Haymarket to Dalmeny electrification

[AMD]

So finally got round to posting two short vids of progress - Dalmeny down to Edinburgh Gateway

and Gateway to Saughton (through a dirty windscreen!)

 

[Scotrail344Lad]

Good progress by NR so far.

 

[N1]

Only just came across this in various media outlets, hopefully another small notch in electrification costs that will be taken forward consistently in Scotland. I think this has been used on Haymarket to Dalmeny section hence posting here (and not fife sections).

SPL Powerlines UK Leads Scottish Industry First with Deployment of Tended’s Virtual Worksite Marker Boards

SPL Powerlines is proud to announce a major step forward in digital rail safety and efficiency, delivered in partnership with Network Rail Scotland. As part of the Fife Decarbonisation Programme, we have become the first organisation in Scotland to deploy Tended’s Virtual Worksite Marker Boards (VWSMBs). A landmark moment for the wider UK rail industry.

This deployment marks not only the first use of VWSMB technology in Scotland but also the successful delivery of the very first VWSMB-enabled worksite within a T3A possession, meaning the shift operated without any physical boards being placed or recovered. This represents a transformative change in how worksites can be managed safely and efficiently.

This trial follows th national deviation approved by RSSB's Traffic Operation and Management Standards Committee, allowing VWSMBs to be used during on-track plant-only possessions across the network.

Key Outcomes from the First Deployment
The initial shift delivered a number of clear and measurable benefits:

✔ Significant Time Savings
- ~30 minutes saved by removing the need to place and recover physical WSMBs.
- An additional 30 minutes saved through the use of T3A, enabled via the Initiate system, removing the need for possession limit boards.

✔ Better Use of Critical Resources
- Two Engineering Supervisor Assistants (ESAs) were redeployed to other essential duties.
- 10 fewer phone calls, helping to free the Engineering Supervisor’s time and reduce complexity.

✔ Reduced Carbon Impact
- A 32-mile reduction in road travel for board placement and recovery - an important achievement for a programme centred around decarbonisation.

These efficiencies and safety improvements are expected to continue as we roll out Tended’s VWSMB solution across additional sites.

How VWSMB Technology Improves Worksite Safety and Efficiency
Traditional physical Worksite Marker Boards (WSMBs) can introduce several challenges:

- They require time-consuming manual placement and recovery.
- Incorrect placement or failure to remove boards can cause collisions, asset damage, and service delays.
- Workers must access the track to install boards - placing them at additional risk, especially in multi-line environments.

Tended’s Virtual Worksite Marker Boards offer a digital alternative that removes these risks.

How It Works
- Worksite limits are defined digitally using geofencing.
- A compact in-cab device mounted on the on-track plant uses geospatial data to identify its position in relation to the worksite.
- If the plant operator crosses a boundary, they receive an immediate alert, ensuring the worksite is clearly controlled without physical markers.

Key Benefits
- Instant worksite startup at the touch of a button.
- Reduced track access, improving worker safety.
- Elimination of misplaced boards, lowering the risk of disruption or delay.
- Increased productivity windows, helping teams deliver more within each shift.

What’s Next?
Following these successful early results, SPL Powerlines will continue to support the rollout of VWSMB technology across Scotland. This collaboration with Network Rail Scotland marks a major advancement in modernising worksite safety and efficiency and helps drive a significant industry shift toward fully digital worksites with Scotland at the forefront.

Craig Milne, Operations Director at Network Rail said: “We continually look for ways to innovate and work more efficiently without ever compromising safety. This technology helps us do exactly that, giving our teams more time on track to focus on the engineering work that matters.

"The results from this trial show the real value digital tools can bring to our operations and we look forward to expanding on this as we continue to deliver improvements to Scotland’s railway for our customers.”

“This deployment represents a step change in how we collectively manage safety and efficiency on the railway,” said Lee Pounder, Regional Managing Director at SPL Powerlines.“Working in close partnership with Network Rail and Tended, we have demonstrated how digital innovation can be introduced responsibly, without compromise to safety, while delivering tangible operational, commercial and sustainability benefits.

“Being the first principal contractor in Scotland to adopt Virtual Worksite Marker Boards is something we are extremely proud of, but more importantly it reflects a shared commitment across all parties to challenge traditional methods and continuously improve how we protect our people, our infrastructure and the wider network.”

Allan Black, Delivery Director Transport at SPL Powerlines said “As the first deployment of Virtual Worksite Marker Boards within a T3A possession in the UK, the trial marks a major national milestone in modernising possession management.

