Local rail services on rural lines in Scotland

[GlitterUnicorn]

Rural branch lines such as the West Highland Line, Far North Line, Kyle of Lochalsh Line etc provide a lifeline service to regionally important towns and villages, and are very important to the local community.

They seem rather underutilised however. Often these lines only have a handful of services in each direction per day, with gaps of four or five hours between services. Usually the only train services they receive are linked to long distance through trains that run the whole length of the line.

Would it be possible to run more regular local train services to serve the local area around major towns on these lines? For example something like a Thurso to Wick shuttle? Or hourly services on the West Highland line between Mallaig and Spean Bridge?

As a lay person it looks like an easy way to increase connectivity and boost the local economy on the cheap. The railway lines seem very underutilised and the infrastructure is presumably there already.

Plus I imagine some pacers to run them could be obtained quite cheaply....

 

[30907]

Welcome to the forum!
Wick and Thurso might be a possibility, ideally in conjunction with the Halkirk curve mentioned on another thread today.
Spean Bridge to Mallaig? Even if there was line capacity during the steam service season, from Corpach to Arisaig it's pretty much a traffic desert (apart from tourists/Hogwarts fans).
If there is a specific traffic flow which could be covered, like the Oban school traffic, start from there - but I suspect any extra rolling stock would be better employed most of the time improving the Glasgow service.

 

[Esker-pades]

I'll plug an essay I wrote last year for the Far North Line:
https://felixunstructured.weebly.co...e-far-north-line-problems-and-ways-to-improve

The Far North Line is the most northerly railway line in the UK running from Inverness to Thurso and Wick. On its southern stretch from Inverness to Dingwall, it shares space with the Kyle Line, the railway line that runs from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh. Together they are some of the longest and most rural and isolated railway lines in the country. Despite passing through areas with very sparse populations, there are some significant populations that are served, such as Tain and Thurso. This study will look at the infrastructure, the services provided and end-to-end journey times. Problems that exist in these areas will be explored and then possible improvements and solutions will be outlined. The implications that these solutions have to other areas will also be examined.

 

[GlitterUnicorn]

I'll plug an essay I wrote last year for the Far North Line:
https://felixunstructured.weebly.co...e-far-north-line-problems-and-ways-to-improve

Thanks for that, Was essentially what I was thinking. There's potential for a viable local service between Thurso and Wick for sure.

Spean Bridge to Mallaig? Even if there was line capacity during the steam service season, from Corpach to Arisaig it's pretty much a traffic desert (apart from tourists/Hogwarts fans).
If there is a specific traffic flow which could be covered, like the Oban school traffic, start from there - but I suspect any extra rolling stock would be better employed most of the time improving the Glasgow service.

There's definitely a demand for travelling between Fort William and nearby towns and villages served by the railway. I think the current situation probably has more to do with the very irregular rail service leading to people choosing instead to take the bus.

 

[30907]

There's definitely a demand for travelling between Fort William and nearby towns and villages served by the railway. I think the current situation probably has more to do with the very irregular rail service leading to people choosing instead to take the bus.

Nowhere beyond Corpach has more than 2-3 buses a day, and Spean Bridge only gets more because all the Citylinks serve it twice. Out to Corpach I remember as fairly built up, so buses get people nearer home.

 

[Kite159]

Nowhere beyond Corpach has more than 2-3 buses a day, and Spean Bridge only gets more because all the Citylinks serve it twice. Out to Corpach I remember as fairly built up, so buses get people nearer home.

Caol/Banavie/Corpach is fairly built up so the bus routes have a regular custom (commuters who work in Fort William).

For Thurso - Wick, there already is roughly hourly bus service (82) between the two towns so there isn't untapped demand.

 

[Bald Rick]

There’s an article in the latest Modern Rialways by Theo Steel all about these lines. Of note is that they now have the best service they have ever had. Also that the Jacobite accounts for more passengers o nether WHL extension than service trains.

