East Kilbride/Barrhead electrification updates

[LNW-GW Joint]

That’s what the line was built for, to take coal from Lanarkshire to Ardrossan docks for onward shipment.

1938 Bradshaw shows no trains beyond East Kilbride (which had roughly an hourly service from Central).
The Neilston High line did gave an infrequent Glasgow Central-Ardrossan service, one of which was named: Isle of Man Express.
2215 from Central Tuesdays and Fridays, returning at 1548 from Ardrossan Montgomery Pier.

 

[route101]

Ive got a timetable from 1989 and the EK services are two an hour , one fast one slow.

 

[MadMac]

I mentioned that further up the thread. If they need clearance there, might be a case of track lowering being the better option.

 

[Southsider]

Is there a reason why the planning application has only been made in Glasgow? There’s nothing on the other affected councils’ websites.

 

[hexagon789]

Is there a reason why the planning application has only been made in Glasgow? There’s nothing on the other affected councils’ websites.

Perhaps they wait to receive assent from one before applying in the next council area in case they get rejected and have to reapply subject to certain requirements?

 

[Bevan Price]

I remember as a child trying to discern the old route round the other site of EK station but it's mostly shrubbery. I know there was once a service from Blantyre, along through EK, up at Clarkston on the chord to High Neilston and eventually all the way to Ardrossan!

Yes - an example of wasteful competition, with the Caledonian & G&SW Railways both trying to serve locations with barely enough business for just one railway.

View map: J. & W. Emslie., Official railway map of the Edinburgh and Glasgow district. West sheet - Counties of Scotland, 1580-1928

maps.nls.uk

 

[hexagon789]

Yes - an example of wasteful competition, with the Caledonian & G&SW Railways both trying to serve locations with barely enough business for just one railway.

View map: J. & W. Emslie., Official railway map of the Edinburgh and Glasgow district. West sheet - Counties of Scotland, 1580-1928

maps.nls.uk

The density and profusion of duplicated lines always amazes me, sometimes even one company had three or four route variations to get from A to B. The nature of how our railways developed I guess compared to the more regimented, state planned networks of a number of other European nations.

 

[ScottDarg]

Network Rail has posted a tweet this evening referencing the possible wiring of the EK / Barrhead lines:

Here are some snaps from #Barrhead as work continues to clear vegetation on the lines between #Glasgow & #EastKilbride / Barrhead. They show how we're able to retain trees beyond the six-metre corridor we need to safely electrify the route. ⚡️ https://t.co/n7T2FsNH56

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailSCOT/status/1279479536204361729?s=19

 

[route101]

Network Rail has posted a tweet this evening referencing the possible wiring of the EK / Barrhead lines:

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailSCOT/status/1279479536204361729?s=19

Will be interesting to see when this is officially announced , after planning permission has been approved and if its watered down!

 

[QueensCurve]

The 380 fleet is the first major platform lengthening scheme I can think of. It meant revisiting stations which had either always had short platforms, or had standardised them down to 120m, and making them capable of up to 184m for 8-car services. This wasn't ever done completely, and SDO is used to lock out doors at short platforms. This works fine at small stations but it's not suitable at key ones.

How about Bishop Briggs?

 

[mcmad]

What about Bishopbriggs?

 

[NotATrainspott]

Bishopbriggs isn't a standard E&G station, so it didn't get platform extensions to 8 car. The very occasional times when 8-car E&G services call at other stations are handled by SDO. There's little point extending platforms unnecessarily if SDO will work too.

 

[themiller]

SDO is only a ‘sticking plaster’ for short platforms. If it fails, the set must be taken out of service for rectification. If platforms are extended, the trains don’t even need SDO so a point of failure is eliminated.

 

[d9009alycidon]

Unless Scotrail are going for a Hybrid model on the Barrhead route, electrification to Barrhead looks like a job half done as the current service pattern is an hourly stopper terminating at Barrhead and a half hourly Kilmarnock running fast to Barrhead, so all that knitting will be used by one train in three, why not electrify all the way to Kilmarnock?

 

[d9009alycidon]

A few notes on closures on the EK branch - Blantyre Hunthill Junction to East Kilbride was closed during WWII on 18/03/1941 but a stub running as far as Mavor & Coulson's Siding was retained until 24/01/1966, indeed the line had to be realigned to maintain access to the factory when the A749 Kingsway was built around 1955. The Spur from Clarkston East Junction to Clarkston West Junction was closed as early as 1907, having only been opened in 1903, apparently it carried very little traffic, any through trains from Blantyre to Ardrossan would have likely been sporadic summer excursions. The bridge that carried this spur over Eastwoodmains road must be a record holder as the longest lasting structure to remain after a line had closed, 113 years!! The other spur towards Cathcart was never opened as a through line and was used to store empty stock until it was lifted

 

[Altnabreac]

Unless Scotrail are going for a Hybrid model on the Barrhead route, electrification to Barrhead looks like a job half done as the current service pattern is an hourly stopper terminating at Barrhead and a half hourly Kilmarnock running fast to Barrhead, so all that knitting will be used by one train in three, why not electrify all the way to Kilmarnock?

Because once you've electrified to Busby Junction there is only 4 miles with no significant structure work required to electrify as far as Barrhead. Maybe the footbridge at Priesthill and Darnley needs some attention but not much else.

