Borders Railway - Now Open

[PaxVobiscum]

I check the website frequently for updates, but had not noticed a link for subscribing to the newsletters.

I live near enough to go and have a look a the progress for myself from time to time.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I check the website frequently for updates, but had not noticed a link for subscribing to the newsletters.

I live near enough to go and have a look a the progress for myself from time to time.

Perhaps it was something in the early stages information, but I have been sent all ten so far.

 

[Zoidberg]

I check the website frequently for updates, but had not noticed a link for subscribing to the newsletters.

...

Near the foot of this page - http://www.bordersrailway.co.uk/ - is where one can submit one's email address to be added to the mailing list for updates.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Near the foot of this page - http://www.bordersrailway.co.uk/ - is where one can submit one's email address to be added to the mailing list for updates.

Thanks for that, Zoidberg.

BTW, I seem to have missed this last week:

Borders to Edinburgh rail and road route revision agreed

Changes to a section of the road and track layout on the Borders to Edinburgh railway have been approved.

It means a double roundabout on the A7 will not need to be built.

The road will continue to run close to its current route, with the railway passing underneath the road to the south of Falahill.

Residents had voiced concerns about being sandwiched between the A7 and the new railway but Scottish Borders Council agreed to the revised layout.

The planning committee was also asked to ensure the rail bridge over the A7 at Falahill could carry double tracks.

The plea came from the Campaign for Borders Rail, who said it would "future-proof" the line, and allow for expansion at some point in the future.

However, officials advised that councillors could not consider the matter as part of the planning application.

The railway will re-establish a passenger rail link between Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders for the first time in more than 40 years and is scheduled to reopen in 2015.

 

[PhilipW]

more pictures of the new Gore Glen A7 bridge here

http://waverleyrouteha.wordpress.com/

Am I correct in presuming that this bridge is wide enough for double-track, thus complying with the "passive provision for double-track as far as Gorebridge" ?

I cannot find the link but I read this week that Transport Scotland did not plan to future proof the line for potential double tracking later. If that were to happen, then 7 bridges would have to be rebuilt.

Silly, silly, silly

 

[Photohunter71]

Future proofing for double tracks makes sense,but you should know by now government and common sense aren't well acquainted!

 

[steevp]

Future proofing for double tracks makes sense,but you should know by now government and common sense aren't well acquainted!

I'm reminded of that little saying about strangers being friends you have yet to meet - I live in hope that one day government and common sense become bosom buddies (but I ain't holding my breath...:roll

 

[OxtedL]

Everything government does involves trying to balance costs against what you need to get out of your money - and that is everything, including healthcare, education, transport...

Someone did a calculation which said that the likelihood of needing double track in the foreseeable future was low enough that passive provision for it was very low down in the list of things they wanted to spend money on and thus didn't make it to the list of things they were going to spend money on.

I don't think "common sense" really comes into it at all.

 

[PhilipW]

If the Borders railway is a success (as I believe it will be albeit perhaps after a slow start but with numbers gradually increasing), I don't think one needs too many brain cells to anticipate that there will be a demand to extend it to Hawick.

As well as the cost of the extension itself, I don't think it also needs too many brain cells to foretell headlines along the lines of "not enough double track north of Tweedbank to allow regular services to run to Hawick". Guess what, that probably means rebuilding some bridges too.

Sometimes you don't have to be mystic to foretell the future, you just need a bit of common sense.

 

[tbtc]

If the Borders railway is a success (as I believe it will be albeit perhaps after a slow start but with numbers gradually increasing), I don't think one needs too many brain cells to anticipate that there will be a demand to extend it to Hawick.

As well as the cost of the extension itself, I don't think it also needs too many brain cells to foretell headlines along the lines of "not enough double track north of Tweedbank to allow regular services to run to Hawick". Guess what, that probably means rebuilding some bridges too.

Sometimes you don't have to be mystic to foretell the future, you just need a bit of common sense.

The budget for the "Borders" line has to compete against lots of other spending commitments in Scotland - making it unnecessarily expensive in the first place is going to weaken the business case further.

Provide a double track line to Galashiels or electrify a suburban route into Glasgow Central? All comes from the same pot.

As I've said before, they should have concentrated on Gorebridge P&R first, before worrying about the political sop to the people of Gala (and forget about Hawick any time soon).

 

[overthewater]

If the line went to Hawick and Carlisle would it be quicker than the bus?

 

[Eagle]

Not sure, but it'd be slower end-to-end than the train via Carstairs.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If the line went to Hawick and Carlisle would it be quicker than the bus?

Try to do a costing on these two modes of transport. The roads for the buses are already there. What cost do you envisage for the reinstatement of the railway from the currently proposed terminal point onwards to Carlisle ?

 

[HowardGWR]

Try to do a costing on these two modes of transport. The roads for the buses are already there. What cost do you envisage for the reinstatement of the railway from the currently proposed terminal point onwards to Carlisle ?

Indeed, it's only when freight comes into play, or a social or environmental reason. I do hope there are those of course.

 

[OxtedL]

As well as the cost of the extension itself, I don't think it also needs too many brain cells to foretell headlines along the lines of "not enough double track north of Tweedbank to allow regular services to run to Hawick". Guess what, that probably means rebuilding some bridges too.

Surely that scenario would only occur if you decided Hawick needed a more frequent service than the one currently planned for the rest of the line?

