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Expansions for Scotland's rail network proposed

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JLUK144

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It would probably better for keeping the electrification teams together and working purposes as well, but if you keep doing things in a sensible order and actually plan ahead then you can't announce every single little development 30 times. How, as a politician, are you going to look proactive if you don't sit on everything for a year until every ounce of publicity has been wrung from it?
Improvements to the East Kilbride branch have been in the pipeline for years and further future improvements are continually kicked firmly into the long grass. There is a sheer lack of information on what the Scottish Govt, Transport Scotland and Network Rail plan for the line and the last time I heard a year being mentioned for electrification was several years ago. Some clarity from the Scottish Government is not a big ask and given that this statement is meant to be an update, it would be a good use of parliamentary time to provide a target year for improvements. The only positives to take from said statement are the increase in capacity and the announcement of £25m investment.
 

hexagon789

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Improvements to the East Kilbride branch have been in the pipeline for years and further future improvements are continually kicked firmly into the long grass.
There is a sheer lack of information on what the Scottish Govt, Transport Scotland and Network Rail plan for the line and the last time I heard a year being mentioned for electrification was several years ago. Some clarity from the Scottish Government is not a big ask and given that this statement is meant to be an update, it would be a good use of parliamentary time to provide a target year for improvements.[FONT="Verdana",Arial,sans-serif] [/FONT]The only positives to take from said statement are the increase in capacity and the announcement of £25m investment.​

Electrification of the East Kilbride branch has been mooted since British Rail days, one would hope that in the not inconsiderable time that has passed since then we would have seen some progress in this.

Unfortunately we have not, the only change if significance is a few extra units freed-up by electrification elsewhere. I think it's high time this quite busy commuter route saw some improvements in the line of electrification and new more suited stock than 156s.

I'm not holding my breath, but I agree there is a very strong lack of definite information on timescales, one would've hoped for better.
 

Highlandspring

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Rest assured plans for East Kilbride are progressing through the sausage machine but as the Minister seems not to want to say anything substantive about them in parliament it’s not really my place (or, indeed, for anyone with a degree of knowledge of them) to expand on them here.
 

hexagon789

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Rest assured plans for East Kilbride are progressing through the sausage machine but as the Minister seems not to want to say anything substantive about them in parliament it’s not really my place (or, indeed, for anyone with a degree of knowledge of them) to expand on them here.

I'm glad to hear there are plans at least.
 

JLUK144

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Rest assured plans for East Kilbride are progressing through the sausage machine but as the Minister seems not to want to say anything substantive about them in parliament it’s not really my place (or, indeed, for anyone with a degree of knowledge of them) to expand on them here.
I totally accept that and I’m glad that there are plans. I just wished Matheson could be more open about the plans. Having things continually locked behind doors and holding such vital information re infrastructure close to your chest hardly encourages confidence in government and its institutions.
 

EMU303

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On which route(s)? Any specific ones or just for any future potential electrification project?

I was thinking of Hitachi's reported offer to TS to build a battery version of their 385. Maybe that has caused TS to pause any electrification plans that were in the pipeline? Depending on a variety of factors (reliability, cost, life cycle etc) it might be a more cost-effective solution to electrification and quicker to deliver. I'm not coming down on either side of the argument as I'm not familiar with the technicalities of either option. Maybe Hitachi will build a prototype for testing?

Certainly agree that the EK line needs a long overdue upgrade and if done well would attract more passengers to what is already a busy line.
 

hexagon789

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I was thinking of Hitachi's reported offer to TS to build a battery version of their 385. Maybe that has caused TS to pause any electrification plans that were in the pipeline? Depending on a variety of factors (reliability, cost, life cycle etc) it might be a more cost-effective solution to electrification and quicker to deliver. I'm not coming down on either side of the argument as I'm not familiar with the technicalities of either option. Maybe Hitachi will build a prototype for testing?

Certainly agree that the EK line needs a long overdue upgrade and if done well would attract more passengers to what is already a busy line.

I think battery all the way to East Kilbride might be pushing it a little.
 

najaB

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I was thinking of Hitachi's reported offer to TS to build a battery version of their 385. Maybe that has caused TS to pause any electrification plans that were in the pipeline?
I doubt it. If anything, battery trains open up new options for electrification by providing a solution for the difficult bits.
 

route101

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I was thinking of Hitachi's reported offer to TS to build a battery version of their 385. Maybe that has caused TS to pause any electrification plans that were in the pipeline? Depending on a variety of factors (reliability, cost, life cycle etc) it might be a more cost-effective solution to electrification and quicker to deliver. I'm not coming down on either side of the argument as I'm not familiar with the technicalities of either option. Maybe Hitachi will build a prototype for testing?