So basically if you're doing East Kilbride then Busby Junction - Barrhead is a tiny percentage of the costs of the scheme.

Whereas heading south to Kilmarnock you're getting into issues of redoubling, resignalling, significant structures work and another 17 miles of wiring.

And even then unless you go onwards to Barassie or New Cumnock you're only actually increasing from 1out of 3 tph to 2 out of 3tph using the wiring. I'm sure Kilmarnock will be looked at sooner or later but it's by no means a simple add on to the main scheme, definitely a separate scheme in its own right.

 

[QueensCurve]

Whereas heading south to Kilmarnock you're getting into issues of redoubling, resignalling, significant structures work and another 17 miles of wiring.

If the redoubling isn't necessary the wiring will be cheaper and the structures work may be less onerous. Noting little benefit.

 

[Bevan Price]

Unless Scotrail are going for a Hybrid model on the Barrhead route, electrification to Barrhead looks like a job half done as the current service pattern is an hourly stopper terminating at Barrhead and a half hourly Kilmarnock running fast to Barrhead, so all that knitting will be used by one train in three, why not electrify all the way to Kilmarnock?

Maybe they will change the service pattern, possibly even making Kilmarnock passengers change at Barrhead (until Kilmarnock is electrified)?

 

[Mollman]

Unless Scotrail are going for a Hybrid model on the Barrhead route, electrification to Barrhead looks like a job half done as the current service pattern is an hourly stopper terminating at Barrhead and a half hourly Kilmarnock running fast to Barrhead, so all that knitting will be used by one train in three, why not electrify all the way to Kilmarnock?

If you go back to the first post of this thread it seems to suggest an increase in frequency of service.

Found this on planning portal.

Mentions 8 car EMUS

4X hourly freq.

Double tracked

https://publicaccess.glasgow.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=map&keyVal=QBCECBEX0WY00

 

[d9009alycidon]

OK I got fed up trawling through the documents, but from what I can see they only mention "Proposed capacity enhancement of route", I can see no mention of target frequency on each route. Can someone point me to the document that specifically mentions the 8 car EMUS and 4X hourly freq?

 

[alangla]

Maybe they will change the service pattern, possibly even making Kilmarnock passengers change at Barrhead (until Kilmarnock is electrified)?

That’s probably the best way to improve the fortunes of the X76 bus...

 

[MacCookie]

Unless Scotrail are going for a Hybrid model on the Barrhead route, electrification to Barrhead looks like a job half done as the current service pattern is an hourly stopper terminating at Barrhead and a half hourly Kilmarnock running fast to Barrhead, so all that knitting will be used by one train in three, why not electrify all the way to Kilmarnock?

Barrhead has two terminating services and one fast (two fasts in some hours).

 

[clc]

OK I got fed up trawling through the documents, but from what I can see they only mention "Proposed capacity enhancement of route", I can see no mention of target frequency on each route. Can someone point me to the document that specifically mentions the 8 car EMUS and 4X hourly freq?

Have a look at page 6 of ‘ EIA SCREENING EK-B FINAL VERSION 270520’

 

[Brissle Girl]

Presumably, wiring to Barrhead will make those services more fleet of foot to fit in with the 4tph EK service. And it would also mean that the same units can run to either line, resulting in improved diagram flexibility, which could be helpful with regard to platform capacity at Glasgow Central station.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Maybe they will change the service pattern, possibly even making Kilmarnock passengers change at Barrhead (until Kilmarnock is electrified)?

I can tell you now that will not go down well with people from the intermediate stations. The Kilmarnock services are very busy throughout the day, with the X76 being near enough empty even though it takes near enough the same time. If you were to cut the Kilmarnock service to Barrhead it would cause a lot of uproar as Kilmarnock isn't really a small place.

 

[Rick1984]

Yep coming from Kilmarnock that would be absolute suicide

 

[AMD]

Unless Scotrail are going for a Hybrid model on the Barrhead route, electrification to Barrhead looks like a job half done as the current service pattern is an hourly stopper terminating at Barrhead and a half hourly Kilmarnock running fast to Barrhead, so all that knitting will be used by one train in three, why not electrify all the way to Kilmarnock?

Wiring to Barrhead will also bring operational benefits to the train operator - with all suburban routes electrified they will have one fleet that can cover virtually any service (traincrew dependant), so in the event of disruption it's easier to step up units to recover the service. If EK were to be electrified but not Barrhead, that service would be exposed in the event of disruption as there would be virtually no other services about that it can be worked with. Also on a day to day operational basis, the route can be interworked if necessary with more routes.

 

[route101]

If you go back to the first post of this thread it seems to suggest an increase in frequency of service.

Id say they are the best case scenario , may be watered down.

Id rather see earlier and later services than 4x hour.

 

[route101]

If you go back to the first post of this thread it seems to suggest an increase in frequency of service.

Id say they are the best case scenario , may be watered down.

Id rather see earlier and later services than 4x hour.

 

[GLC]

I know there is currently no answer to this, but after seeing https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/doo-why-in-some-places-and-not-others.206261/ it made me wonder: If/when this line is electrified, and presumably has 380/385s running on it, would the line also move over to DOO? Given that the 380 and the 385 both have body mounted CCTV which means platform monitors are not required, it would technically be very easy, but I wonder if any DOO expansion would be difficult even in a DOO area