East Kilbride/Barrhead electrification updates

[themiller]

It was going to be demonstrated on the Windermere line just before the electrification was cancelled. If I read the article correctly, the bridge is sawn at both sides at about 45 degrees and some sort of insert applied to fill the gap when the road section is raised. It was supposed to be cheaper than a new bridge but I wondered at the time whether it’d be cost effective when taken as a whole life cost.

Found a reference for the lifting of masonry bridges. I was slightly out on the details.
https://www.modernrailways.com/article/windermere-could-pioneer-bridge-lifts

 

[gingertom]

It was going to be demonstrated on the Windermere line just before the electrification was cancelled. If I read the article correctly, the bridge is sawn at both sides at about 45 degrees and some sort of insert applied to fill the gap when the road section is raised. It was supposed to be cheaper than a new bridge but I wondered at the time whether it’d be cost effective when taken as a whole life cost.

would also depend heavily on whether the bridges carry utilities or not. I suspect these bridges do contain utilities which will need to be diverted.

 

[matchmaker]

would also depend heavily on whether the bridges carry utilities or not. I suspect these bridges do contain utilities which will need to be diverted.

When the Kerse Road bridge in Stirling was replaced to allow for electrification, it took months!

 

[snowball]

The more services there are in the Clarkston Road bridge, the more it strengthens the case for replacing it offline - each service is diverted once not twice.

 

[92002]

Found a reference for the lifting of masonry bridges. I was slightly out on the details.
https://www.modernrailways.com/article/windermere-could-pioneer-bridge-lifts

Yes that sounds very like to process that I had in mind. Was on an East/West YouTube presentation a few Months ago.

If the bridge had services running over it these would be extended by putting in an extension to the service.

Less Completion time is money saved on the project and reduces the cost of electrification. An item being seriously looked at by DfT for future schemes. As well as Transport Scotland.

 

[InOban]

At least 9 I think.

The sequence is : dig a trench across the road either side to identify the location of the services.
install a temporary foot Bridge to one side carrying replacement services underneath
Close the road and divert the services onto this temporary bridge
Demolish existing bridge and install new one. The new bridge may require new abutments to carry a wider road a cycle/foot path.
Reinstate services underneath the new bridge
You can then open your new bridge and remove the temporary one.

When the Kerse Road bridge in Stirling was replaced to allow for electrification, it took months!

 

[Bald Rick]

When the Kerse Road bridge in Stirling was replaced to allow for electrification, it took months!

bloody awkward bridge, that, full of utilities and difficult construction method.

 

[Speed43125]

bloody awkward bridge, that, full of utilities and difficult construction method.

That's interesting, were the utilities etc added after the part above the A9 underpass was built around 1970? Since that section must obviously have been rebuilt back then as well.

 

[Tormod]

Would think the cost of a new bridge would be well into 7 figures. So probably cheaper with a track lower if it can be done.

Another option could be to raise the existing bridge to get the clearance. By removing the deck and inserting extensions on the piers. The road level on the bridge would need to be lifted too. So very much what solution is followed.
The East Kilbride branch electrification wad always going to need a number of structures improved for clearance. Which probably is why the Kilmarnock branch was tackled First.

Track lowering was used on the Falkirk tunnel as part of EGIP, IIRC

 

[InOban]

I thought it was Winchburgh tunnel which needed the major work.

 

[92002]

Track lowering was used on the Falkirk tunnel as part of EGIP, IIRC

The Falkirk High tunnel has has slab track for many years before EGIP was thought of. The only addition for electrification was the OHL. Very little work was done to the existing slab track there.

 

[Tormod]

I thought it was Winchburgh tunnel which needed the major work.

Yes, sorry, that was the one I meant

 

[Christmas]

Local uproar regarding the removal of the pedestrian bridge at Moray Place. It was closed for over a year at an eye watering cost for refurbishment. Now set to vanish.

I foresee similar problems with the bridge at Nitshill station, totally incompatible with overhead line equipment and again, recently refurbished.

 

[380101]

Local uproar regarding the removal of the pedestrian bridge at Moray Place. It was closed for over a year at an eye watering cost for refurbishment. Now set to vanish.

