Haymarket to Dalmeny electrification

[59CosG95]

Yes, it does. I'm struggling to think of a Scottish electrification project that uses headspans.

Don't believe any of them have since the ECML & Carstairs-Haymarket, at least outside Glasgow QS (which used them underneath the trainshed roof for aesthetic purposes only).

 

[Southsider]

Don't believe any of them have since the ECML & Carstairs-Haymarket, at least outside Glasgow QS (which used them underneath the trainshed roof for aesthetic purposes only).

There are a few locations, Partick station springs to mind.

 

[jadmor]

Yes, it does. I'm struggling to think of a Scottish electrification project that uses headspans.

I believe that the lines out of Haymarket that were electrified for the East Coast project use this method for a short stretch.

 

[Glaswegian]

Yes, it does. I'm struggling to think of a Scottish electrification project that uses headspans.

I think there are some in Queen Street - safely under shelter.

 

[najaB]

I believe that the lines out of Haymarket that were electrified for the East Coast project use this method for a short stretch.

Don't know if I'd count that as a Scottish project though. It was the northernmost end of an Anglo-Scottish project.

 

[SouthSub]

Doesn't this line (the line between Haymarket West Junction and Saughton Junction) have portals rather than headspans?

I knew I’d have some of the terminology wrong!

I notice that a few trains have been diverted via Winchburgh tonight - I assume this has been a regular occurrence to get this work done at nights?

 

[EastFifer]

There’s new masts erected all the way along the line at the end of Edinburgh Airports’ runway.

 

[BorderCollie]

Ayrshire route electrification has many headspans. Even at straightforward two track stations like Killwinning, good old wires dangling in tension everywhere...

 

[EastFifer]

These are from a bridge just before Dalmeny.

 

[Davester50]

How long before the wires here are actually used?

 

[A330Alex]

Noticed on roadworksscotland.org that main street dalmeny, south gyle road and ladywell Avenue and scheduled to close from November 2025 to January 2026 for an estimated 125 days for demolition and re-deck of the bridges

Estimated start times have been moved forward for both South Gyle Road and Ladywell Avenue to 28/07/25 - 15/09/25 and 21/08/25 - 20/11/25 respectively. The previous closure for Main Street has been removed.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Well it looks like nice progress to me.

 

[AMD]

I did notice yesterday that a whole run of masts have gone up recently on the section by the end of the airport runway

 

[jamieintercity]

I noticed on www.scotlandsrailway.com that the partial Fife circle electrification page have be removed. Has the project been cancelled???

 

[N1]

I noticed on www.scotlandsrailway.com that the partial Fife circle electrification page have be removed. Has the project been cancelled???

We will have to wait for the refreshed Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan to know for sure, which is due for publication in 'Spring 2025'. I have put in an FOI request to Transport Scotland for a draft, or failing that a publication date. The new Feeder Station at Thornton is still being built and scheduled for completion in December 2026, but I think it will be unused for a good while.

Online article in Modern Railways on the subject: Scotland’s rolling programme cuts electrification costs by 26%

Scotland’s rolling programme of electrification has brought costs down to “considerably less” than costs south of the border, according to Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland’s Managing Director.

Most construction industry costs have markedly increased over the past five years, as a result of the pandemic, war in Ukraine and other challenges, he said. However, Mr Sumpter told the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee that the cost of electrification per kilometre in Scotland had reduced from £2.7 million to £2 million over the course of the past five years.

The rolling programme was a fundamental part of the reduction. “We have the same people, who, as they work through the process of electrification, think about ways in which they could do it a little bit better,” he said. “There are various ways of lowering the track or increasing the height of structures – key parts of the cost base – that we can do slightly better each time because we find slightly better ways of doing it. Retention of skills is absolutely critical to our ability to do that.”

He also said: “With every project, we come up with new innovations and new ways of doing things, so we are driving down the cost of electrification. That means that we can do more of it, because the value-for-money equation is more balanced.”

He said ScotRail, Network Rail and the Scottish Government through Transport Scotland jointly identified the next electrification priorities. “We hope that the rolling programme can continue so that we can continue to deliver value projects over the course of the next 10 to 20 years and decarbonise the whole of Scotland’s railway,” said Mr Sumpter. “On prioritisation and specific lines, it is a job for Transport Scotland, largely speaking, to determine what the right priority is. Our role is to provide as much data as we can to support it and then to deliver what is specified.”

Asked about east coast electrification to Aberdeen, he said he anticipated this being achieved within 20 years.

The Programme for Government announced by First Minister John Swinney on 6 May confirmed completion of the East Kilbride line’s electrification and enhancement this year, “enabling the introduction of electric trains from December 2025”. The programme also confirmed the upgrading and reconfiguring of rail power supplies to support existing and future electrification, including a new feeder station planned to enter service at Newton, Lanarkshire, during 2025/26.

Not clear if 20 years to Aberdeen electrification is full electrification or partial for battery trains. A bit embarrassing for the rail industry to have diesel trains competing with decarbonised InterCity coaches for the next 20 years in my opinion.

 

[najaB]

The new Feeder Station at Thornton is still being built and scheduled for completion in December 2026, but I think it will be unused for a good while.

A lot of it depends on what happens with the magic money tree seeds that the government has planted. Things weren't looking good, but the growing conditions over in the USA aren't looking as good as they were, so crops over here and in Europe might do better than expected.

