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Successes to Cheer Us Up

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47271

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I'm spending a lot of time on threads that pick apart current projects that are over time, over budget or going wrong in all sorts of ways: late and over budget new routes like Crossrail, late or curtailed electrifications, late stock builds, late stock conversions, unsatisfactory new stock, the list is endless. It isn't good for us to read too much of this sort of stuff at the end of the old year!

To cheer us up for the new year, can we reflect on on time on budget successes from the past ten years or so? The main one that I can think of is Airdrie-Bathgate, I don't remember any trip ups on the project other than union threats over eastward extension of Strathclyde DOO?

The King's Cross rebuild might be another?

Do we have any others: major infrastructure or rolling stock programmes that have gone to plan and kept to budget?

Maybe this will be a thread with no replies other than me corrected on my two recollections of success stories - Happy New Year when it comes anyway!
 
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Mag_seven

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I would nominate Reading station and the associated flyovers etc. Can anyone now remember how awful the old cramped layout was and how it would lead to congestion on the station approaches particularly during the peaks?
 

Parallel

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Some of the station improvements have been good in the Avon Valley.

Keynsham - CIS boards installed with newer and much nicer waiting shelters

Oldfield Park - CIS and announcements fitted

Trowbridge - Two TVMs installed and surprisingly haven’t been vandalised. Before, the queue of people waiting at the ticket office desk in the morning regularly went out of the door to the bottom of the foot bridge. Also some some new/improved waiting shelters too.


Others

Cardiff Central - Toilets and waiting rooms much improved

Port Talbot - Whole station improved, if a little excessive

Shrewsbury - Platform 3 canopy refurbished and repairs were also started by ATW on the island platform
 

lammergeier

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Derby rebuild opened on time and AFAIK on budget. The replacement bus operation seemed to be well organised as well. The resulting approaches are much quicker and capacity has been significantly increased.
 

433N

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The Borders Railway.

Whatever the issues, passenger numbers have been higher than expected and the success has opened up discussion on the opening (or re-opening) of other lines. As a local, I (and many in Borders) was highly sceptical about it and thought it would be a white elephant. Absolutely 100% wrong. There actually appears to be a case for double tracking for its entire length.
 

yorksrob

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Is it too far in the past to suggest one of my personal favourites - The Kent electrification scheme, 1958-62. It was delivered over two phases, largely on time and to budget, encompassing electrification, resignalling and considerable remodelling and rebuilding of stations, as well as the construction of some of the most reliable and long lasting rolling stock on the railway.

I would suggest that this jewell in the much maligned modernisation plan crown stood the railway in Kent in good stead for the next forty years, and had a lot to do with Kent escaping from the disastrous closure programme relatively unscathed (compared to Sussex for example).
 

Fawkes Cat

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So taking a rather broad brush approach:

Successful: little projects
less successful: big projects

Is there a lesson here in how the railway should go about improving things?
 

notlob.divad

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Liverpool Lime Street re-modelling went pretty well. Certainly seemed to come in on time. I don't know if the work to the concourse area is now finished as well.
 

HowardGWR

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Had to look up the photos I took at the time (2009), so in the last 10 years it turns out.
Axminster station, redoubling of a mile of track either side, reinstatement of up platform, installation of lifts and general improvements to station. Also, improvements to bus waiting area and improved bus services to surrounding towns and villages, e.g. Lyme Regis, Seaton, Kilmington. The result is a truly integrated and well-used hub.

Here's a link to the photos I took.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomascpre/4152676079/in/album-72157622796351249/

Note: The last one was taken by passing my camera over the fence to an orange man who kindly took it for me. I did not trespass!
 

185143

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Liverpool Lime Street re-modelling went pretty well. Certainly seemed to come in on time. I don't know if the work to the concourse area is now finished as well.
With the exception of the derailment at South Parkway, it seemed to go very well.

Same goes for the Merseyrail Wirral loop line track renewal.
 

Bald Rick

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Not wishing to put a dampener on things, but Airdrie Bathgate was late (due to bad weather) and well over the budget that the Scottish Government thought it would be. However it was on budget for the price that Network Rail said it would be.
 

bastien

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Some of the station improvements have been good in the Avon Valley.

Keynsham - CIS boards installed with newer and much nicer waiting shelters

Oldfield Park - CIS and announcements fitted
Not to mention the HUGE access ramp at Keynsham. Someone at Network Rail has a concrete and steel fetish I think.
 

squizzler

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If you are fortunate enough to have a Community Rail Partnership you will be able to count off lots of little successes - even if the underlying service does not necessarily fulfil its potential. On the Heart of Wales line we have enjoyed several enhancements such as:
  • Modular "community hub" installed at Llandeilo
  • BAM National Heritage Award for the restored Cyngorghy Viaduct
  • Heart of Wales Line walking trail - a new piece of transport infrastructure on time and on budget! Powys section to open on 28 March next year.
I am sure forum members who take time out from the "doom and gloom" headlines that sell papers and look at their local lines and stations will also see positive things happening at grassroots level too!
 
