Could Shotts line services run via Hamilton?

[Peter0124]

Speculation:
Does anyone think there will ever be scope/demand/a possibility to run a few or a set frequency of the Shotts line services via Hamilton, calling at Motherwell, Hamilton Central, Hamilton West, Blantyre, Newton and maybe Cambuslang then continue into Glasgow Central? Especially if they are fast services east of Motherwell as it could help improve links between the Hamilton Circle and places like Livingston/Edinburgh.

I've been wanting a direct train to Edinburgh at my local station to be honest.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Speculation:
Does anyone think there will ever be scope/demand/a possibility to run a few or a set frequency of the Shotts line services via Hamilton, calling at Motherwell, Hamilton Central, Hamilton West, Blantyre, Newton and maybe Cambuslang then continue into Glasgow Central? Especially if they are fast services east of Motherwell as it could help improve links between the Hamilton Circle and places like Livingston/Edinburgh.

I've been wanting a direct train to Edinburgh at my local station to be honest.

Perhaps a few trains a day to/from Edinburgh could do this, but I couldn’t see demand for this all of the time.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Speculation:
Does anyone think there will ever be scope/demand/a possibility to run a few or a set frequency of the Shotts line services via Hamilton, calling at Motherwell, Hamilton Central, Hamilton West, Blantyre, Newton and maybe Cambuslang then continue into Glasgow Central? Especially if they are fast services east of Motherwell as it could help improve links between the Hamilton Circle and places like Livingston/Edinburgh.

I've been wanting a direct train to Edinburgh at my local station to be honest.

The single track section between Hamilton Central and Haughhead Junction might be a considerable bottleneck for allowing more trains to run through there. I think in normal times it's used by 8tph (4tph both directions), so squeezing more through there might be a challenge.

I definitely think there could be a better service offered from Motherwell though.

Also, pathing along the Shotts line and through Haymarket may also be an issue, same with the likes of the Rutherglen Junctions and Motherwell station. Do you remove a service via Uddingston and Bellshill instead and swap it to run via Hamilton?

 

[Chris Hamilton]

Many moons ago they used to, when there was a diesel depot at Hamilton West. The old odd diesel Edinburgh to Motherwell via Shotts evening peak service was the rump of that former route, as a parliamentary service over the Mossend east curve, as is the current morning service.

To be honest, I doubt that the single line section at Haughhead Junction could cope with any extra services. It already has to cope with 2 services to Motherwell (with one continuing to Cumbernauld, and the other forming a Carmyle line service from Motherwell), 2 services to Larkhall and 4 towards Glasgow, every hour. That's 8 trains an hour making their way along a mile or two of single line in both directions. It really is a bottleneck.

The only way it would really be possible is if the Cumbernauld link was moved on to another service. Maybe a Carstairs to Stirling route?

When alternate Lanark trains went via Hamilton and Holytown, you at least had the option of a same platform transfer at Holytown (though it was never timed well). But, I also don't want to see Lanark trains lengthened in time (as I now live near Carluke).

The best option in my view would be for Edinburgh trains to start calling at Cambuslang regularly again, this would at least allow a quicker transfer than travelling all the way to Central or timing for the currently awful service from Motherwell.

 

[Peter0124]

The best option in my view would be for Edinburgh trains to start calling at Cambuslang regularly again, this would at least allow a quicker transfer than travelling all the way to Central or timing for the currently awful service from Motherwell.

I definitely agree with that, they currently call at Cambuslang regularly till May 8th cause of the Argyle line blockade.
The routing offered (outside of this Argyle blockade) for Newton to Edinburgh (via Shotts, not via Glasgow) is 2 changes, one of which spends 43 minutes at Bellshill?
Would be better if they called at Cambuslang then the journey planner would route them that way, quicker and less faff around Bellshill.

Going via Glasgow towards Edinburgh is the easiest option at the moment but is pricier.

 

[hexagon789]

Speculation:
Does anyone think there will ever be scope/demand/a possibility to run some of the Shotts line services via Hamilton, calling at Motherwell, Hamilton Central, Hamilton West, Blantyre, Newton and maybe Cambuslang then continue into Glasgow Central? Especially if they are fast services east of Motherwell as it could help improve links between the Hamilton Circle and places like Livingston/Edinburgh.

I've been wanting a direct train to Edinburgh at my local station to be honest.

