East Kilbride/Barrhead electrification updates

[apjsco]

They’ve been going up and down all morning, a two, a four and a six car. Oddly, they seem quieter than before

Apologies if this has been answered before (this thread is quite long!) - why are they not introducing electric trains before December 2025? Given the infrastructure works are now almost complete, why the 6 month delay?

 

[hexagon789]

Apologies if this has been answered before (this thread is quite long!) - why are they not introducing electric trains before December 2025? Given the infrastructure works are now almost complete, why the 6 month delay?

Testing and training?

Was exactly the same for Barrhead - wired by the middle of the year but no electric trains until December timetable. They did run a VIP trip in November with the Transport Minister aboard IIRC.

 

[Southsider]

Apologies if this has been answered before (this thread is quite long!) - why are they not introducing electric trains before December 2025? Given the infrastructure works are now almost complete, why the 6 month delay?

I recall it being mentioned that there’s not enough EMUs to run the entire service so 156s will be around for a while yet.

 

[apjsco]

I recall it being mentioned that there’s not enough EMUs to run the entire service so 156s will be around for a while yet.

I note the Fife Electrification project website mentions the introduction of new Battery Electric BEMUS: https://scotlandsrailway.com/projects/fife-electrification

Will they be battery modified existing 385’s or new units?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I note the Fife Electrification project website mentions the introduction of new Battery Electric BEMUS: https://scotlandsrailway.com/projects/fife-electrification

Will they be battery modified existing 385’s or new units?

I suspect but don't know they will be built from scratch - new.

Project Summary

The Fife Electrification project is the next part of the Scottish Government’s rolling programme of electrification. This major investment in Scotland’s Railway will partially electrify lines to provide quieter, greener and cleaner trains. Reducing carbon emissions will not only improve rail’s green credentials, but will make the air cleaner and play a vital part in building a strong, green economy for the future.

 

[Busman84]

Class 380s are suppose to be on the line from December. Somewhere is going to see 380s either taken off the line (4 car Neilston workings), the likes of 6/7 car workings Inverclyde and Ayrshire will be fewer, or 3 cars workings removed from Cathcart Circle, Neilston, Newton and Paisley Canal workings with Class 318,320s been shuffled around from North Clyde/Argyle Lines replacing these workings above but meaning even less 6 car workings.

Also the possibility of 156s remaining on the EK line then on various workings especially peaks if the line is not fully EMU workings.

Whatever way it’s not a win win and rather embarrassing.

 

[Falcon1200]

Whatever way it’s not a win win and rather embarrassing.

If it does prove to be the case that insufficient EMUs to operate the East Kilbride service, for a number of years at least, surely questions are going to be asked about the point of all the expenditure and disruption, up to and including the Scottish Parliament. Has there ever been a case before where a line was electrified without suitable stock ready to benefit from it?

 

[MadMac]

Apologies if this has been answered before (this thread is quite long!) - why are they not introducing electric trains before December 2025? Given the infrastructure works are now almost complete, why the 6 month delay?

I think the simple answer is lack of trains! Also, I believe that the electrification has still to be hooked up at the Busby Junction end.

 

[PaulC1309]

Amy chance Scotrail would take 350s tbat are becoming available to solve the EMU shortage? Could they work with 380s since they are similar?

 

[MadMac]

If it does prove to be the case that insufficient EMUs to operate the East Kilbride service, for a number of years at least, surely questions are going to be asked about the point of all the expenditure and disruption, up to and including the Scottish Parliament. Has there ever been a case before where a line was electrified without suitable stock ready to benefit from it?

Wishaw-Mossend via Holytown was electrified, and the Glasgow-Lanark via Hamilton DMU service was withdrawn at the same time rather than being replicated with EMUs.

 

[OB23Gone]

A combination of No passenger on them ie less weight, higher temperatures, a great deal of replacement track and ballast put in. Tampers have been in many times but may only have been doing the new trackwork you might be lucky in that you were near to this new trackwork. Permanent Way guys attending to loose rail clips etc.. NR will be glad of any positive response no doubt

 

[scosutsut]

The failure to pick up 321 / 321 Renatus, whether they kept them as 4 car or did the whole 320 conversion thing again looks like an embarrassing own goal frankly.

They are already tight for rolling stock and this just makes it worse and it's years away from getting sorted properly now.

