East Kilbride/Barrhead electrification updates

[d9009alycidon]

First's 21 terminates at the roundabout at the end of Greenhills Road across from Redwood Drive and the 201 terminates at the current train station but I'd imagine both will serve the new facilities. There's also 4 current SPT services that may also serve it.

The M1 goes to Hairmyres and stops at the hospital, same with the 205, the 395 serves the hospital before going along towards Eaglesham and the 399 is a rail link for Hairmyres anyway so that'll be the most likely.

I would imagine one way to do it would be for access to the station be from Redwood Drive and also the road that goes through the St James Retail Park, the terminating services could loop round via the St James Retail Park, new station, up to Redwood Drive and back via the roundabout a the end of Greenhill Road, the Eaglesham bus could take the same route and turn left at that roundabout. With the amount of housing currently being built in Jackton it would be nice to have a shuttle bus connecting Eaglesham with the new station as the 395 is a very limited service.

 

[route101]

The existing Hairmyers station has reasonably good bus interchange facilities, currently no buses venture anywhere near the proposed new site, I wonder if SPT will ask for the buses to reroute.

Used to be worse, the 201 used to terminate in the hospital and frequently missed out the Station bus stop. I hardly see anyone connect from the bus at Hairmyres. Still better than East Kilbride station.

 

[adrock1976]

Although equally for the First Glasgow thread in the Buses and Coaches section, is it planned for the low bridge at Busby to be rebuilt?

If so, this would eliminate the problem of low height double deckers for the 6.

 

[Southsider]

Although equally for the First Glasgow thread in the Buses and Coaches section, is it planned for the low bridge at Busby to be rebuilt?

If so, this would eliminate the problem of low height double deckers for the 6.

This was discussed a few posts back. Being an underbridge, it’s not required for electrification so one for the roads department. A similar issue exists on Nitshill road adjacent to the station where there is dual carriageway either side but single under the bridge causing a bottleneck.

 

[Frankton Junct]

A similar issue exists on Nitshill road adjacent to the station where there is dual carriageway either side but single under the bridge causing a bottleneck.

Similarly, the underbridge at Boydstone Road adjacent to Kennishead station is a traffic light controlled low single lane bridge on a busy two lane single carriageway road:

However, it wouldn't be necessary to replace it to electrify the route.

Meanwhile, this weekend the team erected more masts between Crossmyloof station and Pollokshaws West station, and piling is continuing.
A reinforced concrete pile at Crossmyloof Station, just beyond the northern end of platform 2:

 

[Meerkat]

Similarly, the underbridge at Boydstone Road adjacent to Kennishead station is a traffic light controlled low single lane bridge on a busy two lane single carriageway road:

However, it wouldn't be necessary to replace it to electrify the route.

Considering how we are told how good government control is I’m sure we can assume joined up thinking by Transport Scotland and these bridges getting replaced when there is a blockade……

 

[waverley47]

Considering how we are told how good government control is I’m sure we can assume joined up thinking by Transport Scotland and these bridges getting replaced when there is a blockade……

Unfortunately while transport Scotland appear to be in the right place, local government seems to leave a lot to be desired.

I suspect we'll see bridge replacements as and when they become a necessity, rather than a nice to have (and even then, councils don't like spending money at the best of times when they consider it someone else's problem)

The ones I've heard the council eager to replace are the A726 at Nitshill, which is next to the station but not impossible to replace with a wider bridge to the north slightly, and the B767 next to clarkston station, to ease the curve at the roundabout.

The A727 at Busby would appear to be a good candidate, however given that it goes underneath the up platform, that would seem a stretch goal.

All the other bridges are NRs doing I believe, ones that they have decided need replacement or alterations, and are not local authority projects

Edit: not to say these bridges are all being replaced or even altered, but those are the ones that the local authority have talked to NR about doing while the line is shut

 

[InOban]

It's not that local councils wouldn't like to replace the bridges, they simply don't have the money. Road building or social care? You choose.

 

[d9009alycidon]

Busby bridge must be a very low priority now since the GSO opened giving a perfectly good alternative route

 

[Frankton Junct]

Warm Summer nights, open windows, the droning sound of the auger...work continues.

This weekend the team erected more masts and mounted some of the spring tensioners.

Masts south of the Nithsdale Road over bridge:


Mast at Crossmyloof station, between platform 2 and the Titwood Road over bridge:


A mast behind platform 1 at Crossmyloof station:


Mast south of the Haggs Road under bridge:


Spring tensioners on masts behind the Pollokshaws Bowling Club:

 

[route101]

Interesting, I was wondering when they are doing this work! I thought it was at night.

 

[InOban]

They may be taking advantage of the absence of any trains on Sundays because of the RMT dispute?

 

[Frankton Junct]

Interesting, I was wondering when they are doing this work! I thought it was at night.

