received notification of electrification work

 

[clc]

Electrification would be funded by Transport Scotland and there's been no announcements from them about the work being completed by Dec 2012. TS are not usually reticent about publicising good news stories so I don't think it's going to happen.

 

[ObservationCar]

Just a shame that the link from Paisley Canal to the main line to Ayr was removed and there is no chance of it being reinstated due to new builds near Paisley Canal. Beaching was bad enough, but these STUPID LITTLE SUPPOSED TO BE COST SAVING MEASURES that took place in the 80's were and still are Criminal. It cost lives e.g Newton, and paid no consideration to future expansion or relief lines.

Don't know whether a Kilmacolm or Bridge of Weir service would be profitable in this day and age, but these towns have definatly paid the price for losing their railway, with a very high rate of unemployment.

Whifflet electrification, more trains through Partick, surely they have to look at a way of 4 tracking Kelvinhaugh to Hyndland West, probably an engineering imposibility though.