East Kilbride/Barrhead electrification updates

[route101]

It refers to “single track electrification infrastructure” which I take it means no passive provision for double tracking?

Meanwhile plans for dualling Stewartfield Way continue to be developed. Pathetic.

Stewartfield Way dualling plans have been de scoped.

 

[clc]

Stewartfield Way dualling plans have been de scoped.

Yes I believe the grade separation at Nerston has been dropped, but as far as I’m aware the dualling is going ahead.

 

[route101]

I can’t say what it’s like now but when I lived in East Renfrewshire (until a couple of years ago) it did seem more prone to delays and cancellations (as well as overcrowding) than the Neilston line for example.


Yes I believe the grade separation at Nerston has been dropped, but as far as I’m aware the dualling is going ahead.

Used to get services terminate at Busby now and then. I'm sure it still happens!

Last I heard the bit getting dualled was from Nerston to Playsport.

 

[92002]

perhaps the masts and booms will finally get paid for...?

Would think it means lifting structure clearances and fitting out the mast with insulators and wires

No doubt the works will then move on to the East Kilbride branch, which is a bit more of a challenge.

 

[yorkie]

Just a gentle reminder this is an Infrastructure & Stations thread to discuss updates regarding electrification to East Kilbride/Barrhead

If anyone wishes to discuss anything else, please create a new thread (if there isn't one already) in the appropriate section.

The following speculative threads may be of interest:

• East Kilbride line should be re-doubled
• East Kilbride/Barrhead electrification speculation
• Could the East Kilbride branch be extended to Hamilton?
• What should be the Electric Rolling stock for East Kilbride / Barrhead?

 

[och aye]

According to this article in the Daily Record, dualling the line will not be part of the upgrade.

Furious backlash as plans to double-track EK rail line hits the buffers

Transport Scotland now say the line between East Kilbride and Busby will only be single-tracked with cash used elsewhere.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

Plans to double-track the East Kilbride rail line have been ditched - leading to a furious backlash.


An announcement by Transport Scotland this week confirmed the electrification of the East Kilbride/Barrhead corridors - first announced last year.


But the dual-track between East Kilbride and Busby has been side-tracked in multi-million pound plans to overhaul rail services.

Now it will be single-track electrification only - despite Transport Secretary Michael Matheson admitting East Kilbride’s rail services "aren’t up to scratch" when he visited the town last September.


The Transport Scotland website stated last July that at part of the rail 'Decarbonisation Action Plan' there would be "more double tracking at the single-line section between East Kilbride and Busby station".


Now cash for dualling the EK section of the line is being used elsewhere - including to the Borders electrification project.



Ambitious plans are in place to relocate Hairmyres station and create a transport hub with better park-and-ride facilities, with a promise to also upgrade East Kilbride train station.


But local politicians have accused the Scottish Government of "stabbing East Kilbride in the back" with the U-turn and the town's SNP MSP even hit out at a lack of "any consultation".


Lisa Cameron said: "I don't believe it meets the needs of East Kilbride, Scotland's sixth largest community. If the public are to move to public transport this provision seems inadequate and short sighted."

Councillor Joe Fagan, who fronted a campaign for improved services, said: “This is a shameless raid on the budget for the East Kilbride line. Our community has been stabbed in the back.


“The electrification project has been downgraded and the investment we have been fighting for will be siphoned off to other projects.


“It has taken years of campaigning and hard work to get to this point. Ditching dual track now is a slap in the face to all the passengers who endured overcrowded trains and all those in the town who fought for a better railway."

Labour colleague, Councillor Monique McAdams, whose ward covers Hairmyres and Thorntonhall, said the people of East Kilbride "had been failed" and that the latest announcement on electrification is "nothing more than a political sticking plaster ahead of COP26".


She added: "Single-tracks are for lesser-used rail lines, where the level of traffic is not high enough to justify the cost of constructing a second track - so it's hardly surprising that the local SNP councillors have remained silent on this body blow to East Kilbride."


Independent Councillor David Watson said: "Commitments were given that the line would be electrified and dualled. Government ministers even visited the town to promote the plans and now a dramatic U-turn appears to have been carried out with no discussion or consultation with local stake holders.


"East Kilbride commuters have had to put up with a sub-standard rail service for long enough and just when there was some hope that this would improve it appears the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland have diverted money to other areas."


Central Scotland Tory MSP Graham Simpson said he will be seeking urgent talks with the transport minister as "my understanding was that the entire line would be dualled".


He added: "If the entire line isn't going to be dualled then we need to know why and we need to know that improvements to the service and punctuality can be delivered. That's what matters."


South Lanarkshire Council's Head of Roads and Transportation Services, Colin Park, said full dual-track would have been "the favoured proposal" but welcomed the continued commitment to deliver new and enhanced station facilities at Hairmyres and East Kilbride Stations."