They do most of the work at night, that is correct. The Sunday morning possession lasts longer than the weekday possessions; I saw them leaving the worksite at 06:30 this morning.
Two weekends ago, they had a daytime possession on Sunday. On previous weekends, the route was open for services diverted from the WCML. I assume the route has to be open this weekend for engineering trains to access the work site between Kilmarnock and Dumfries.

 

[drams1221]

Does anyone know if any bridge raisings/reconstructions/track lowerings are required for Barrhead?

There's also one at Priesthill & Darnley station.

I'd imagine they would take a similar approach with that one to what they did at Cumbernauld back in 2014 in that they build a new bridge (with improved station access) and demolish the existing one. The current one at Darnley is old, overgrown and in bad need of upgrading, especially with it being the only way to cross between platforms.

 

[ScottDarg]

Re Cartcraigs Road: there is indeed an application to demolish without replacement. https://publicaccess.glasgow.gov.uk...s.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=QTG6D7EXLH000

This has now been approved.

 

[Southsider]

This has now been approved.

Still no sign of planning applications for the more major aspects such as East Kilbride station rebuild or bridge works on the branch.

 

[d9009alycidon]

This weeks "East Kilbride News" ran with the story on the front page. online version here https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-area/lanarkshire/plans-new-transport-hub-east-24522906

 

[GLC]

Masts up west of Pollokshaws West station. Taken this evening standing on the demolition-pending Cartcraigs road bridge

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Masts up west of Pollokshaws West station. Taken this evening standing on the demolition-pending Cartcraigs road bridge

Great photo - tight curve unless the zoom exaggerates it.

 

[Meerkat]

Those posts look pretty chunky.

 

[hwl]

Those posts look pretty chunky.

Yes end of wire run tensioning and overlap section, so much chunkier than the typical (the tensorex units are already fitted)

 

[59CosG95]

Yes end of wire run tensioning and overlap section, so much chunkier than the typical (the tensorex units are already fitted)

In technical terms, S2 equipment tends to use 203x203 U.C. sections for the main single track cantilever masts, while the ones supporting Tensorex units are typically 356x368 U.C.*; these often have deeper foundations to resist the overturning moment, and are also oriented with flanges perpendicular to the track (and the web parallel). These are known as SSAs (Simply Supported Anchors) and remove the need for back-tie arrangements.
(SSAs are also used at midpoints where the MPA tie wire is terminated either side of the midpoint structure, on modern 'anti-fall' balance weights, and on half-tension fixed anchors for wire runs shorter than 750m.)

By contrast, normal cantilever masts have the web perpendicular to the track, and flanges parallel.
(*Any of the following steel sections can be used: 203x203 UC (with backtie), 254x254 UC (with backtie), 305x308 UC (as an SSA), 356x368 UC (as an SSA), 300x90 PF DC (with backtie), 380x100 PF DC (with backtie).
The 300x90 masts are either used for portals or twin cantilever overlap masts, and the 380x100 masts for TTCs.)

 

[Frankton Junct]

Great photo - tight curve unless the zoom exaggerates it.

The zoom exaggerates it. I think there is no reduction in the permanent speed restriction (70 mph) around this curve.

 

[GLC]

Great photo - tight curve unless the zoom exaggerates it.

Here’s the unzoomed version. The curve is indeed not as tight as as you might think from the other pic

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Still great to see those masts going up though.

 

[Southsider]

Design of the new Strathbungo bridge has been selected.

Network Rail thanks Strathbungo community after footbridge design vote

Local residents in the Southside of Glasgow have voted overwhelmingly for a new railway footbridge connecting Darnley Road and Moray Place in Strathbungo.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

 

[Aictos]

Still great to see those masts going up though.

I agree, it's why I really appreciate threads such as this as it's helpful to keep track of what's happening.

 

[hexagon789]

The zoom exaggerates it. I think there is no reduction in the permanent speed restriction (70 mph) around this curve.

No reductions until Nitshill (65 PSR), so the 70 linespeed applies here

Still great to see those masts going up though.

I hadn't realised how far they'd progressed in some places until I had cause to walk close past the line the other day.

 

[Frankton Junct]

Still no sign of planning applications for the more major aspects such as East Kilbride station rebuild or bridge works on the branch.

The Daily Record article linked in post #437 states that work is scheduled to begin on the construction of the Hairmyres Station in 2024 for completion that Summer. I doubt that there will be a planning application this year.

The priority for the Network Rail Town Planner would be applications for work required to complete electrification to Barrhead. Now that the design of the replacement Strathbungo pedestrian bridge has been selected, a planning application must follow. I remember that Network Rail want to demolish the Stratbungo Station building (closed in 1960) - that is in the Pollokshields Conservation Zone and so a planning application for demolition is needed.

Strathbungo Station building:


Meanwhile, today, the contractor has been working on site during the day, drilling and pouring more of the reinforced concrete foundations between Nithsdale Road and Haggs Road:

 

[Southsider]

Looks like good progress on foundations and masts in this area. What are the distances from the end of electrification at Muirhouse to Busby Junction and onwards to Barrhead?