Highland Mainline upgrade ideas

[Altnabreac]

Is there already a southbound platform (albeit disused) next to the level crossing at Newtonmore?

Its somewhere on the continuum between disused, derelict and disappearing. Suspect it would need a total rebuild.

 

[hexagon789]

I’d also like to see Tomatin station reopen in the not too distant future.

I think it's long overdue

 

[XDM]

Killicrankie tunnel is a substantial barrier to speedy journeys & capacity, because it is single track, it has a 30 mph speed limit & it has restricted gauge. However it is also short. Tunnels of its length are being built every day around the world. It would be easy to drive a second tunnel on the land side of the river. If we were not in the hands of Network Rail it could be done cheaply & speedily too.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Killicrankie tunnel is a substantial barrier to speedy journeys & capacity, because it is single track, it has a 30 mph speed limit & it has restricted gauge. However it is also short. Tunnels of its length are being built every day around the world. It would be easy to drive a second tunnel on the land side of the river. If we were not in the hands of Network Rail it could be done cheaply & speedily too.

Is it (with total blockade) amenable to a Farnworth Tunnel type approach i.e fill up with structural foam/etc and then rebore with concrete segments and clear to a larger gauge etc?

 

[hexagon789]

Killicrankie tunnel is a substantial barrier to speedy journeys & capacity, because it is single track, it has a 30 mph speed limit & it has restricted gauge. However it is also short. Tunnels of its length are being built every day around the world. It would be easy to drive a second tunnel on the land side of the river. If we were not in the hands of Network Rail it could be done cheaply & speedily too.

I think the Killicrankie tunnel, while undoubtedly an expensive proposition, should be widened out or a second tunnel bored and the alignment straightened if possible.

 

[Millisle]

Killiecrankie. Nobody has quite nailed the spelling yet, nor, unless I have missed it, mentioned the viaduct.

 

[hexagon789]

Killiecrankie. Nobody has quite nailed the spelling yet, nor, unless I have missed it, mentioned the viaduct.

I know to spell it, but alas my phone doesn't!

 

[mcmad]

Its also listed and part of a national heritage site. Can't understand why Network Rail hasn't done something about it by now

For those not aware of the geography, the railway (and roads) follow the course of the river through a steep valley. At Killiecrankie, the river and therefore everything else takes a 90 degree left turn so options to improve would be limited without the other (viaduct, listing, heritage site) issues anyway.

 

[47271]

If it was up to me as a resident of Speyside, and a pessimist in the light of the limited resources likely to be available, in the order of priority:

1. Sort out Ladybank-Hilton before worrying about the HML itself. The inefficiency of this section affects substantially more people than anything north of Perth but is relevant to woeful journey times between Edinburgh and the highlands.

2. Reinstatement of loops at Ballinluig, Killiecrankie and Etteridge.

3. Reinstatement of double track from Culloden to Daviot.

The realist in me tells me that not even any of the above is likely to happen in the next ten years. All we're getting is resignalling to allow increased speed of approach of HSTs at Pitlochry and Aviemore. Dunkeld station might get moved, but far more important is to get its useless platforms raised to an acceptable height.

Reengineering Killiecrankie viaduct and tunnel would shave two or three minutes maybe but I suspect that there are many more slow spots that could be tackled more cheaply than this one.

Tomatin station? That's a bit left field isn't it? The place makes Dalwhinnie look like a major centre of population, and Dalwhinnie is at least at a junction of two roads. What's the thinking behind this? I'd sooner have Newburgh on the Ladybank line as part of my top priority above.

 

[hexagon789]

The realist in me tells me that not even any of the above is likely to happen in the next ten years. All we're getting is resignalling to allow increased speed of approach of HSTs at Pitlochry and Aviemore. Dunkeld station might get moved, but far more important is to get its useless platforms raised to an acceptable height.

I agree, most of the suggestions are unlikely to happen, but we can always hope

 

[Railsigns]

Reinstatement of double track from Culloden to Daviot.

As I understand it, this was actually on the cards until timetable modelling showed that it would be of little use, as two trains were unlikely to pass on that section.

 

[47271]

As I understand it, this was actually on the cards until timetable modelling showed that it would be of little use, as two trains were unlikely to pass on that section.

Fair enough, but we all know that timetable modelling and single track reality are very different things on the Highland Main Line.

My suggestions for double tracking and loops are based on a combination of affordability, strategic location within single sections, and that land should be available within the existing railway boundary.

 

[hexagon789]

My suggestions for double tracking and loops are based on a combination of affordability, strategic location within single sections, and that land should be available within the existing railway boundary.

I agree, the best and most cost-effective solution is probably dynamic lops where likely to have a positive effect rather than little or no effect, but that goes without saying.

 

[railjock]

If it was up to me as a resident of Speyside, and a pessimist in the light of the limited resources likely to be available, in the order of priority:

1. Sort out Ladybank-Hilton before worrying about the HML itself. The inefficiency of this section affects substantially more people than anything north of Perth but is relevant to woeful journey times between Edinburgh and the highlands.

