What is going on with the Stranraer Line?

[snowball]

The same crane used to remove the vehicles has also been used to unload a rail tamper and other gear. They've been renovating a viaduct near Girvan while the line is closed.

Indeed there's a press release about that.

Six-day, £1.9 million Stranraer line upgrade complete

Network Rail has completed a six-day, £1.9 million upgrade of the Stranraer line. The project involved replacing more than 1km of track at Laggansarroch viaduct, near Girvan, including the use of 200 recycled plastic (composite) sleepers over the structure itself.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Network Rail has completed a six-day, £1.9 million upgrade of the Stranraer line.

The project involved replacing more than 1km of track at Laggansarroch viaduct, near Girvan, including the use of 200 recycled plastic (composite) sleepers over the structure itself.

It’s part of efforts to help Network Rail in its aim to achieve a net zero carbon target by 2035.

As well as the composite sleepers, engineers used 1800 steel sleepers, 1500 tonnes of ballast (stone which supports the track) and 2km of new rails during the work.

At Kilkeran, 650m of new track drainage was also installed during the project.

With the line closed due to the ongoing demolition of the former Station Hotel at Ayr, a 65-tonne tamper -
a machine used to maintain tracks - was brought in by road and lifted onto the railway at Stranraer using a 500-tonne crane.

That crane was also used to lift two of ScotRail’s trains onto lorries, allowing them to return to their depot in Glasgow for vital maintenance.

 

[The exile]

There seems to be a culture in this country at the minute that lacks a willingness to say 'this contract requires delivery by xx date. Therefore we expect delivery by then'.

What then happens is that corners are cut to achieve what has become the impossible. Those cut corners may not come to light for years but when they do it’s worse than if the job had been done properly in the first place but taken a lot longer.

 

[redreni]

What a shame - I need to get from Belfast to Glasgow in mid June and fully intended to take the chance (despite Stena Line and ScotRail making it difficult) to do the Stranraer line.

Think I'll do the direct coach city centre to city centre now, though.

 

[snowball]

In recent weeks and months, the main place where discussions have been happening about the Ayr hotel situation is the thread "Glasgow-Ayr services":

Glasgow-Ayr services

How come direct services between Glasgow and Ayr no longer exist? Why do you need a shuttle instead between the last three stops instead of a direct service?

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Porty]

What a shame - I need to get from Belfast to Glasgow in mid June and fully intended to take the chance (despite Stena Line and ScotRail making it difficult) to do the Stranraer line.

Think I'll do the direct coach city centre to city centre now, though.

Check prices carefully as it may still be cheaper to book sailrail and not use the train bit from Glasgow. Especially the case if you're a Scottish resident under 23 or over 60 as the Citylink coach to Cairnryan would be free (albeit with a £1 reservation charge).

 

[redreni]

Check prices carefully as it may still be cheaper to book sailrail and not use the train bit from Glasgow. Especially the case if you're a Scottish resident under 23 or over 60 as the Citylink coach to Cairnryan would be free (albeit with a £1 reservation charge).

Cheers but I'm not going in that direction and I'm not a Scottish resident, nor under 23, nor over 60.

I'd have been keen on the scenic rail journey on the Stranraer line, but that's not to be and I'm not that keen on hanging around in Ayr waiting for a connection. I'm certainly not keen on hanging around at the Stena Line terminal at Cairnryan waiting for a bus!

 

[Porty]

Cheers but I'm not going in that direction and I'm not a Scottish resident, nor under 23, nor over 60.

I'd have been keen on the scenic rail journey on the Stranraer line, but that's not to be and I'm not that keen on hanging around in Ayr waiting for a connection. I'm certainly not keen on hanging around at the Stena Line terminal at Cairnryan waiting for a bus!

Noted, but the Citylink coach transfer is very easy and there's a comfortable lounge area to wait in if needed.