I foresee similar problems with the bridge at Nitshill station, totally incompatible with overhead line equipment and again, recently refurbished.

The footbridge at Nitshill station is absolutely past it! Major corrosion and metal wastage on the legs and large strengthening plates had to be bolted onto them in 2017. The bridge was originally scheduled to be replaced in 2018.

 

[Southsider]

Work about to start on the Nithsdale Road bridge. Interesting that it’s now billed as the Barrhead project.

Nithsdale Road bridgeworks set to begin

Work will soon start on re-decking the railway bridge on Nithsdale Road as part of the Barrhead electrification project.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Work will soon start on re-decking the railway bridge on Nithsdale Road as part of the Barrhead electrification project.

This work is a key phase within the Barrhead electrification project and part of wider plans to decarbonise passenger services on Scotland’s railway by 2035.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

7 months of closure seems a long time

 

[route101]

Work about to start on the Nithsdale Road bridge. Interesting that it’s now billed as the Barrhead project.

Nithsdale Road bridgeworks set to begin

Work will soon start on re-decking the railway bridge on Nithsdale Road as part of the Barrhead electrification project.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Barrhead Project, nothing will surprise me about the East Kilbride section now.

 

[MadMac]

Work about to start on the Nithsdale Road bridge. Interesting that it’s now billed as the Barrhead project.

Nithsdale Road bridgeworks set to begin

Work will soon start on re-decking the railway bridge on Nithsdale Road as part of the Barrhead electrification project.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

I refer you to my post #604 on this topic.

 

[clc]

BEMUs for East Kilbride?

 

[Frankton Junct]

Local uproar regarding the removal of the pedestrian bridge at Moray Place. It was closed for over a year at an eye watering cost for refurbishment. Now set to vanish.

There is a lot about this pedestrian bridge earlier in this thread. It will be replaced, not removed entirely. I hope that Network Rail will donate the old one to a preserved railway somewhere.

7 months of closure seems a long time

Well, it takes ages to do the gold gilding. You cannot do it in the rain (most of the time in Glasgow) or in the wind (the rest of the time in Glasgow).

 

[MadMac]

BEMUs for East Kilbride?

It’s a pretty stiff, continuous climb (six miles or so?) from Thornliebank to Hairmyres. Note that the trial a few months ago went to Barrhead rather than EK. Could a battery unit handle it?

 

[hexagon789]

It’s a pretty stiff, continuous climb (six miles or so?) from Thornliebank to Hairmyres. Note that the trial a few months ago went to Barrhead rather than EK. Could a battery unit handle it?

Can regen on the way back down. That should be able to recover 25%+ of the energy lost in braking. Plus the gradient will reduce the need for power going down and braking going up.

The trials of a prototype battery unit on the Aberdeen-Ballater branch required several starts on stuffer grades than the EK branch. That unit had no regenerative capability and while turnarounds were a bit longer than today, were not enough to fully recharge the battery.

I think modern battery technology coupled with regenerative braking would more than cope. Especially if every inch of travel under the wires could be used to recharge the battery - ie not just when sitting idle under OLE.

 

[gingertom]

It’s a pretty stiff, continuous climb (six miles or so?) from Thornliebank to Hairmyres. Note that the trial a few months ago went to Barrhead rather than EK. Could a battery unit handle it?

rolling stock manufacturers are claiming battery range range in excess of 50 miles so a run up to EK and back would appear to be feasible. Spending sufficient time under the wires to recharge might require some careful scheduling.

 

[clc]

It’s a pretty stiff, continuous climb (six miles or so?) from Thornliebank to Hairmyres. Note that the trial a few months ago went to Barrhead rather than EK. Could a battery unit handle it?

The Outline Business Case considered the possibility of using BEMUs. BEMUs would require Muirhouse to Busby Junction to be electrified to allow overhead opportunity charging but additional charging would also be required at Central and the occupation of a platform there would cause a knock-on impact to the timetable. There was nothing to suggest BEMUs couldn’t manage the gradient though.

 

[themiller]

With all these plans for battery electric trains recharging on the move as well as in stations makes me hope that someone has done the calculations of the peak power required. It'll be the power required by the train plus power to charge the battery.