“Through this successful trial, SPL Powerlines has demonstrated how digital solutions can enhance site visibility, improve real‑time assurance, and support safer, more predictable engineering delivery. The company looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Network Rail to roll out innovative tools that strengthen safety and maximise productive time on track.”

Matthew Cummins, Head of Delivery at Tended said “The success of this first Virtual Worksite Marker Board deployment with SPL Powerlines and Network Rail marks an important moment for digital transformation in the rail industry. Seeing our geofencing technology deliver measurable benefits, from increasing available working time and improving efficiency to enhancing operational safety and sustainability, is incredibly rewarding. This project is setting a new standard for worksite management and I’m very excited to see this progress throughout the industry.”

Watch the video to learn more about how VWSMBs will shape the future of rail worksites.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I will definitely follow this technology with great interest. 30 minutes saved here and there all add up. Exciting

 

[Class 170101]

I suppose there is a risk that staff remove the equipment on site and then walk off site in an unsafe direction and receive no warning as they have removed the equipment.

 

[AMD]

At risk of really going off topic, I watched a webinar last year about using Initiate in the Edinburgh Signalling Centre for possessions - in simple terms the person in charge basically holds the authority of a possession over the signaller, and the process dramatically reduced the amount of time to give and handback possessions down to literally a few minutes. More details in this article - https://www.railengineer.co.uk/better-possession-protection/

 

[ajwffc]

Only just came across this in various media outlets, hopefully another small notch in electrification costs that will be taken forward consistently in Scotland. I think this has been used on Haymarket to Dalmeny section hence posting here (and not fife sections).

SPL Powerlines UK Leads Scottish Industry First with Deployment of Tended’s Virtual Worksite Marker Boards

They have only been using them on the Leaven branch at the moment as I understand it.

At risk of really going off topic, I watched a webinar last year about using Initiate in the Edinburgh Signalling Centre for possessions - in simple terms the person in charge basically holds the authority of a possession over the signaller, and the process dramatically reduced the amount of time to give and handback possessions down to literally a few minutes. More details in this article - https://www.railengineer.co.uk/better-possession-protection/

It's a good system and easy to use from the PICOP side

 

[59CosG95]

So finally got round to posting two short vids of progress - Dalmeny down to Edinburgh Gateway

and Gateway to Saughton (through a dirty windscreen!)

What I've found particularly interesting is from about 0:58 in the Dalmeny-Gateway video to around 1:15 - there appears to be a fake overlap or turnout arrangement going in.
Possible passive provision for the Almond Chord?

 

[tcp]

Co located arrangement of both CONtact and caTENARY wires at the same height at low clearance locations

Or as near as damnit. While most low clearance areas have a "system height" (difference in height between catenary & contact) of 0mm, some contenary arrangements have 30mm system heights the last time I checked.

Contenary refers to sections of catenary wire which have been removed and replaced by a spliced section of contact wire. These locations can have any system height, not just <=30mm. They are used in locations prone to arcing (where clearances are smaller) and the stranded catenary wire would be damaged.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Contenary refers to sections of catenary wire which have been removed and replaced by a spliced section of contact wire. These locations can have any system height, not just <=30mm. They are used in locations prone to arcing (where clearances are smaller) and the stranded catenary wire would be damaged.

Congratulations on your first post. Welcome to the forum.

 

[TrainViation]

Credit to Mark Black on Facebook:

It seems more registration has been carried out from last nights shift, albeit getting one less hour to carry out works. Three wires can be seen from here it looks like, out of the four on the left TTC.

 

[QueensCurve]

Credit to Mark Black on Facebook:
View attachment 201274
It seems more registration has been carried out from last nights shift, albeit getting one less hour to carry out works. Three wires can be seen from here it looks like, out of the four on the left TTC.

Nicely framed picture. Is runway 24 in use?

 

[Siemens Trains]

Nicely framed picture. Is runway 24 in use?

Yes today's wind is fairly typical, blowing from the west/south-west. Quite a strong case for choosing runway 24 and arrivals passing above the Fife Circle railway line as shown in the photo.

 

[ajwffc]

Credit to Mark Black on Facebook:
View attachment 201274
It seems more registration has been carried out from last nights shift, albeit getting one less hour to carry out works. Three wires can be seen from here it looks like, out of the four on the left TTC.

