Some achievable upgrades to existing Scottish infrastructure

[snookertam]

Some thoughts on what should be getting pursued in Scotland to improve the existing network.

When I say achievable, it assumes a willingness to spend a bit of cash on improving reliability, which is obviously not a given.

1) Redouble the Balloch branch as far as Alexandria, inc reinstatement of second platforms at Alexandra and Renton.

Bonus move would be a crossover at Alexandra on the double line to allow terminating there if necessary - or reversible signalling over one line akin to the Neilston branch, speaking of which

2) Extend reversible signalling from Whitecraigs to Neilston to allow departures from platform 2 at Neilston.

or as a bonus, install a crossover short of Neilston station. Either way, a handy way to enable longer trains on the branch.

3) Similar to above, enable reversible signalling from Newton to Burnside over the up (Newton bound) line, completing the existing set up between Burnside and Kings Park.

4) Electrify the freight line between Ardrossan South Beach and Hunterston, and reinstate West Kilbride second platform. Also needs a crossover beyond Ardrossan South Beach so that services off the branch can access the platform, or reinstate the second platform there, whichever is least expensive.

5) Upgrade signalling to allow reversal of trains at Galashiels on the Borders line, allows trains to terminate short if necessary and avoid the series of cancellations on the half hourly service that usually occurs.

6) Back on the North Clyde route, redoubling of Westerton to Bearsden, takes away the bottleneck created by late running on or off the branch.

I think all of the above, while collectively may see costs mounting, would provide a huge improvement to the reliability of the network across the central belt, and are all very achievable.

 

[waverley47]

You've just solved a large variety of the problems on the Scottish network.

The redoubling of single line sections across the Strathclyde network in particular would help to undo one of BR's more short sighted moves. At present, the Balloch, Helensburgh, and Milngavie branches all contain single line sections, which are able to export delays out as far as the WCML and Edinburgh when trains are running late. Additionally, the two single lead junctions and current layout at westerton would be entirely unacceptable today, and are definitely due a rejig. Definitely a must have, the current situation is just slightly too unreliable.

Redoubling the Largs branch for part of the line would seem prudent, but is only really worth investing in if accompanied by a corresponding increase in services to either the port or the station. At present, 1tph works well enough on the line from an infrastructure perspective, so you'd need to find another path into Glasgow central for it to really pay itself off. Even so, it would be a nice little project to keep a team ticking over.


Reversals at Galashiels is a bit of a difficult one. On one hand, turning back early solves problems with cancellations and knock on effects, however Tweedbank is a big park and ride station, and you'd be turfing off passengers two miles from their cars in the middle of winter, which wouldn't win you any favours. The line is in the process of being wired (which stage of the process remains to be announced, but the contract has been let) and the timetable works just about currently on diesel. Switching to electric units on the hills will speed up the line and make the timetable more resilient. You could probably rejig to use another unit if one was spare, or there was a spare platform at Waverley, however what we have is probably what we're stuck with until electrification.


With Neilston, a short crossover would be far more likely than reversible signalling. When time comes to replace the turnback, NR might bite the bullet and install two crossovers, but setting the unit back is helpful for driver tasks and cleaning the unit ect. Your two reversible signalling ideas seem a bit strange, as I'm not really sure what problem you're trying to solve. Would it improve reliability on these lines? I confess I don't know much about the signalling of the cathcart lines so if you could expand on those that would be amazing.


All in all, very necessary. In particular redoubling sections of the Strathclyde network, but also the single lead junctions and eliminating remaining single line sections. The fact they're all achievable makes them all more likely to help, but as you're not seeking to directly unlock any new capacity, I feel these schemes would be filed under renewals and looked at when time for junction replacement came around.

 

[Falcon1200]

2) Extend reversible signalling from Whitecraigs to Neilston to allow departures from platform 2 at Neilston.

or as a bonus, install a crossover short of Neilston station. Either way, a handy way to enable longer trains on the branch.

I confess I don't know much about the signalling of the cathcart lines so if you could expand on those that would be amazing.

The Up Neilston line (towards Neilston) has reversible signalling so that a train from Glasgow can terminate at Whitecraigs (but no further) and return towards Glasgow, gaining the Down line via the crossover at Muirend.
However I'm not sure any major changes on the branch are really justified, the 4-car 380s cope with the off peak loadings, and there are 6-car 318/320 workings in the peaks, the only real issue being that there are also some peak 3-car 318/320 workings, which are not sufficient.

4) Electrify the freight line between Ardrossan South Beach and Hunterston, and reinstate West Kilbride second platform. Also needs a crossover beyond Ardrossan South Beach so that services off the branch can access the platform, or reinstate the second platform there, whichever is least expensive.

I do agree with that ! To be worthwhile, South Beach would indeed need its Up platform rebuilt, as well as West Kilbride, and this would allow the Largs service to become half-hourly. Between Glasgow and South Beach these would simply replace the existing Ardrossan Town/Harbour trains, Harbour being served by additional (limited stop) trains only when required for ship connections.

The single lead junction at Bellgrove is definitely an anachronism, and the Milngavie branch is very fragile when the 4 trains per hour service operates.

Personally the major infrastructure improvements I would like to see are grade separation at major junctions, these being, for starters, Law Jc, Uddingston Jc, Newton and Rutherglen East/Central Jcs. Plus four tracking between the Finnieston Jcs and Hyndland East Jc, and grade separation at the latter. Some of these ideas may be more realistic than others !

Additionally; Not mostly in Scotland, but completion of four-tracking between Carlisle and Gretna Jc, in readiness for HS2 services, would be good, especially if it resulted in a route for GSW services independent of the WCML.

 

[HS2isgood]

The Up Neilston line (towards Neilston) has reversible signalling so that a train from Glasgow can terminate at Whitecraigs (but no further) and return towards Glasgow, gaining the Down line via the crossover at Muirend.
However I'm not sure any major changes on the branch are really justified, the 4-car 380s cope with the off peak loadings, and there are 6-car 318/320 workings in the peaks, the only real issue being that there are also some peak 3-car 318/320 workings, which are not sufficient.



I do agree with that ! To be worthwhile, South Beach would indeed need its Up platform rebuilt, as well as West Kilbride, and this would allow the Largs service to become half-hourly. Between Glasgow and South Beach these would simply replace the existing Ardrossan Town/Harbour trains, Harbour being served by additional (limited stop) trains only when required for ship connections.

The single lead junction at Bellgrove is definitely an anachronism, and the Milngavie branch is very fragile when the 4 trains per hour service operates.

Personally the major infrastructure improvements I would like to see are grade separation at major junctions, these being, for starters, Law Jc, Uddingston Jc, Newton and Rutherglen East/Central Jcs. Plus four tracking between the Finnieston Jcs and Hyndland East Jc, and grade separation at the latter. Some of these ideas may be more realistic than others !

Additionally; Not mostly in Scotland, but completion of four-tracking between Carlisle and Gretna Jc, in readiness for HS2 services, would be good, especially if it resulted in a route for GSW services independent of the WCML.

Taking into account that the GSW isn't wholly double-track, I think three tracks will do the job.

 

[Falcon1200]

Taking into account that the GSW isn't wholly double-track, I think three tracks will do the job.

Being pedantic, the GSW, which is Gretna-Kilmarnock, is double track throughout, except for the single lead junction at Gretna itself. The continuation to Glasgow however, the GB&K, does of course still have two single track sections.