 

[Kite159]

There’s an article in the latest Modern Rialways by Theo Steel all about these lines. Of note is that they now have the best service they have ever had. Also that the Jacobite accounts for more passengers o nether WHL extension than service trains.

I can remember sitting at Fort William on a wet Sunday last June awaiting the Mallaig train and the Jacobite arrived with a lot of tourists, mostly heading towards tour minibuses parked outside the station to carry on with the next touristy thing.

 

[Bald Rick]

I’ve also just checked the station usage numbers, and realised that I was personally responsible for 0.5% of the use of Roy Bridge station in 2017/8!

 

[Esker-pades]

I’ve also just checked the station usage numbers, and realised that I was personally responsible for 0.5% of the use of Roy Bridge station in 2017/8!

Sorry to brag, but I call 1.2% of the use at Kildonan (2018/9), and 1.1% at Lochluichart in the same period.
(2% at Breich and Barry Links for 2017/8.)

 

[Bletchleyite]

Sorry to brag, but I call 1.2% of the use at Kildonan (2018/9), and 1.1% at Lochluichart in the same period.
(2% at Breich and Barry Links for 2017/8.)

Talking of Barry Links, I must admit that in my view now that stretch has a dedicated hourly stopping service again I would say it would make sense to start serving that and Golf Street more frequently, perhaps they could be alternated as nobody is going to want to travel between them.

 

[Esker-pades]

Talking of Barry Links, I must admit that in my view now that stretch has a dedicated hourly stopping service again I would say it would make sense to start serving that and Golf Street more frequently, perhaps they could be alternated as nobody is going to want to travel between them.

The way that the paths match up mean that any additional stops on the Edinburgh - Arbroath service would mean slowing the following Edinburgh - Aberdeen InterCity service down.

The only way Barry Links, Golf Street, and Balmossie could gain additional services is if the Edinburgh - Arbroath service stopped in the hours where it was followed by the London - Aberdeen service, because that makes additional stops at Inverkeithing and Kirkcaldy and so wouldn't be impeaded. That's an additional 3 trains per day.

 

[JohnR]

The way that the paths match up mean that any additional stops on the Edinburgh - Arbroath service would mean slowing the following Edinburgh - Aberdeen InterCity service down.

The only way Barry Links, Golf Street, and Balmossie could gain additional services is if the Edinburgh - Arbroath service stopped in the hours where it was followed by the London - Aberdeen service, because that makes additional stops at Inverkeithing and Kirkcaldy and so wouldn't be impeaded. That's an additional 3 trains per day.

The 15.00 EDI-ARB does delay the following 15.28 EDI-ABD between Carnoustie and Arbroath, even when running on time. There's just not enough capacity.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The 15.00 EDI-ARB does delay the following 15.28 EDI-ABD between Carnoustie and Arbroath, even when running on time. There's just not enough capacity.

How were these stations served before the previous local service was abolished? What has changed?

 

[Esker-pades]

The 15.00 EDI-ARB does delay the following 15.28 EDI-ABD between Carnoustie and Arbroath, even when running on time. There's just not enough capacity.

Yes, there's 3 minutes of pathing allowance after Broughty Ferry for most of those ScotRail Edinburgh - Aberdeen services.

 

[30907]

How were these stations served before the previous local service was abolished? What has changed?

There was one train a day for a number of years, previously it was IIRC a 2-hourly-ish shuttle from Dundee.
What has changed is doubling (at least) the fast service.

 

[6Gman]

Thanks for that, Was essentially what I was thinking. There's potential for a viable local service between Thurso and Wick for sure.

It rather depends on what you mean by "viable". Would the traffic on offer would actually cover the cost of leasing a unit and employing the additional staff?

Further, would abstracting through traffic from the existing bus service call that into question?

Genuine questions as it's a very long time since I last ventured that far north!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Taking a 158 or 156 set - you are talking about a direct cost of around £250K a year for vehicle leasing , plus crew , Track Access , fuel , station access charges , cleaning , marketing and so on. Quite a lot of money for (presumably) modest potential.