Haymarket to Dalmeny electrification

[Chris Hamilton]

Hi everyone, I actually work at Edinburgh Airport and I’ve noticed that Network Rail and some electrical companies have set up a site just outside of the airport on Turnhouse Road. There appears to be lots of steel cylinders used for piling in the foundations for the OHLE’s. Since I start work quite early, I see the workers come off the railway and back on site at around 5am. This surely suggests that electrification work IS ongoing but without much coverage.

You are exactly right. Im at Network Rail and that is where we go now to sign in with the Engineering Supervisor as the OHL contractors lead the possessions now on the Fife lines from Haymarket West/Central to Dalmeny.

Took me quite a while to find it last week, as they don’t have any site lighting yet. Felt like I was driving into the airport.

 

[92002]

LNER ones do so daily on the Highland Chieftain at a location between Stirling and Bridge of Allan.

The Sourhbound Inverness tends to changeover once it is under OHL at Dunblane. It stops there on a Sunday too.

 

[matchmaker]

The Sourhbound Inverness tends to changeover once it is under OHL at Dunblane. It stops there on a Sunday too.

The balises for automatic changeover southbound are between Kippenross tunnel and Bridge of Allan station.

 

[92002]

Will the spec get the BEMUs from Thornton to Dalmeny?
What is the delay in ordering them seeing as Levenmouth and Dalmeny has been on the cards for a while?

Nothing to stop OHL going up in Fife via Dunfermline. The stretch via Kirkcaldy has a tunnel clearance problem at Kinghorn. Although other areas could be progressed till that is xolved.

 

[EastFifer]

Does anyone else have a feeling that

You are exactly right. Im at Network Rail and that is where we go now to sign in with the Engineering Supervisor as the OHL contractors lead the possessions now on the Fife lines from Haymarket West/Central to Dalmeny.

Took me quite a while to find it last week, as they don’t have any site lighting yet. Felt like I was driving into the airport.

Nice one! Yeah, I can imagine it would be pretty difficult to find as it’s tucked away from anywhere.

How is the project going anyway?

 

[InOban]

That'll be the entrance off Turnhouse Road used by the hearse carrying the Queen?

 

[EastFifer]

Nice one! Yeah, I can imagine it would be pretty difficult to find as it’s tucked away from anywhere.

How is the project going anyway?

 

[Chris Hamilton]

How is the project going anyway?

From what I see it’s mostly just ground surveys and test bores at the moment. A few piles have appeared near the airport trip wire. Never see a lot of SPL staff and they don’t have a lot of equipment on site yet.

I suspect it’s a lot of advance works before the main construction crew start migrating over from EK as it enters the next phase.

They have possession of the Fife Lines nearly every night from what I can see, usually from Haymarket West, but extended out to Haymarket Central after the sleepers.

 

[snowball]

I suspect it’s a lot of advance works before the main construction crew start migrating over from EK as it enters the next phase.

However, piling for the EK branch, as distinct from the Barrhead line, is only just starting.

 

[92002]

Nothing to stop OHL going up in Fife via Dunfermline. The stretch via Kirkcaldy has a tunnel clearance problem at Kinghorn. Although other areas could be progressed till that is xolved.

However, piling for the EK branch, as distinct from the Barrhead line, is only just starting.

There are other companies who could do the work.

During the EGIP works Bancock did a large portion of the works. Whilst SPL did the Shotts works. Thry evrn own their own piling equipment and a wiring train and are working on the Levenmouth branch..

 

[najaB]

During the EGIP works Bancock did a large portion of the works.

Bancock or Babcock? I've heard of the latter but not the first.

Edit: Didn't notice that Bancock was autocorrected.

 

[92002]

Babcock or Babcock? I've heard of the latter but not the first.

Both are the same to give them their official Company Name Babcock International of Hamilton.

 

[Ginaro]

Going between the Bridge and Gateway today I noticed quite a few bases for the OHLE have been installed which is good to see.

 

[El Blanco]

Is the FoI act applicable to the ministers decision? Could somebody (do they have to be in Scotland?) Request the estimate costs of cancelling the works?

Without trying to go too off-topic, this was raised in the Scottish Parliament today. Minister accused of breaching the ministerial code. Cost of delaying the work is £1 million.

Jenny Gilruth accused of 'meddling' in rail works while transport minister

The Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP stepped in to stop Network Rail work over Christmas despite the decision costing the taxpayer £1 million and impacting more passengers

www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk

 

[snowball]

It's the lead feature in the current issue of RAIL magazine, with a cover picture of a train on the Forth bridge, though the story is all about events of several months ago which had some coverage at the time. They write it up as if the whole Fife electrification was under threat. My copy isn't to hand so I can't cite the issue number.

 

[92002]

It's the lead feature in the current issue of RAIL magazine, with a cover picture of a train on the Forth bridge, though the story is all about events of several months ago which had some coverage at the time. They write it up as if the whole Fife electrification was under threat. My copy isn't to hand so I can't cite the issue number.