Certainly agree that the EK line needs a long overdue upgrade and if done well would attract more passengers to what is already a busy line.
Busy line indeed , fro car dependant EK through middle class surburbia. Always thought of re opening the line towards Hamilton etc.
 

Southsider

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Rest assured plans for East Kilbride are progressing through the sausage machine but as the Minister seems not to want to say anything substantive about them in parliament it’s not really my place (or, indeed, for anyone with a degree of knowledge of them) to expand on them here.
Given that in the last parliamentary exchange on this matter the minister stated that detailed planning was at an advanced stage, his reticence is surprising. Sorry to introduce politics but I suspect wider issues are at play, namely the possibility of an independent Scotland seeking to join the EU and needing to suppress public spending to satisfy the entry criteria. Who knows, perhaps this could be the first EU funded infrastructure project thereafter?
 

InOban

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Remember that the allocations to the ScoGov are calculated by the Barnett formula
So much has been spent/wasted on Brexit, that the next spending review will be tight.
 

route:oxford

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I think battery all the way to East Kilbride might be pushing it a little.

I'm trying to work out how far it is from East Kilbryde to the nearest knitting.

The hybrid battery-electric 385s are being promoted as being able to run for 60 miles away from the wires.
 

68000

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Sorry to introduce politics but I suspect wider issues are at play, namely the possibility of an independent Scotland seeking to join the EU and needing to suppress public spending to satisfy the entry criteria. Who knows, perhaps this could be the first EU funded infrastructure project thereafter?

Is this the conspiracy theory forum?
 

Highlandspring

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Hope the upcoming improvements include the signalling given the mess of the last two PM peaks
The signalling fault that affected the branch since yesterday morning (and which proved particularly difficult to pin down) was resolved this afternoon around 1600 with a full service being restored starting with the 1617 from Central, so only Tuesday’s PM peak was affected. The only disruption to EK services during Wednesday’s PM peak was one out and back cancellation due to an engine fault on 156499.
 

Southsider

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Is this the conspiracy theory forum?
By coincidence Nicola Sturgeon reiterated independence followed by entry into the EU as being one of the SNP’s aims when interviewed by Robert Peston tonight so not a conspiracy, just a political party’s policy.
 

alangla

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The signalling fault that affected the branch since yesterday morning (and which proved particularly difficult to pin down) was resolved this afternoon around 1600 with a full service being restored starting with the 1617 from Central, so only Tuesday’s PM peak was affected. The only disruption to EK services during Wednesday’s PM peak was one out and back cancellation due to an engine fault on 156499.
Fair enough. When I looked at Journeycheck about 5 yesterday it was suggesting doom, gloom and buses from Central to EK for the peak but the situation must have improved. This http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/HMY/2019/05/15/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt does still make for grim reading though
 

hexagon789

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I'm trying to work out how far it is from East Kilbryde to the nearest knitting.

The hybrid battery-electric 385s are being promoted as being able to run for 60 miles away from the wires.

Nearest is where the Glasgow South Western joins the Maxwell Park branch of the Cathcart Circle at Muirhouse Central Junction probably about 1.5 miles from Glasgow Central at a guess.
 

Southsider

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Nearest is where the Glasgow South Western joins the Maxwell Park branch of the Cathcart Circle at Muirhouse Central Junction probably about 1.5 miles from Glasgow Central at a guess.
I’d say it’s where the EK line crosses the Neilston line at Williamwood.
 

d9009alycidon

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There was a suggestion a while back to close from Busby Junction to Williamwood and reinstate the old (never used) chord to the Neilston Line, didn't please the Giffnock and Thornleibank customers
 

hexagon789

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There was a suggestion a while back to close from Busby Junction to Williamwood and reinstate the old (never used) chord to the Neilston Line, didn't please the Giffnock and Thornleibank customers

Yes, BR also proposed electrifying the line into EK from the new chord.

Considering how busy Giffnock and Clarkston stations are now, it's very lucky this plan didn't go ahead!
 

gingertom

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Nearest is where the Glasgow South Western joins the Maxwell Park branch of the Cathcart Circle at Muirhouse Central Junction probably about 1.5 miles from Glasgow Central at a guess.
There's overhead power lines south of Busby towards East Kilbride and same south of Barrhead where a feeder station could perhaps be sited. Better to have the feeder near the junction of the branch.
At a push there's where the EK line crosses the Neilston line at Williamwood, as has been mentioned upthread.
 

hexagon789

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There's overhead power lines south of Busby towards East Kilbride and same south of Barrhead where a feeder station could perhaps be sited. Better to have the feeder near the junction of the branch.
At a push there's where the EK line crosses the Neilston line at Williamwood, as has been mentioned upthread.

Oh so actually meaning in relation to where you could feed the power from rather than the nearest present electrification?
 
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