He added: “Work will continue with Network Rail and Transport Scotland partners to develop the proposals.”


Transport Scotland say following review of the project within the context of the wider rolling programme of electrification, it was decided "electrification of single track infrastructure was the most suitable and cost effective way forward for this section".


But they say they have invested a significant amount of funding into the East Kilbride rail corridor which is an important part of the wider network and that the final scope of the programme has only just been confirmed.

Katie Vollbracht, of Network Rail Scotland, said: “The East Kilbride and Barrhead Electrification Project is at the centre of our plans to decarbonise domestic passenger services by 2035.


“The project will deliver high-quality public transport choices for passengers through the introduction of greener, more reliable electric trains, with improved stations and passenger facilities along the two routes."

 

[Frankton Junct]

The Transport Scotland announcement on the 8th October states:

Construction work is expected to get underway on the £63 million Barrhead corridor in April 2022 and due to be complete by December 2023. It will support passenger and freight services and will be used as a key diversionary route for cross-border services.

Perhaps they mean that construction from Kennishead to Barrhead will start in April 2022?
I remember that electric services to Barrhead were planned to start in May 2023 and so it seems that the project has slipped by 6 months.

See Rail electrification programme given the go-ahead

The pace of work appears to have slowed in recent weeks. There are still some foundations without masts between Muirhouse South Junction and the next automatic signal in the Up Barrhead direction.

However, they have placed aggregate around and behind some of the mast foundations to support the excavated bank.

Two Track Cantilever masts/booms behind Crossmyloof Gardens:

 

[MadMac]

Perhaps they mean that construction from Kennishead to Barrhead will start in April 2022?
I remember that electric services to Barrhead were planned to start in May 2023 and so it seems that the project has slipped by 6 months.

The last info I was given from a normally reliable source was that Barrhead was supposed to be resignalled and control transferred to West of Scotland Signalling Centre around Easter 2022, with electric services to Barrhead following on about a year later, which ties in with your understanding.

 

[Southsider]

The video of the Class 230 passing through Crossmyloof on another thread appears to show lots of clearance under the Titwood Road bridge, though I accept the vehicles are likely to be lower profile than most.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The video of the Class 230 passing through Crossmyloof on another thread appears to show lots of clearance under the Titwood Road bridge, though I accept the vehicles are likely to be lower profile than most.

definitely an understatement!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The video of the Class 230 passing through Crossmyloof on another thread appears to show lots of clearance under the Titwood Road bridge, though I accept the vehicles are likely to be lower profile than most.

A D Stock unit is 3.62m high.

A class 380, to compare, is 3.78m high.

So a 16cm difference - not huge...

 

[Frankton Junct]

Yesterday, Scotrail Sunday services resumed and so the 'window of opportunity' to take low impact Sunday possessions has closed.

A D Stock unit is 3.62m high.

A class 380, to compare, is 3.78m high.

So a 16cm difference - not huge...

Here is a photo taken before the start of work on site, to give you a visual comparison with a Class 156:

 

[Southsider]

Local politicians are organising a petition to have double tracking reinstated.

Petition launched to put dualling of EK rail line back on track

It has now been revealed the number of park and ride spaces at a new Hairmyres transport hub will be scaled back

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

A petition has been launched in a bid to put the dualling of East Kilbride's rail line back on track.

Transport Scotland announced earlier this month the line between the town and Busby would be single-track electrification only.

This is despite an announcement last year saying it would be both dualled and electrified as part of the ambitious rail ‘Decarbonisation Action Plan'.

 

[route101]

Surprised if anything came of it. But I'm not surprised the EK branch was descoped.

 

[hexagon789]

Surprised if anything came of it. But I'm not surprised the EK branch was descoped.

I doubt it. Besides, if they run 8-car trains at least twice an hour plus one extra in the peaks as was the usual - I don't really see the doubling as necessary anymore other than as potential future proofing.

 

[Southsider]

I doubt it. Besides, if they run 8-car trains at least twice an hour plus one extra in the peaks as was the usual - I don't really see the doubling as necessary anymore other than as potential future proofing.

I thought the platform extensions required for 8 car operation had been ditched.

 

[hexagon789]

I thought the platform extensions required for 8 car operation had been ditched.

I thought it was just the doubling?

 

[Southsider]

I thought it was just the doubling?

Post number 501, where the news of scope reduction first broke says back to 6 car operation.

 

[hexagon789]

Post number 501, where the news of scope reduction first broke says back to 6 car operation.

Thanks, I missed that particular part.

Though, if it's 6-cars all day with higher density seating than 156s that'll still provide a capacity uplift

 

[sannox]

Thanks, I missed that particular part.