Sounds a bit of quality Rail reporting.

Last time I checked Dalmeny was South of the Forth Bridge. Which is provably why the plans stop there for now. Yes the bridge will be a bit of a challenge because of its limited clearance. The main game charger however is Kinghorn tunnel.

 

[snowball]

Last time I checked Dalmeny was South of the Forth Bridge. Which is provably why the plans stop there for now. Yes the bridge will be a bit of a challenge because of its limited clearance. The main game charger however is Kinghorn tunnel.

The problems of the bridge and of Kinghorn tunnel are irrelevant for the time being as they are not in the plans for early electrification, which, as discussed upthread, consist of Haymarket to Dalmeny (officially treated as part of the Fife project) plus stretches radiating in all directions from the proposed feeder station at Thornton junction. See, for example, post #58.

For more on the eventual electrification of the Forth bridge see posts #99 and #114.

Perhaps it's time we had a proper thread for Fife electrification, which until now has been discussed in

1) this thread
2) the Levenmouth reopening thread
3) a general Scottish decarbonisation thread which got moved to the speculation subforum after an excursion about Ayr-Stranraer.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Perhaps it's time we had a proper thread for Fife electrification, which until now has been discussed in

Are you volunteering?

 

[snowball]

Are you volunteering?

I'll create one the next time there's any news that seems to be specific to Fife electrification and doesn't seem to fit better either here or in the Levenmouth thread.

 

[Mag_seven]

From this point onwards discussion in this thread should be limited to the actual project itself (updates on progress etc).

I've split off some posts that were discussing the Jenny Gilruth issue to this thread:

Jenny Gilruth did not break the ministerial code over Haymarket to Dalmeny electrification project

Moderator note - split from: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/haymarket-to-dalmeny-electrification.225171/ The BBC has this fairly recent report, not about the electrification itself but about the political row: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65915929.amp First...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[EastFifer]

After leaving work today, I noticed that the SPL site that was supposed to be doing the Haymarket to Dalmeny work, seems to have gone…
The portacabins and the steel cylinder foundations have been taken away almost overnight.
I’m guessing this project is being shelved or even cancelled? Not heard or seen any work being done for months now.

 

[59CosG95]

After leaving work today, I noticed that the SPL site that was supposed to be doing the Haymarket to Dalmeny work, seems to have gone…
The portacabins and the steel cylinder foundations have been taken away almost overnight.
I’m guessing this project is being shelved or even cancelled? Not heard or seen any work being done for months now.

They've probably moved everything to the works at Barrhead, just for the period of the blockade there. With all the extra personnel on site, they probably figured "we're gonna need a bigger welfare area".
And the piles for the masts are all standardised in 0.5m lengths, so it's almost certain the piles are just being redeployed there.

 

[snookertam]

There’s still a possession every night and no trains run from around 2300 onwards, so I don’t think it’s been shelved. Possibly the compound has moved elsewhere?

 

[EastFifer]

They've probably moved everything to the works at Barrhead, just for the period of the blockade there.

Ah, possibly! That makes sense. It’s a shame this current project is taking so long though. I know you need line possession etc but it’s a relatively simple stretch of line with not too many obstacles in the way.

 

[najaB]

Ah, possibly! That makes sense. It’s a shame this current project is taking so long though. I know you need line possession etc but it’s a relatively simple stretch of line with not too many obstacles in the way.

Well, they were going to do a lot of work last Christmas, but... I'll get my coat.

 

[EastFifer]

Well, they were going to do a lot of work last Christmas, but... I'll get my coat.

That’s very true. I forgot about that!

 

[92002]

Well, they were going to do a lot of work last Christmas, but... I'll get my coat.

The work last Christmas was track lowering in advance of piling and masts. So not a lot to do with SPL who are currently busy doing Glasgow to Barrhead with a 6 week closure. Then on to East Kilbride.

Other contractors are available but budgets are committed in other places.

 

[59CosG95]

The work last Christmas was track lowering in advance of piling and masts. So not a lot to do with SPL who are currently busy doing Glasgow to Barrhead with a 6 week closure. Then on to East Kilbride.

Other contractors are available but budgets are committed in other places.

They do of course have the Leven work as well, although the pace of that depends on the trackwork.

 

[92002]

They do of course have the Leven work as well, although the pace of that depends on the trackwork.

Believe Levemouth is being delivered by Babcock who will install piles but no masts for now.

 

[Falcon1200]

And the piles for the masts are all standardised in 0.5m lengths, so it's almost certain the piles are just being redeployed there.

So not a lot to do with SPL who are currently busy doing Glasgow to Barrhead with a 6 week closure.

From the pics in the Barrhead & East Kilbride electrification topic, and personal observation, the majority of structures on the Barrhead line are already in place, and given that piles will be required, eventually, for both the East Kilbride and Haymarket-Dalmeny routes, moving a load from one site to another seems rather pointless.