Aberdeen - Inverness £170m Upgrade

[47271]

Thanks for the update.

Whoops! Well, in some ways this is a good thing as it will mean the station will be built with 2 platforms in one go.

Surely Network Rail must be able to pick a CAD designed station they've already built from the shelf and make a few tweaks to it, then "hey, presto" design job done.

You could say that the off the shelf design should be that used for Kintore. What wouldn't quite work though is that they say in the article that Dalcross was expected to cost £5m to build - Kintore's costing £12m!

 

[takno]

Thanks for the update.

Whoops! Well, in some ways this is a good thing as it will mean the station will be built with 2 platforms in one go.

Surely Network Rail must be able to pick a CAD designed station they've already built from the shelf and make a few tweaks to it, then "hey, presto" design job done.

They tried that at Low Fell. Turned out one of the lift shafts was right on top of an old mineshaft, which is apparently a no-no because demons can just hop on the elevator up from the underworld, or maybe it's just bad architecting or something. Either way the station opened really late.

 

[CEN60]

Thanks for the update.

Whoops! Well, in some ways this is a good thing as it will mean the station will be built with 2 platforms in one go.

Surely Network Rail must be able to pick a CAD designed station they've already built from the shelf and make a few tweaks to it, then "hey, presto" design job done.

Platform is the "easy" bit - 2 tracking in this area - not so "easy" - plus the political hot potato of Dalcross Level Crossing (needs closed for the scheme) - but NR / RT bottled closing it in the past! Also the spectre of the need for a freight railhead at Norbord - all needs taken into account when looking at the track and signalling - so as not to preclude things in the future - however NR / TS have been dragging their heels - things were well developed for one platform 4 years ago & took a step back.

 

[47271]

Platform is the "easy" bit - 2 tracking in this area - not so "easy" - plus the political hot potato of Dalcross Level Crossing (needs closed for the scheme) - but NR / RT bottled closing it in the past! Also the spectre of the need for a freight railhead at Norbord - all needs taken into account when looking at the track and signalling - so as not to preclude things in the future - however NR / TS have been dragging their heels - things were well developed for one platform 4 years ago & took a step back.

Cruising towards £30m if all that got done I'd say on the basis that it's costing £12m to put in two platforms, parking and road access at Kintore.

 

[CEN60]

Cruising towards £30m if all that got done I'd say on the basis that it's costing £12m to put in two platforms, parking and road access at Kintore.

Kintore - has no track or signalling (ie it was put in by Aberdeen - Inverurie part of the project) - quite a lot of track & associated S&C / Signalling - I have no idea of the projected cost. £30m ? maybe. (the 2 high speed S&C units proposed in the feasibility- maybe upwards of £1m for starters.)

 

[Jordan Adam]

Finally got round to doing a full run from Aberdeen to Inverness and back on Tuesday. I couldn't help but notice just how uncomfortably bouncy the new tracks are between Dyce and Inverurie.

 

[Deltic1961]

Not far from the new timetable being introduced.

Hopefully enough rolling stock and drivers for all these extra journeys but I don't have a good feeling about it.

 

[Deltic1961]

Quite a few cancellations around Aberdeen at the moment due to lack of staff. Not looking good for the new timetable at all.

 

[williamn]

Am I right in thinking that the initial section out of Aberdeen is still single track?

 

[Jordan Adam]

Am I right in thinking that the initial section out of Aberdeen is still single track?

Indeed it is.

 

[Altnabreac]

Am I right in thinking that the initial section out of Aberdeen is still single track?

You can see the start / end of the double track in the distance of this tweet from 2018:

Shot is looking southwards. The houses on the left are Lamond Place while the buildings on the right are Argos and PC World in Berryden Retail Park.

The entrance to Hutcheon Street Tunnel can be seen just beyond the start / end of the single track section.

 

[najaB]

Am I right in thinking that the initial section out of Aberdeen is still single track?

The cost/benefit of doubling it just doesn't add up (widening tunnels and cuttings isn't cheap).

 

[hexagon789]

Am I right in thinking that the initial section out of Aberdeen is still single track?

Yes it is, though it was once double all the way from Aberdeen to Keith iirc

 

[williamn]

Thanks. If it was once double, why do tunnels etc need widening?

 

[najaB]

Thanks. If it was once double, why do tunnels etc need widening?

I'm not sure that it was actually always double.

 

[gingertom]

Thanks. If it was once double, why do tunnels etc need widening?

singled for several reasons, one being to increase the loading gauge to allow larger containers to pass. To double track these tunnels and maintain loading gauge they'd need to be enlarged.

 

[Altnabreac]

Thanks. If it was once double, why do tunnels etc need widening?

I'm not sure that it was actually always double.

