Why the long waits on the express Edinburgh - Shotts - Glasgow line?

[overthewater]

Why is there such long wait on the express service traveling on this line? The fast train comes in to Livingston South and wait 4mins then goes on it's way then comes to the Haymarket junction and sits for another 4mins, going by the patterns of trains surly around the line 3 and 4 surly if this train operated without waits it could come into Haymarket faster and also Waverley?

 

[pdeaves]

Presumably there would be implications on other trains elsewhere on the network if that were to happen.

 

[30907]

There is a Dalmuir to Waverley blocking the way unfortunately..

 

[Starmill]

The significant pathing allowance between Livingston South and Midcalder Jn appears to be to permit another Edinburgh bound train running via Carstairs to go ahead of it.

There's probably lots of future scope to tighten up on this line with new better performance, but other services would need to be retimed.

 

[hexagon789]

Why is there such long wait on the express service traveling on this line? The fast train comes in to Livingston South and wait 4mins then goes on it's way then comes to the Haymarket junction and sits for another 4mins, going by the patterns of trains surly around the line 3 and 4 surly if this train operated without waits it could come into Haymarket faster and also Waverley?

Still on 156 timings and the 385s accelerate much quicker and could do 95 when they join the line from Carstairs though drivers would probably coast at 75 so as not to gain even more time.

 

[Ianno87]

Still on 156 timings and the 385s accelerate much quicker and could do 95 when they join the line from Carstairs though drivers would probably coast at 75 so as not to gain even more time.

The paths are likely pretty much fixed at both ends (e.g. by the Argyle Line into Glasgow, and by the E&G pattern into Edinburgh), so you have to waste time in the middle. Would need a proper recast to rework one end or the other to fix.