 

[Southsider]

With all these plans for battery electric trains recharging on the move as well as in stations makes me hope that someone has done the calculations of the peak power required. It'll be the power required by the train plus power to charge the battery.

You would hope they’ve done the sums although I share the concerns about a fully loaded, air conditioned, battery train going up the hill to East Kilbride with several hill starts to perform.
Still nothing formal to say the wires aren’t going up and there was an MSP who stays in EK on a politics programme on Sunday talking about rail and no mention of an issue.

 

[themiller]

You would hope they’ve done the sums although I share the concerns about a fully loaded, air conditioned, battery train going up the hill to East Kilbride with several hill starts to perform.
Still nothing formal to say the wires aren’t going up and there was an MSP who stays in EK on a politics programme on Sunday talking about rail and no mention of an issue.

The performance will depend on the specification of the battery. My Kia e- Niro goes like stink. I can easily get the tyres slipping if I accelerate too hard at 40mph (before the traction control cuts in).

 

[snowball]

Let us not forget it's still less than 6 months since this press release:

Rail electrification programme given the go-ahead | Transport Scotland

www.transport.gov.scot

Rail electrification programme given the go-ahead​

The scheme has been developed by Transport Scotland and Network Rail and will pass through East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire to the south of Glasgow.
Construction work is expected to get underway on the £63 million Barrhead corridor in April 2022 and due to be complete by December 2023. It will support passenger and freight services and will be used as a key diversionary route for cross-border services.
The East Kilbride corridor has recently been given approval for single track electrification infrastructure, and further development work is required to support this.
The projects are being taken forward in the face of the significant financial challenges, and in light of uncertain future demand. By progressing with single track this allows funds to be reallocated to other decarbonisation projects such as Borders electrification.
Further development work is being undertaken to review accessibility across both corridors.
Transport Minister Graeme Dey said:
“I’m pleased that work on the full electrification of the Glasgow to Barrhead railway line is expected to start early next year as this will make a significant difference to passenger and freight services in the future.
“Delivery of the East Kilbride and Barrhead Electrification Project will not only ensure the decarbonisation of two critical corridors on this strategic network but will allow efficiencies to be achieved and disruption minimised for passengers during this period.
“It will also help towards the delivery of our Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan which will see removal of all diesel on passenger services by 2035 through the deployment of existing rolling stock.”
Katie Vollbracht, of Network Rail Scotland, said:
“The East Kilbride and Barrhead Electrification Project is at the centre of our plans to decarbonise domestic passenger services by 2035.
“The project will deliver high-quality public transport choices for passengers through the introduction of greener, more reliable electric trains, with improved stations and passenger facilities along the two routes.
“We are working closely with government and our industry partners to ensure the enhancements we are making deliver best value for taxpayers’ money and meet the changing needs of our customers.”

(Admittedly it gives the impression that the entire EK branch, rather than just its eastern half, is single, but press releases without doubtful points are rare!)

There's also the FoI response linked in #652.

It was decided that progressing with the full electrification of the mixed double and single-track infrastructure was the preferred option after analysis of the different costs and benefits set out in the Outline Business Case (OBC), which took full account of the anticipated demand for rail services on this corridor.
The significant station upgrades, accessibility improvements and passenger facilities are an important part of this investment, including a new and relocated Hairmyres station as part of a new multi-modal interchange hub.
The decision was taken with, and supported by rail industry partners, and the OBC was fully appraised in line with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and took account of ScotRail’s passenger count data (Pre Covid-19), anticipated demand (Post Covid-19) and constraining earthworks in the area, which combined to demonstrate that the electrification of mixed double and single track infrastructure is the optimal solution in light of changed travel patterns arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.
I am pleased to confirm, despite the significant financial pressures caused by Covid-19, that budget has been allocated for this preferred option.

 

[clc]

MadMac said he’d heard that wiring of East Kilbride had been “descoped“ which I assumed meant partial rather than full electrification, but I guess other interpretations are available.

 

[MadMac]

MadMac said he’d heard that wiring of East Kilbride had been “descoped“ which I assumed meant partial rather than full electrification, but I guess other interpretations are available.

Info I had was "Barrhead only": EK and Larkfield were no longer planned for electrification at this time based on the document I saw.