25 inch to the mile mapping from 1926 does appear to show that it was all double tracked up until 1970 or so.
https://maps.nls.uk/view/82862604

Presumably though a combination of modern standards and increased freight clearance requirements mean that re-doubling would at the very least involve track lowering and if you wanted to meet things like W12 freight requirements and/or electrification clearances could require more significant interventions.

 

[InOban]

Thanks. If it was once double, why do tunnels etc need widening?

Because it may have been double track, but not to the current BR structure gauge. Indeed I believe that the route to Inverness via Aberdeen is cleared to W10 at least, if not W12, because the Highland Line isn't (Killiecrankie tunnel), but others will know.

 

[Trackbedjolly]

A really good photo of the new junction where the double track just north of Hutcheon Street starts is here https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/70/653/

As far as designs for new stations is concerned it depends to some extent on the topography and ground conditions. In these days of competitive tendering each Civil Engineering Contractor has their own Designer either in-house or uses external Consulting Engineers. They have to produce an 'economic' design which is also suitable for the existing conditions in order to win the construction contract. So, although an off-the-shelf design seems sensible it would not necessarily work for every location. Of course some of the elements are common to all stations but these may only be small items which don't affect the cost greatly.

 

[och aye]

Update on the new station for Inverness Airport (Dalcross)

Airport rail link nears as train station plans approved

But castle tower plans are delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

news.stv.tv

Airport rail link nears as train station plans approved


A rail link at Inverness Airport has moved a step closer after securing Highland Council’s blessing for a station.

A detailed design for a twin platform station at Dalcross is expected to follow shortly.

The council’s south area planning committee chairman Jimmy Gray discussed the proposals this week with council officers under ‘crisis procedures’ during the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

The rail station vision has been mooted for more than a decade.

A previous proposal from the regional transport agency Hitrans for a £5m rail station received planning permission three years ago. That agreement was about to expire and has now been renewed.

The latest plans include a car park for 150 vehicles, new bus stops and cycle parking.

A spokeswoman for the government agency Transport Scotland said: “The Aberdeen to Inverness rail improvement project is delivering the infrastructure to facilitate a new station at Dalcross, which is being progressed by Network Rail on behalf of Scottish ministers.

“The second platform, which will provide additional passenger and freight capacity, will be funded by the Scottish Government.”

 

[Class 170101]

Not going to be much need for flights in the near future, perhaps as far out as 24 months, I fear.

 

[NotATrainspott]

Not going to be much need for flights in the near future, perhaps as far out as 24 months, I fear.

I think Dalcross station is also about housing developments in the area. The Tornagrain housing development and Inverness Airport business park will surround the station before too long.

https://www.tornagrain.com/project/story-so-far/

 

[najaB]

Not going to be much need for flights in the near future, perhaps as far out as 24 months, I fear.

Given how long railway projects take, it might be just in time!

 

[Job Hunter]

Does anyone know what the current plans for the signal boxes at kennethmont, Huntly and Keith are?
Are they still due for closure and signalling done out of Inverness?
or has the COVID situation put a halt to this

 

[Norther Monkey]

Does anyone know what the current plans for the signal boxes at kennethmont, Huntly and Keith are?
Are they still due for closure and signalling done out of Inverness?
or has the COVID situation put a halt to this

Insch is also, I believe, still an operational box.

On a slightly different note. Could anyone explain why the home signal at Insch (coming from Aberdeen) was changed to a coloured light vice semaphore when the Aberdeen to Inverurie dualling was conducted? As far as I know no other Insch signals were changed.

 

[Millisle]

The Insch down home was moved 61m in the up direction as well as replaced, in connexion with the platform lengthening presumably. A new installation of obsolescent mechanical wiring, &c., was seen as less desirable, I imagine.

Idiomatically, I think one duals a road and doubles a railway.

 

[Norther Monkey]

The Insch down home was moved 61m in the up direction as well as replaced, in connexion with the platform lengthening presumably. A new installation of obsolescent mechanical wiring, &c., was seen as less desirable, I imagine.

Idiomatically, I think one duals a road and doubles a railway.

Doesn't that signal 'protect' the points prior to the station which, as far as I know weren't moved.

 

[Millisle]

The signal protects the entry to the double line from its new position, presumably moved relative to the platform extension and possibly to give more distance before the level crossing, but an authoritative explanation would require a signalling engineer. Having decided to resite the signal it would make sense to replace it with an LED, which would not then have to be further replaced when Insch cabin is eventually abolished.

 

[Job Hunter]

which would not then have to be further replaced when Insch cabin is eventually abolished.
[/QUOTE]
This goes back to my original post, is there a date for closing these boxes?

 

[Millisle]

No, there is not. The scope and timing of future work on the Aberdeen-Inverness improvements is yet to be determined. Source: Transport Scotland website.