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cactustwirly

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I would nominate Reading station and the associated flyovers etc. Can anyone now remember how awful the old cramped layout was and how it would lead to congestion on the station approaches particularly during the peaks?

Agreed, I remember waiting outside the station, for access to the old Platform 10 a fair few times!
I imagine it was a lot worse for the mainline services.
Whilst it caused 2 years of pain (2011 - 2013) the end result is fantastic, it handles train movements much better!
Although I wished the platforms were less exposed!
 

MidnightFlyer

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Reading, London Bridge and Norton Bridge immediately spring to mind. Exceptional jobs and well worth remembering just what can be achieved when instead all we hear about is the (justified) annoyances over Great Western electrification, the Castlefield Corridor and Electric Spine (amongst others!).
 

Carlisle

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Derby rebuild opened on time and AFAIK on budget. The replacement bus operation seemed to be well organised as well. The resulting approaches are much quicker and capacity has been significantly increased.
There vast majority of station area and junction remodelling schemes I can think of seem to finish on time whereas electrification projects and brand new railways much less so
 
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delt1c

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Alloa, passenger numbers beyond expectation and now electrified.
 

Muenchener

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Without reference to either being on budget or on time two big projects that I have seen, and view as successes are the re-modelling of Kings Cross with the new concourse and Manchester Victoria with the integration of the tram system within the station. A certificate of merit for the roof at Waverley.
Big projects; shame my local station didn't even get the convenience of toilets when built in 2011...
 

Sebastian O

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The station remodelling at another Reading and London Bridge were both of exceptional specification and exceptional delivery.

Easy to forget the old stations that were effectively ripped out with new ones put in their place.
 

Muenchener

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...agreed but, again, well over (the initial re-opening) budget.....if I remember correctly.
I've not had the chance to travel above the central belt this year; how have the improvements at Dundee gone down with it's users?
The improvements for Aberdeen's station look equally spectacular from impressions on the web and in the press.
 

MikeWM

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Cambridge ticket hall is now of sufficient capacity for the number of users it has, and actually works rather well. Compared to the often-crushed - often dangerously so - way this was before they opened it out, they’ve done a very good job here, albeit that it should have been done much sooner before the crowding became quite so perilous. I think it was more-or-less on time once the work finally started though (though I may be mis-remembering ;)

(and as this is a positives thread, I’ll avoid commenting here on the significantly less successful implementation of the island platform...!)
 

bramling

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Cambridge ticket hall is now of sufficient capacity for the number of users it has, and actually works rather well. Compared to the often-crushed - often dangerously so - way this was before they opened it out, they’ve done a very good job here, albeit that it should have been done much sooner before the crowding became quite so perilous. I think it was more-or-less on time once the work finally started though (though I may be mis-remembering ;)

(and as this is a positives thread, I’ll avoid commenting here on the significantly less successful implementation of the island platform...!)

For someone who’s barely been to Cambridge since the changes, what’s wrong with the island platform? From my highly limited use it appeared to do the business. Entrance too skewed to one end and awkward footbridge access?
 

MikeWM

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For someone who’s barely been to Cambridge since the changes, what’s wrong with the island platform? From my highly limited use it appeared to do the business. Entrance too skewed to one end and awkward footbridge access?

Yes and yes (try catching something on platform 2 or 3 if you arrive on the London end of platform 7 or 8), and also insufficient capacity to cope with the number of people who use Cambridge. With increased usage since the May timetable change, the problem is still more acute. Trying to get across to 7/8 if a train has just arrived there often requires a lot of shoving. Plus the lifts seem to be out of order all too frequently.
 

Mathew S

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Refurbishment of Manchester Victoria.

Refurbished waiting room & new garden areas at Wigan Wallgate.

Vastly improved services Wigan - Liverpool with the 319s.

Ordsall Chord linking Manchester Stations for the first time meaning I can avoid paying a tram fare on top of a rail fare.

For the first time in 25+ years, a way of buying tickets at my local station (Pemberton).

Bright & comfortable refurbished trains, with more arriving all the time and new trains to come.

Mobile tickets.

Massively increased service frequency Wigan - Manchester.

Hourly direct Wigan - Leeds services.

(Soon) reintroduction of direct Liverpool - Scotland services.

Accessible toilets on trains.

I'm sure I'll come up with more :)
 

backontrack

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Beauly and Conon Bridge. When there are delays, they are skipped; however, they've still been great successes. Let's hope that, when we get the Lentran Loop, we also get a station at Evanton.

Borders Rail has been a rampant success.

The new information screens at Cumbrian Coast stations have been a successful addition.

Though flawed in a few small ways, LNER's rollout of electronic reservations helps to cut down on paper.

Forres station relocated successfully.

Kenilworth, Low Moor, Kirkstall Forge, Apperley Bridge, Ilkeston, Lea Bridge, Cranbrook and Newcourt have all been successful reopenings.
 

Lytham Local

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The Kirkham remodeling is a pretty good job. Even on a 142 the ride is pretty decent.

All we need now is a reliable service.
 
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