I doubt that would ever happen - there isn't really enough population in the Borders to justify anything other than perhaps train lengthening for quite a while.

 

[Eagle]

Indeed; look at Salisbury to Exeter, which is mainly single-track, still able to sustain an hourly service. You'd only need complete double-tracking if you wanted anything more than that.

 

[railjock]

Indeed; look at Salisbury to Exeter, which is mainly single-track, still able to sustain an hourly service. You'd only need complete double-tracking if you wanted anything more than that.

The borders railway will be a half hourly service due to the loops in plan. It would be nice to extend to Hawick but expensive.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The borders railway will be a half hourly service due to the loops in plan. It would be nice to extend to Hawick but expensive.

I think that the matter of a Hawick extension has been a matter discussed earlier in this thread with points of view stated.

 

[ianhr]

I would be nice if the money saved by NOT double tracking it throughout (but nonetheless installing sufficient infrastructure for a half hourly initial service) could be used towards other more modest reinstatements which would benefit far more people, e.g. Leuchars-St Andrew's, Thornton-Leven, Larkhall-Stonehouse-Strathaven. I believe it has also been suggested that the Penicuik branch could be added as a spur from the Borders Line.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I would be nice if the money saved by NOT double tracking it throughout (but nonetheless installing sufficient infrastructure for a half hourly initial service) could be used towards other more modest reinstatements which would benefit far more people, e.g. Leuchars-St Andrew's, Thornton-Leven, Larkhall-Stonehouse-Strathaven. I believe it has also been suggested that the Penicuik branch could be added as a spur from the Borders Line.

The money saved by NOT doubling it is not really what you would describe as a saving, as the money would not be spent in the first place.

All you are describing is the transfer of non-existant money from one aspiration to another.

 

[fegguk]

I don't think that an extension to Hawick, which s the only likely prospect in the medium term, would require much in the way of additional passing loops. Anything more than a half hourly service is unlikely so the passing points would be the same north of Gala as planned, the other passing loops would be in the Gala -Tweedbank area and on the line south of Tweedbank which could be accommodated without too much rebuilding. It is only when you want to deviate from the rigid half hourly pattern that the designs loops become a limitation.

I don't think an extension to Carlisle is a likely prospect until the economics of other forms of transport change radically or whether the economic or political imperatives in the Borders change also, neither of which a likely prospect for decades if at all.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Near the foot of this page - http://www.bordersrailway.co.uk/ - is where one can submit one's email address to be added to the mailing list for updates.

Well done that man for that link..

Incidentally, a new special e-newsletter has just been issued to those contributing to that said link which refers to the nearest drop-in point and a click facility to access this information on how the current work programme will affect certain communities.

 

[Altnabreac]

I don't think that an extension to Hawick, which s the only likely prospect in the medium term, would require much in the way of additional passing loops. Anything more than a half hourly service is unlikely so the passing points would be the same north of Gala as planned, the other passing loops would be in the Gala -Tweedbank area and on the line south of Tweedbank which could be accommodated without too much rebuilding. It is only when you want to deviate from the rigid half hourly pattern that the designs loops become a limitation.

I don't think an extension to Carlisle is a likely prospect until the economics of other forms of transport change radically or whether the economic or political imperatives in the Borders change also, neither of which a likely prospect for decades if at all.

I think the most likely prospect for future timetable alteration would be splitting the Midlothian and Borders elements of the service. This would allow Galashiels (and Hawick) services to be sped up and might happen if demand is strong after a few years.

Again this requires little infrastructure change south of Gorebridge but would probably need the majority of Gorebridge - ECML to be doubled.

I hope there isn't too much in the way of changes required in this section if this upgrade is desired in future.

 

[railjock]

As someone from the area I'm amazed it is actually happening. given the benefit case I don't think we could expect much future provisioning. The best case for any future expansion is usage of what is currently being delivered. Let's be grateful for that.

 

[mrmartin]

Is there any provision for electrification? I imagine it would have quite considerable effects on journey times...

 

[snowball]

Is there any provision for electrification?

Where single track goes under arched bridges they are laying it in the centre where headroom is greatest.

 

[onyxcrowle]

I noticed on the photo of the Millerhill end I think it is where the track diverges has two Intersting features.
One are what look like foundaitions for the posts to carry overhead wires.
But in the far background looks like a chord eithet planned or already dug out..
Would that give direct accsess to the Ecml south and north with the existing connection.
excuse my question but my geography of that location is limited . But I thought it was the Ecml that the Borders rail meets that spur they laid last year?.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I noticed on the photo of the Millerhill end I think it is where the track diverges has two interesting features. One are what look like foundations for the posts to carry overhead wires.

But in the far background looks like a chord either planned or already dug out. Would that give direct access to the Ecml south and north with the existing connection. Excuse my question but my geography of that location is limited . But I thought it was the Ecml that the Borders rail meets that spur they laid last year?.

Could that chord have been the former Galashiels and Peebles Railway, often referred to as the Peebles loop line ?

 

[railjock]

Could that chord have been the former Galashiels and Peebles Railway, often referred to as the Peebles loop line ?

That line branched off at Eskbank not Millerhill.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

That line branched off at Eskbank not Millerhill.

My apologies. I should have made reference to the Glencorse branch line, that branched off at Millerhill and to the best of my knowledge served colleries and stations at Gilmerton, Loanhead, Roslin and Glencorse (according to an ancient somewhat dog-eared map).