Though, if it's 6-cars all day with higher density seating than 156s that'll still provide a capacity uplift

Even just removing the 156s with end carriage single leaf doors will give an improvement- wider vestibules and door ways should help peak services.

 

[ScottDarg]

Someone was able to film and upload a video of the Barrhead route from the cab of 230001 Yesterday (11/11/2021). While not entirely focused on electrification it's a gives a good idea of current progress.

Useful timestamps as follows:

• 06:35 - Barrhead / EK route breaks away from Cathcart Lines
• 09:05 - Busby Junction Southbound
• 15:40 - Arrival at Barrhead and beginning of Northbound run
• 22:20 - Busby Junction Northbound
• 27:50 - Barrhead / EK route rejoins Cathcart lines

Thanks to Chris125 for posting this in the "230001 at Polmadie" thread.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Someone was able to film and upload a video of the Barrhead route from the cab of 230001 Yesterday (11/11/2021). While not entirely focused on electrification it's a gives a good idea of current progress.

Useful timestamps as follows:

• 06:35 - Barrhead / EK route breaks away from Cathcart Lines
• 09:05 - Busby Junction Southbound
• 15:40 - Arrival at Barrhead and beginning of Northbound run
• 22:20 - Busby Junction Northbound
• 27:50 - Barrhead / EK route rejoins Cathcart lines

Thanks to Chris125 for posting this in the "230001 at Polmadie" thread.

Thats a useful video and shows Barrhead as a pretty straightforward route to electrify with minimal overbridges to reconstruct so be interesting to know what cost they are delivering it for.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Thats a useful video and shows Barrhead as a pretty straightforward route to electrify with minimal overbridges to reconstruct so be interesting to know what cost they are delivering it for.

Yes agreed and I was thinking exactly the same thing. Scotland tend to be reasonably transparent so we will probably get to know fairly soon.

 

[snowball]

Many thanks for the video.

I have a few questions if anyone would like to be so kind as to answer.

What does the M stand for on the theatre indicator at 4:40? Some sort of route name.

What is the yellow alongside green at 5:20?

Also I note that the main gap in the stanchions so far is at Busby Junction. Any guesses as to why?

 

[MadMac]

Many thanks for the video.

I have a few questions if anyone would like to be so kind as to answer.

What does the M stand for on the theatre indicator at 4:40? Some sort of route name.

What is the yellow alongside green at 5:20?

Also I note that the main gap in the stanchions so far is at Busby Junction. Any guesses as to why?

'M' for Muirhouse? I'd guess the other indication will be 'F' for Up Fast.

The Yellow alongside Green is essentially what used to be called a "splitting distant". Basically, gives some advance notice to the driver of which way the train's signalled for. Many years ago, I was on an East Kilbride that ended up in Pollokshields East: at the time, the first indication of which route was set was at the signal at Muirhouse North. Driver couldn't stop in time. We ended up going round the Cathcart Circle.

Busby Junction: I'm guessing that it's a question of the actual junction arrangements for the overhead not having been designed yet.

 

[snowball]

The Yellow alongside green is essentially what used to be called a "splitting distant". Basically, gives some advance notice to the driver of which way the train's signalled for.

Thanks. I didn't realise we still had any of those in colour lights.

Thanks for your other answers too.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Thanks. I didn't realise we still had any of those in colour lights.

Thanks for your other answers too.

There was also a split banner further on again to give the driver advanced warning of what route has been set.

 

[380101]

Thanks. I didn't realise we still had any of those in colour lights.

Thanks for your other answers too.

The splitting distant on this route was installed as part of the Glasgow Southside resignalling project back in 2012/13. Makes things alot easier and far far less chance of being wrong routed at Muirhouse North Junction.

 

[Frankton Junct]

The Strathbungo Society posted this notice today:

We have received the following notification of works this weekend and next week through the local community council and Cllr MacLeod:

Please see below works scheduled in the Strathbungo area that will be undertaken by BAM Nuttall:

We will be undertaking ground investigation works at Nithsdale Road bridge on Sat 20th (night shift) and from Mon 22nd - Fri 26th (day shifts).

During the single night shift on Saturday 20th and Monday 22nd dayshift, work will involve digging trial holes using a power unit and generator that will be situated on the railway under the bridge. We anticipate a medium level of noise created from the generator, however, please note we have arranged for acoustic sound barriers to mitigate this as much as possible.

Dayshift work from Mon 22nd – Fri 26th will be very low impact, with no traffic management or restrictions to the public.

All works planned are planned for completion on Fri 26th November 2021.

See Imminent Network Rail works

 

[Southsider]

There’s a short feature on electrification near Kennishead in episode 4 of the current series of Inside Central Station on BBC Scotland. It also talks about double tracking at Thorntonhall so a bit out of date.