2. Reinstatement of loops at Ballinluig, Killiecrankie and Etteridge.

3. Reinstatement of double track from Culloden to Daviot.

The realist in me tells me that not even any of the above is likely to happen in the next ten years. All we're getting is resignalling to allow increased speed of approach of HSTs at Pitlochry and Aviemore. Dunkeld station might get moved, but far more important is to get its useless platforms raised to an acceptable height.

Reengineering Killiecrankie viaduct and tunnel would shave two or three minutes maybe but I suspect that there are many more slow spots that could be tackled more cheaply than this one.

Tomatin station? That's a bit left field isn't it? The place makes Dalwhinnie look like a major centre of population, and Dalwhinnie is at least at a junction of two roads. What's the thinking behind this? I'd sooner have Newburgh on the Ladybank line as part of my top priority above.

Sorting out Ladybank to Hilton also helps Edinburgh to Perth services so would hopefully have a strong business case.

 

[hexagon789]

Sorting out Ladybank to Hilton also helps Edinburgh to Perth services so would hopefully have a strong business case.

Does sorting out mean doubling and increasing linespeed where possible or something else? Just wondering

 

[47271]

Does sorting out mean doubling and increasing linespeed where possible or something else? Just wondering

All or any of those things. Please God no longer that we have over 15 miles of uninterrupted single track. It must be close to being the worst piece of infrastructure capacity versus passenger demand in the UK.

 

[hexagon789]

All or any of those things. Please God no longer that we have over 15 miles of uninterrupted single track. It must be close to being the worst piece of infrastructure capacity versus passenger demand in the UK.

It's also pretty slow too if I recall rightly. I think it's also more readily suited to doubling. It might even be the more worthwhile course of action than doing anything on the HML, at least for the time being.

 

[47271]

It's also pretty slow too if I recall rightly. I think it's also more readily suited to doubling. It might even be the more worthwhile course of action than doing anything on the HML, at least for the time being.

So bad is it I've decided to start a new thread on the subject!

 

[hexagon789]

So bad is it I've decided to start a new thread on the subject!

Good show, it's certainly a subject worthy of it.

 

[Northhighland]

So from those with the knowledge how much quicker would these suggestions make the journey time to Edinburgh or Glasgow over the current? Is a 3 hour journey time possible? better? For me the priority has to be getting the time down to the same as the road journey. Current 3.5 hours is too long.

 

[47421]

Nice presentation including *draft* timetable here

https://www.highlandmainlinecrp.co.uk/docs/HML-Presentation-30-Apr-2018.pdf

 

[Highland37]

Thanks for the info. I for one am glad Dunblane and Bridge of Allan have been removed from the stops as it just added to the time and no one ever gets off there.

 

[Stopper]

Thanks for the info. I for one am glad Dunblane and Bridge of Allan have been removed from the stops as it just added to the time and no one ever gets off there.

Looks like Gleneagles has been removed too which is a bonus.

On the Edinburgh side it looks as if Kirkcaldy will become a regular call again, but no calls at Edinburgh Gateway, Inverkeithing, Markinch and Ladybank.

 

[kje7812]

Looks like Gleneagles has been removed too which is a bonus.

On the Edinburgh side it looks as if Kirkcaldy will become a regular call again, but no calls at Edinburgh Gateway, Inverkeithing, Markinch and Ladybank.

The kind of services that probably should stop at Gateway

 

[Stopper]

Until people actually get off Inverness trains at Gateway, I’d suggest probably not.

 

[mcmad]

if the trains don't stop then you'll never be able to prove if the demand exists.

 

[Altnabreac]

i'm not sure that absence of calls south of Perth in that draft timetable means that they don't exist as the timetable is for consultation specifically on the HML section so there may well be other calls south of Perth not shown in that draft.

 

[Stopper]

if the trains don't stop then you'll never be able to prove if the demand exists.

They already do, and there isn’t much demand.

But I agree with what Altnabreac is saying, it’s possible that there are more calls south of Perth however considering Kirkcaldy is shown as being called at, I’d hope that there aren’t many more calls south of Perth.

 

[MarkyT]

If anyone in authority actually wants Edinburgh Gateway to become some kind of remote terminal of Edinburgh airport itself, it needs to be branded as part of the airport and provided with a high frequency free or only nominal cost transfer. While they continue to levy the ridiculous premium on the tram for a 2km link as if its some kind of super luxury express, Gateway will remain a white elephant as far as wider rail access to the airport is concerned. I'm sure the airport doesn't mind really if the vast majority of its passengers continue to drive there as that preserves their parking revenue. Any claims they make about the tram and Gateway being an enlightened step to sustainable ground transportation are just pure green-wash unless they address this matter. Remember that if the railway had been rerouted via a subsurface airport station within the perimeter as originally envisaged, getting to the departure lounge for rail passengers would have been totally free. While saving billions by moving the airport station to the nearest practical position on the existing railway network was a good idea, then charging the customer a totally disproportionate amount for the privilege of transferring to the airport terminal proper is frankly bonkers and, unsurprisingly, has killed demand stone dead. As a consequence there's little incentive for any of these longer distance services to call at Gateway, even though they might have been very likely to call at an airport station if it had been built instead.

 

[whitrope]

How will the HST's net off not being able to operate at the higher SP speeds on the HML?