 

[AMD]

I noticed on www.scotlandsrailway.com that the partial Fife circle electrification page have be removed. Has the project been cancelled???

At today's SAPT (Scottish Association for Public Transport) meeting, Matt Powell from Network Rail spoke about electrification and that the plan is still the same with Kinghorn to Ladybank(?) and Leven to Cowdenbeath-ish being wired first, however there are no dates attached. As Matt said it all depends upon funding being provided, hence no dates on his slides.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 May 2025 ==

Photos when I was out yesterday - a lot of masts have gone up recently. First photo shows the most northerly mast with the A9000 overbridge in the background.
At the bridge over the road at Carlowrie Farm - looks like a couple of masts still to go in.
Turnhouse - the airport lights can be seen and a full set of masts
Overbridge at Turnhouse - a short gap here, albeit the bridge does look a bit low for wires
Edinburgh Gateway - piles are in but still missing a handful of masts
South of the A8 overbridge, by the back of M&S Gyle - the last masts in the run. There's a gap from here in masts, the next one is an anchor mast at the north end of the curve at Saughton.

 

[Waverleystu]

How far are the wires going? Noticed today that there doesn’t seem to be any sign of work north of the A90 bridge that crosses the line south of Dalmeny

 

[jamieintercity]

Are the dalmeny loops being wired as well as short stretch towards winchburgh? Is haymarket depot getting wired or is it getting done at some point in the future?

 

[najaB]

Are the dalmeny loops being wired as well as short stretch towards winchburgh? Is haymarket depot getting wired or is it getting done at some point in the future?

I believe the loops are included, yes.

 

[jamieintercity]

Can't find a thread for the partial Fife circle electrification program (which should have been completed by the end of the year) but
Noticed on the levenmouth railway campaign Facebook page that network rail have set up a compound at Cameron bridge for materials for the electrification on the levenmouth branch with suggestion that branch will be electrified by 2030, presumably along with the Fife circle.

Facebook

www.facebook.com

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Can't find a thread for the partial Fife circle electrification program (which should have been completed by the end of the year) but
Noticed on the levenmouth railway campaign Facebook page that network rail have set up a compound at Cameron bridge for materials for the electrification on the levenmouth branch with suggestion that branch will be electrified by 2030, presumably along with the Fife circle.

Facebook

www.facebook.com

You can always start a thread. Or we can keep it all in this thread as it is sort of the same scheme.

 

[Stewart2887]

Why are they bothering electrifying up to the Forth Bridge and stopping? That sort of investment would surely see Didcot-Oxford done. We're a long way off meaningful battery trains surely

 

[waverley47]

Why are they bothering electrifying up to the Forth Bridge and stopping? That sort of investment would surely see Didcot-Oxford done. We're a long way off meaningful battery trains surely

Because its funded by ScotGov funding, and it would be a bit mad if ScotGov decided to fund the wiring of Didcot to Oxford.

The wiring is being built basically to keep the electrification teams running and competent, as each mile wired brings down the cost of the next mile, ect.

Practically, it allows you some flexibility with trains serving South Gyle and Dalmeny, but equally you're right, it's not the most intuitive project. In general, watch this space.

 

[The exile]

Because its funded by ScotGov funding, and it would be a bit mad if ScotGov decided to fund the wiring of Didcot to Oxford.

The wiring is being built basically to keep the electrification teams running and competent, as each mile wired brings down the cost of the next mile, ect.

Practically, it allows you some flexibility with trains serving South Gyle and Dalmeny, but equally you're right, it's not the most intuitive project. In general, watch this space.

As part of a rolling programme - it’ll need doing eventually and it keeps teams going till the next bit comes along (unfortunately that seems to be taking some time).

 

[TrainViation]

I believe the loops are included, yes.

As of now, the electrification masts AND piles cut off just short of Dalmeny, most likely due to the Standingstane Road bridge overhead the line is too low to allow wires under it. (I could be wrong.) It would make sense to do and I’m not sure why they didn’t originally when the EGIP was in its hay-day… would’ve saved time and money there and then. I’m also curious about the almond chord as well… what’s the story with that?

 

[Stewart2887]

As part of a rolling programme - it’ll need doing eventually and it keeps teams going till the next bit comes along (unfortunately that seems to be taking some time).

OK as a Scot living in Oxfordshire I can see your point. Politics get in the way. Money better spent elsewhere though. There was a feeder station installed at radley, then removed again, that's pretty wasteful. Electric to Oxford must be a priority

 

[The exile]

OK as a Scot living in Oxfordshire I can see your point. Politics get in the way. Money better spent elsewhere though. There was a feeder station installed at radley, then removed again, that's pretty wasteful. Electric to Oxford must be a priority

As a Scot living in Oxfordshire you’ll realise that money spent or not spent on a project in West Lothian will have absolutely no influence on money available (or not available) to spend on a project in Oxfordshire (though the reverse is not necessarily the case).

 

[Stewart2887]

As a Scot living in Oxfordshire you’ll realise that money spent or not spent on a project in West Lothian will have absolutely no influence on money available (or not available) to spend on a project in Oxfordshire (though the reverse is not necessarily the case).

Yes indeed, but it still doesn't look like joined up thinking nationally. But that ship has sailed

 

[The exile]

Yes indeed, but it still doesn't look like joined up thinking nationally. But that ship has sailed

It’s a consequence of what your fellow countrymen voted for. In terms of transport infrastructure it is joined up thinking at a national level - just not at inter-national.