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Scottish Electrification updates & discussion

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snowball

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I understood it to mean that you couldn't have the extended neutral sections used for the low-cost Paisley Canal project. Don't know though.
That was what I thought as well. The phrase has been much used in talking about possible Grayling-reduced versions of Transpennine electrification.
 
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Southsider

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I understood it to mean that you couldn't have the extended neutral sections used for the low-cost Paisley Canal project. Don't know though.
That would make sense given the gradient and low, arched bridges either side of Clarkston station but we are guessing. Perhaps the poster (66C) can enlighten us? The possibility of using that methodology was discounted at the time Paisley Canal was done.
 

InOban

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Have there been any SDA activity since the power went on? Any test runs? After all it's scheduled to be in passenger service in 4 weeks.
 

InOban

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Great to hear. I hadn't noticed anything during a brief glance at RTT.
 

Stopper

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Have to say the prospect of the SDA being in full electric passenger service in 4 weeks time is looking worrying. To be fair though, electrification of the SDA has gone smoothly for the most part, so hopefully it will be fine.
 
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Stopper

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What prompts you to say that?

It’s not a negative dig by any means. It just comes across slightly worrying that it has only just gone live, and the wires & trains both need to be tested on the line within a month. Given the slow testing on the E-G and the problems with the 385s is what prompts me to say that.
 

Jessicas Dad

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The declaration that equipment is live means that everyone has to behave as if it is live, not that it actually is. In the very short term, it typically isn't live because it's turned on when needed for testing, and is off otherwise, but everyone has to behave as if it is, because the risk of it being live now exists.

Thanks - makes perfect sense.

Sorry for the delayed reply.
 

kilonewton

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It’s not a negative dig by any means. It just comes across slightly worrying that it has only just gone live, and the wires & trains both need to be tested on the line within a month. Given the slow testing on the E-G and the problems with the 385s is what prompts me to say that.
Yes, given what happened with Thameslink & Northern in May, having the new infrastructure being not yet complete this close to 9 Dec when, as I understand it, the timetable relies on it being operational and the required training having been undertaken, from an outsiders perspective it looks worrying.
 

mcmad

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Will there be any driver training required with the 385/365 on the SDA section or does the drivers existing traction and route knowledge cover?
 

alangla

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I’m curious about this too. If you have route knowledge of an unelectrified line, then OHLE is strung up and you gain traction knowledge by training on a different line, surely you need, at the very least, a briefing on where the neutral sections are and also a chance to revise the locations of braking points etc. I’m thinking of things like using an electric on a Queen Street to Dunblane service, you’ll be going much faster, so presumably will need to brake earlier, on the approach to places like Bishopbriggs, Lenzie or Croy than you ever would in a 170.
 

InOban

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The timetable won't change be before May, but I've seen March quoted for project completion. They're still working on platforms and footbridges.
 

31160

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The timetable won't change be before May, but I've seen March quoted for project completion. They're still working on platforms and footbridges.

Will they be running with EMU'S to the old times though or just stay as is until March? Seams a long time away
 

InOban

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The final Scotrail timetable - Central Scotland- is now online. I presume this means that the electrification is approved for public use.
 

Southsider

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I was talking with some people from up north (Wick) at the weekend who were bemoaning the lack of "shovel ready" sections to continue the dualling of the A9. This led onto a discussion about a similar situation relating to rail investment, particularly electrification, and the possible reasons behind it. One of the party put forward the suggestion that the Scottish Parliament is delaying these and other flagship schemes in order to get Scotland's finances into shape to qualify for EU membership post Brexit and the almost inevitable independence vote. As far as I am aware, none of the party had any insider knowledge and the discussion was fuelled with liberal amounts of alcohol but, given the current political situation, it didn't seem beyond the bounds of possibility. It may well be that investment announcements are imminent, I certainly hope so.
 

gordonjahn

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I was talking with some people from up north (Wick) at the weekend who were bemoaning the lack of "shovel ready" sections to continue the dualling of the A9. This led onto a discussion about a similar situation relating to rail investment, particularly electrification, and the possible reasons behind it. One of the party put forward the suggestion that the Scottish Parliament is delaying these and other flagship schemes in order to get Scotland's finances into shape to qualify for EU membership post Brexit and the almost inevitable independence vote. As far as I am aware, none of the party had any insider knowledge and the discussion was fuelled with liberal amounts of alcohol but, given the current political situation, it didn't seem beyond the bounds of possibility. It may well be that investment announcements are imminent, I certainly hope so.

Have to admit, this poster rather disappointed me this morning:


That's "Network Rail is completing a rolling programme of electrification works..." which sounds a bit like "we're near the end". That might just be the pessimist reading it, but it'd certainly tie up with delaying further schemes.
 

Jessicas Dad

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That's "Network Rail is completing a rolling programme of electrification works..." which sounds a bit like "we're near the end". That might just be the pessimist reading it, but it'd certainly tie up with delaying further schemes.

But if you want to take an optimistic view then you could say that it's only the Central Scotland programme the poster refers to as being completed.

Any other schemes could be known as (for example only) the Perthshire programme covering Dunblane to Perth, or the Fife programme and so on.

I suspect the poster was only written from the point of view of the current SDA programme and the writers were not considering any future schemes at all and thus it's probably not worth trying to analyse this one poster in any detail.

Happy to be corrected if anyone knows more though....
 

Fougasse

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The final Scotrail timetable - Central Scotland- is now online. I presume this means that the electrification is approved for public use.
SDA still at section proving phase, Shotts a bit further ahead but neither signed off by ORR yet.
 

Chris125

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Should we expect Grangemouth to go live with everything else, or is it further behind?
 
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