would be possible to extend the Whifflet terminator somewhere?

[Scotrail12]

Went for a journey around today (Kirkwood - Newton via Motherwell & Newton-GLC via Mount Florida).

Got me thinking about Argyle Line services - I wonder if it would be possible to extend the Whifflet terminator somewhere, perhaps to Lanark or Carstairs via either Motherwell or Holytown? It just seems to terminate in the middle of the route and reverse at the Mossend sidings which is basically halfway to Motherwell anyway. This could provide more rail connections in Lanarkshire.

Also thinking that the Shotts Line could do with 4tph instead of the North Clyde. Perhaps then re-route the Lanarks to the Low Level and terminate at Anderston or take on the extra spots at Milngavie vacated by the Milngavie-Edinburgh trains?

 

[Scotrail314209]

Went for a journey around today (Kirkwood - Newton via Motherwell & Newton-GLC via Mount Florida).

Got me thinking about Argyle Line services - I wonder if it would be possible to extend the Whifflet terminator somewhere, perhaps to Lanark or Carstairs via either Motherwell or Holytown? It just seems to terminate in the middle of the route and reverse at the Mossend sidings which is basically halfway to Motherwell anyway.

Also thinking that the Shotts Line could do with 4tph instead of the North Clyde. Perhaps then re-route the Lanarks to the Low Level and terminate at Anderston or take on the extra spots at Milngavie vacated by the Milngavie-Edinburgh trains?

I don't think Shotts warrants the full 4tph, 3tph yes, but nothing more.

Remember, getting paths across that flat junction just after Rutherglen will be difficult, particularly if you want to throw 2 other Shotts trains per hour into the mix.

 

[Scotrail12]

I don't think Shotts warrants the full 4tph, 3tph yes, but nothing more.

Just trying to think of extra connections for the Glasgow-Edinburgh route - the Queen St Low Level ones are useless for end to end travel. I think that they could at least have 2 fast trains per hour on Shotts.

 

[snookertam]

Went for a journey around today (Kirkwood - Newton via Motherwell & Newton-GLC via Mount Florida).

Got me thinking about Argyle Line services - I wonder if it would be possible to extend the Whifflet terminator somewhere, perhaps to Lanark or Carstairs via either Motherwell or Holytown? It just seems to terminate in the middle of the route and reverse at the Mossend sidings which is basically halfway to Motherwell anyway. This could provide more rail connections in Lanarkshire.

Also thinking that the Shotts Line could do with 4tph instead of the North Clyde. Perhaps then re-route the Lanarks to the Low Level and terminate at Anderston or take on the extra spots at Milngavie vacated by the Milngavie-Edinburgh trains?

Reason that one train per hour terminates at Whifflet is because of conflictions at Motherwell. There is the Holytown argument but I’m not sure how easy a path would be available beyond Law Jn.

There is however one late evening service via Whifflet that extends to Carstairs, the thinking behind which I believe was to provide a through service from Exhibition Centre to stations beyond Motherwell after evening events there.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Just trying to think of extra connections for the Glasgow-Edinburgh route - the Queen St Low Level ones are useless for end to end travel. I think that they could at least have 2 fast trains per hour on Shotts.

One thing they could do is the following:

1tph - All stops
1tph - Semi-fast: Bellshill, Shotts, West Calder, Livingston South, Kirknewton, Curriehill, Slateford, Haymarket, Edinburgh.
1tph - Semi-fast: Uddingston, Shotts, West Calder, Livingston South, Curriehill, Wester Hailes, Kingsknowe, Haymarket, Edinburgh.

I've based this on that the stations at the Edinburgh end all do warrant 2tph, but rather than slowing down one service too much, it skip stops.

 

[snookertam]

One thing they could do is the following:

1tph - All stops
1tph - Semi-fast: Bellshill, Shotts, West Calder, Livingston South, Kirknewton, Curriehill, Slateford, Haymarket, Edinburgh.
1tph - Semi-fast: Uddingston, Shotts, West Calder, Livingston South, Curriehill, Wester Hailes, Kingsknowe, Haymarket, Edinburgh.

I've based this on that the stations at the Edinburgh end all do warrant 2tph, but rather than slowing down one service too much, it skip stops.

A good idea on the surface, but my not be workable, one of the semi fasts would need to depart Edinburgh just before the slow, so certain stations would have their 2 tph right next to each other and would lose the benefit.

Instead what may work is the current semi fast pattern being the one departing immediately before the slow, and a second semi fast roughly 30 min later calling all stops to West Calder, then Shotts then Glasgow Central. It would likely add around 8 mins to the journey compared to the existing semi fast, but would allow for a proper suburban service for SW Edinburgh.

 

[Scotrail314209]

A good idea on the surface, but my not be workable, one of the semi fasts would need to depart Edinburgh just before the slow, so certain stations would have their 2 tph right next to each other and would lose the benefit.

Instead what may work is the current semi fast pattern being the one departing immediately before the slow, and a second semi fast roughly 30 min later calling all stops to West Calder, then Shotts then Glasgow Central. It would likely add around 8 mins to the journey compared to the existing semi fast, but would allow for a proper suburban service for SW Edinburgh.

8 minutes isn't all that bad an increase tbh. Sure some people from Glasgow might complain, but from experience not many people use the Shotts line from Glasgow. If they do it's normally from stations within Strathclyde.

 

[739678]

I think that the stated aim at one point was to extend the Whifflet terminator to Wishaw via Holytown, but it ended up a bit like Scotrail's intention to have an hourly Glasgow to Arbroath stopping train....

 

[Scotrail314209]

Recently I played around with the timetable a bit.

If you have the current fast service leave at 2 minutes past the hour, it only takes 1hr 18 minutes with the stops added in compared to the current 1hr 10. By the time the slow departing at XX:19 catches up, it gives a general half hourly service. Definitely something the Edinburgh stations deserve.

3tph in the mornings to hourly during the day... it isn't great.

However, i'm not sure if this is down to COVID, but in the current timetable the train serving the intermediate stations between Haymarket and Kirknewton leaves at 18:27, with a large 2 hour gap. The same goes for the train calling at intermediate stations between West Calder and Shotts, as well as between Shotts and Bellshill. Last train 17:56 with the next one at 20:26, bit of a joke really.