I doubt it, though there is an historic precedent

Many moons ago they used to, when there was a diesel depot at Hamilton West. The old odd diesel Edinburgh to Motherwell via Shotts evening peak service was the rump of that former route, as a parliamentary service over the Mossend east curve, as is the current morning service.

There was, prior to electrification of the Cathcart Circle, a Swindon InterCity DMU (79xxx series) diagram which worked a trip round the Circle via Maxwell Park before returning to Edinburgh Princes Street via Hamilton and Shotts the same way. Apparently on some occasions a Trailer Buffet First appeared instead of the usual booked Trailer First and was even staffed on more than one instance. The diagram was previously worked by a Class 100 but there were complaints about the use of these on Edinburgh Princes St-Shotts-Glasgow Cen. services and so certain workings over this route became IC units when sufficient vehicles were available after the entire Ayrshire batch had been delivered and the loaned E&G cars returned to Leith.

 

[tbtc]

Sounds good in theory - Hamilton is a decent sized place without a link to the capital - maybe you could split the "slow" Shotts services, so that there was a Glasgow - Shotts stopper with the eastern side being linked towards Lanarkshire

BUT...

• The through services from Edinburgh to Milngavie etc have a number of reliability dangers - imagine how messy an Edinburgh - Shotts - Motherwell - Hamilton - Central Low Level - Milngavie etc service would be?
• If we are talking about stopping at all of the stations on the Shotts line (?) then would it be much faster than "frequent Hamilton to Glasgow service plus frequent Glasgow to Edinburgh service"? (I acknowledge problems getting from Central to Queen Street)
• An hourly Motherwell to Edinburgh service looks like an easier/simpler thing (the bi-hourly XC service plus randomly timed ScotRail services needed better co-ordination)
• We really need to get ScotRail more focussed on getting everything back to 100% of what it was in 2019 before we get ambitious about new things

 

[Peter0124]

Sounds good in theory - Hamilton is a decent sized place without a link to the capital - maybe you could split the "slow" Shotts services, so that there was a Glasgow - Shotts stopper with the eastern side being linked towards Lanarkshire

BUT...

• The through services from Edinburgh to Milngavie etc have a number of reliability dangers - imagine how messy an Edinburgh - Shotts - Motherwell - Hamilton - Central Low Level - Milngavie etc service would be?
• If we are talking about stopping at all of the stations on the Shotts line (?) then would it be much faster than "frequent Hamilton to Glasgow service plus frequent Glasgow to Edinburgh service"? (I acknowledge problems getting from Central to Queen Street)
• An hourly Motherwell to Edinburgh service looks like an easier/simpler thing (the bi-hourly XC service plus randomly timed ScotRail services needed better co-ordination)
• We really need to get ScotRail more focussed on getting everything back to 100% of what it was in 2019 before we get ambitious about new things

I wasn't thinking of them being extended through the low level or anything, though. Eg Glasgow-Cambuslang-Newton-Blantyre-Hamilton West-Hamilton Central-Motherwell-Shotts-Livingston-Haymarket-Edinburgh. Do you think the journey times would be worth it on that pattern compared to going via Glasgow? Maybe alternate a few of the faster Shotts services instead or perhaps a few additional services instead. Only if the demand is there.

I suppose stuff like the Braidhurst section, the single line through Barncluith tunnel and Newton Junction may be potential bottlenecks though.

Selfishly - I would like a direct service Newton to Edinburgh however calls at Cambuslang on the regular services would be good enough

 

[Falcon1200]

Especially if they are fast services east of Motherwell as it could help improve links between the Hamilton Circle and places like Livingston/Edinburgh.

I understand the reasoning behind the idea, but the major improvement on the Shotts route would surely be reinstating the Glasgow C/Edinburgh limited stop services ? Any diversion via Hamilton of these, or the all-stations trains, would make journey times unacceptably long, not to mention the capacity issues mentioned above.
But I agree that Motherwell should get a far better Edinburgh service, not just for the town itself but for the connections from elsewhere, hopefully one day there will be an hourly service alternating between Scotrail and Cross Country.

 

[SC318250]

could the single line part of the Hamilton Circle be doubled or is this not possible?

 

[hexagon789]

could the single line part of the Hamilton Circle be doubled or is this not possible?

Not going to be cheap making Barncluith Tunnel compliant with electrified double track. It was singled specifically to allow clearance for the overhead wires.