Haymarket to Dalmeny electrification

[59CosG95]

Yes, it does. I'm struggling to think of a Scottish electrification project that uses headspans.

Don't believe any of them have since the ECML & Carstairs-Haymarket, at least outside Glasgow QS (which used them underneath the trainshed roof for aesthetic purposes only).

 

[Southsider]

Don't believe any of them have since the ECML & Carstairs-Haymarket, at least outside Glasgow QS (which used them underneath the trainshed roof for aesthetic purposes only).

There are a few locations, Partick station springs to mind.

 

[jadmor]

Yes, it does. I'm struggling to think of a Scottish electrification project that uses headspans.

I believe that the lines out of Haymarket that were electrified for the East Coast project use this method for a short stretch.

 

[Glaswegian]

Yes, it does. I'm struggling to think of a Scottish electrification project that uses headspans.

I think there are some in Queen Street - safely under shelter.

 

[najaB]

I believe that the lines out of Haymarket that were electrified for the East Coast project use this method for a short stretch.

Don't know if I'd count that as a Scottish project though. It was the northernmost end of an Anglo-Scottish project.

 

[SouthSub]

Doesn't this line (the line between Haymarket West Junction and Saughton Junction) have portals rather than headspans?

I knew I’d have some of the terminology wrong!

I notice that a few trains have been diverted via Winchburgh tonight - I assume this has been a regular occurrence to get this work done at nights?

 

[EastFifer]

There’s new masts erected all the way along the line at the end of Edinburgh Airports’ runway.

 

[BorderCollie]

Ayrshire route electrification has many headspans. Even at straightforward two track stations like Killwinning, good old wires dangling in tension everywhere...

 

[EastFifer]

These are from a bridge just before Dalmeny.

 

[Davester50]

How long before the wires here are actually used?

 

[A330Alex]

Noticed on roadworksscotland.org that main street dalmeny, south gyle road and ladywell Avenue and scheduled to close from November 2025 to January 2026 for an estimated 125 days for demolition and re-deck of the bridges

Estimated start times have been moved forward for both South Gyle Road and Ladywell Avenue to 28/07/25 - 15/09/25 and 21/08/25 - 20/11/25 respectively. The previous closure for Main Street has been removed.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Well it looks like nice progress to me.

 

[AMD]

I did notice yesterday that a whole run of masts have gone up recently on the section by the end of the airport runway

 

[jamieintercity]

I noticed on www.scotlandsrailway.com that the partial Fife circle electrification page have be removed. Has the project been cancelled???

 

[NIT100]

I noticed on www.scotlandsrailway.com that the partial Fife circle electrification page have be removed. Has the project been cancelled???

We will have to wait for the refreshed Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan to know for sure, which is due for publication in 'Spring 2025'. I have put in an FOI request to Transport Scotland for a draft, or failing that a publication date. The new Feeder Station at Thornton is still being built and scheduled for completion in December 2026, but I think it will be unused for a good while.

Online article in Modern Railways on the subject: Scotland’s rolling programme cuts electrification costs by 26%

Scotland’s rolling programme of electrification has brought costs down to “considerably less” than costs south of the border, according to Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland’s Managing Director.

Most construction industry costs have markedly increased over the past five years, as a result of the pandemic, war in Ukraine and other challenges, he said. However, Mr Sumpter told the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee that the cost of electrification per kilometre in Scotland had reduced from £2.7 million to £2 million over the course of the past five years.

The rolling programme was a fundamental part of the reduction. “We have the same people, who, as they work through the process of electrification, think about ways in which they could do it a little bit better,” he said. “There are various ways of lowering the track or increasing the height of structures – key parts of the cost base – that we can do slightly better each time because we find slightly better ways of doing it. Retention of skills is absolutely critical to our ability to do that.”

He also said: “With every project, we come up with new innovations and new ways of doing things, so we are driving down the cost of electrification. That means that we can do more of it, because the value-for-money equation is more balanced.”

He said ScotRail, Network Rail and the Scottish Government through Transport Scotland jointly identified the next electrification priorities. “We hope that the rolling programme can continue so that we can continue to deliver value projects over the course of the next 10 to 20 years and decarbonise the whole of Scotland’s railway,” said Mr Sumpter. “On prioritisation and specific lines, it is a job for Transport Scotland, largely speaking, to determine what the right priority is. Our role is to provide as much data as we can to support it and then to deliver what is specified.”

Asked about east coast electrification to Aberdeen, he said he anticipated this being achieved within 20 years.

The Programme for Government announced by First Minister John Swinney on 6 May confirmed completion of the East Kilbride line’s electrification and enhancement this year, “enabling the introduction of electric trains from December 2025”. The programme also confirmed the upgrading and reconfiguring of rail power supplies to support existing and future electrification, including a new feeder station planned to enter service at Newton, Lanarkshire, during 2025/26.

Not clear if 20 years to Aberdeen electrification is full electrification or partial for battery trains. A bit embarrassing for the rail industry to have diesel trains competing with decarbonised InterCity coaches for the next 20 years in my opinion.

 

[najaB]

The new Feeder Station at Thornton is still being built and scheduled for completion in December 2026, but I think it will be unused for a good while.

A lot of it depends on what happens with the magic money tree seeds that the government has planted. Things weren't looking good, but the growing conditions over in the USA aren't looking as good as they were, so crops over here and in Europe might do better than expected.

 

[AMD]

I noticed on www.scotlandsrailway.com that the partial Fife circle electrification page have be removed. Has the project been cancelled???

At today's SAPT (Scottish Association for Public Transport) meeting, Matt Powell from Network Rail spoke about electrification and that the plan is still the same with Kinghorn to Ladybank(?) and Leven to Cowdenbeath-ish being wired first, however there are no dates attached. As Matt said it all depends upon funding being provided, hence no dates on his slides.

Photos when I was out yesterday - a lot of masts have gone up recently. First photo shows the most northerly mast with the A9000 overbridge in the background.
At the bridge over the road at Carlowrie Farm - looks like a couple of masts still to go in.
Turnhouse - the airport lights can be seen and a full set of masts
Overbridge at Turnhouse - a short gap here, albeit the bridge does look a bit low for wires
Edinburgh Gateway - piles are in but still missing a handful of masts
South of the A8 overbridge, by the back of M&S Gyle - the last masts in the run. There's a gap from here in masts, the next one is an anchor mast at the north end of the curve at Saughton.