 

[Rick1984]

Does seem an oddly missed opportunity

 

[EMU303]

Class 380s are suppose to be on the line from December. Somewhere is going to see 380s either taken off the line (4 car Neilston workings), the likes of 6/7 car workings Inverclyde and Ayrshire will be fewer, or 3 cars workings removed from Cathcart Circle, Neilston, Newton and Paisley Canal workings with Class 318,320s been shuffled around from North Clyde/Argyle Lines replacing these workings above but meaning even less 6 car workings.

Also the possibility of 156s remaining on the EK line then on various workings especially peaks if the line is not fully EMU workings.

Whatever way it’s not a win win and rather embarrassing.

With peak hour fares being abolished from September it’s the worst time to be reducing capacity elsewhere in order to get some 380s onto the EK line. Unless there are spare seats on some EMU peak services? Upside is there will be some 156s going spare to beef up some other services.
The longed for updated Decarbonisation Plan still hasn’t been published and so we must be at least 3? years away from new trains being introduced?

 

[OB23Gone]

1st Day of driver Training Thur 25 May 2025 Some Pics

 

[Frankton Junct]

1st Day of driver Training Thur 25 May 2025 Some Pics

Yesterday, Thur 15 May? Thanks for the pix.

 

[sannox]

New Hairmyres looks so industrial and stark!

 

[apjsco]

New Hairmyres looks so industrial and stark!

I was just thinking the same thing. Why such a big station building?

 

[takno]

New layout is now on Traksy. No routes or signal aspects yet unfortunately, but should still be able to follow the test trains

 

[Southsider]

A light blue, single car Sprinter has just past Giffnock heading towards East Kilbride. What’s that likely to be?

 

[d9009alycidon]

2Q68 1252 Carlisle to Carlisle Network Rail Test Train, one of the 153s.

 

[OB23Gone]

Yes 153376 leaving a cloud of dust as it haired it through Clarkston as it was 25 late. Probably/Line speed and it was hard on the heals of 1 of the Driver Trainers which had taken up it's alloted timing. The only thing was he got held at Busby. Well looking at RTT it was 64 late at Busby and only 37 late at Hairmyres
Make of that what you will!!??

 

[alxndr]

Yes 153376 leaving a cloud of dust as it haired it through Clarkston as it was 25 late. Probably/Line speed and it was hard on the heals of 1 of the Driver Trainers which had taken up it's alloted timing. The only thing was he got held at Busby. Well looking at RTT it was 64 late at Busby and only 37 late at Hairmyres
Make of that what you will!!??

I think RTT has got slightly confused unless they were testing time travel abilities. Looks like RTT is displaying the time for some of the return journeys rather than the outward journeys as the times jump back and forth, e.g. passing Clarkston at 1611 (+25), Busby at 1651 (+64) and then Hairmyres at 1628 (+37). It looks like a bit of time was lost at Busby station as 12 minutes was lost between Clarkston and Hairmyres, but this was made up when changing end at East Kilbride, and then the return journey made up 5 minutes by the time it got to Thornliebank and got let out early at Busby Junction.

 

[The exile]

Wishaw-Mossend via Holytown was electrified, and the Glasgow-Lanark via Hamilton DMU service was withdrawn at the same time rather than being replicated with EMUs.

Although the purpose of the electrification to Mossend would have been freight to the yard rather than anything else.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Wishaw-Mossend via Holytown was electrified, and the Glasgow-Lanark via Hamilton DMU service was withdrawn at the same time rather than being replicated with EMUs.

How well used was the DMU Glasgow-Lanark via Hamilton service in the years before its withdrawal?

 

[MadMac]

How well used was the DMU Glasgow-Lanark via Hamilton service in the years before its withdrawal?

From memory, it was essentially an hourly service to/from Lanark alternating between via Hamilton and “direct”, so would have been reasonably patronised.

 

[Falcon1200]

From memory, it was essentially an hourly service to/from Lanark alternating between via Hamilton and “direct”, so would have been reasonably patronised.

Interesting. The journey time would to Glasgow would however have been longer via Hamilton, compared to via Bellshill, and Glasgow would have been the major destination?

 

[MadMac]

Interesting. The journey time would to Glasgow would however have been longer via Hamilton, compared to via Bellshill, and Glasgow would have been the major destination?

About 20 minutes difference, although it was preferable to waiting another hour. The “Direct” didn’t go via Bellshill and only stopped at Uddingston after Motherwell. Railcar has a 1966 timetable.

 

[Southsider]

Service is back up and running this morning.

 

[hexagon789]

Service is back up and running this morning.

Albeit delayed due to signalling problems, which cancelled all the Kilmarnock services for a good 3 hour period.

Similar fault to yesterday and I wondered if related to re-opening the EK branch to normal traffic.