With it being a T3-A last nigh, they were using virtual worksite marker boards as well it helped them get on quick, even with a late train.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Looks structures in all the way to just South of Dalmeny Jcn including through Edinburgh Gateway most with cantilever arms. Two or three wiring runs complete North of gateway and registered. Would seem eminently possible to wrap this up by end of year and at least get LNER polishing the wire.

 

[TrainViation]

SPS have been installed between Edinburgh up to the A8 Bridge including Edinburgh Gateway station on the Down Line Only
However, it looks like more wires have been installed between Edinburgh Gateway and the airport, which you can see in the video here:

(Video showing ScotRail trains and Midland Pullman on a railtour through Edinburgh Gateway.)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Apr 2026 ==

Can confirm the Down Line through Edinburgh Gateway now has catenary wire.

 

[AMD]

Had time for a look at progress yesterday - wiring on both lines is in place from Haymarket to Saughton. On the down line it starts again outside the back of the M&S cafe at the Gyle and has been run out all the way to Carlowrie Farm ie only about 1km short of the end of the masts. The up line is wired from Carlowrie to a point north of the end of the airports former runway (about 1km or so short of Gateway station).
It should be noted that so far all this wire has been run out but not adjusted or tweaked into a fit state for a pantograph to make contact yet, and despite a rumour of concern regarding the rise in the wire from under the A8 bridge to the run through Gateway station, the wiring run gradient doesn't look too steep.

First photo (202203) is where the wires run out by Carlowrie Farm, second (202311) is where the up line wire ends, third (202640) is by the back of M&S where the down line wire ends.

 

[Scotrail344Lad]

Looks good. The light as well is perfect. Thanks for sharing.

 

[TrainViation]

If I am correct in my thinking, South Gyle should be seeing wires tonight if not next Saturday night, either that or the airport up to Dalmeny. I'm thinking of making a trip down to the line next week while installation works are taking place and getting some footage to see what exactly they are doing.

 

[EastFifer]

Hi everyone. This is so unrelated, but I’m amongst railway friends here.

Those thin yellow sticks on the embankment in the photo below. What are they?
I’ve tried to google them but to no avail.
Please help an ignorant man become more knowledgeable!

 

[sh24]

They look like part of a landslip avoidance monitoring system.

 

[najaB]

They look like part of landlsip avoidance monitoring system.

Yup. That's exactly what they are for - monitoring for movement in a potentially unstable bank.

 

[ajwffc]

If I am correct in my thinking, South Gyle should be seeing wires tonight if not next Saturday night, either that or the airport up to Dalmeny. I'm thinking of making a trip down to the line next week while installation works are taking place and getting some footage to see what exactly they are doing.

don't expect much at South Gyle tonight as both possessions start/finish there

 

[EastFifer]

Ah brilliant! Thank you for the replies. I’ve learned something new this rainy Sunday.
Apologies for going off topic!

 

[TrainViation]

Wires now installed and registered up to the new bridge at Dolphinton near the northern terminus of electrification from the airport.

 

[Siemens Trains]

Wires now installed and registered up to the new bridge at Dolphinton near the northern terminus of electrification from the airport.

A pet peeve of mine and embarrassingly pedantic on my part but it's really Dolphington (with a g) for the burn and nearby buildings at this location.
Although from memory I think the emergency signs on the railway bridge might also say Dolphinton!
I believe the small village of Dolphinton between Carstairs and Peebles used to have two railway stations and may be interesting to enthusiasts, perhaps fuelling this confusion.

 

[MadMac]

A pet peeve of mine and embarrassingly pedantic on my part but it's really Dolphington (with a g) for the burn and nearby buildings at this location.
Although from memory I think the emergency signs on the railway bridge might also say Dolphinton!
I believe the small village of Dolphinton between Carstairs and Peebles used to have two railway stations and may be interesting to enthusiasts, perhaps fuelling this confusion.

If memory serves, the current Carstairs East Junction was formerly known as Dolphinton Junction.

 

[AMD]

Wires now installed and registered up to the new bridge at Dolphinton near the northern terminus of electrification from the airport.

As of today, there's been no change on the down line - still wired from the back of M&S to 1km short of the north end of the scheme.
Recent progress has been on the up line with the north 1km wired as noted by TrainViation; the catenary wire also now extends south to where the recently demolished farm bridge was approaching Gateway - the contact wire has yet to be run out.

 

[ian1944]

I believe the small village of Dolphinton between Carstairs and Peebles used to have two railway stations and may be interesting to enthusiasts, perhaps fuelling this confusion.

The CR and NBR had stations on either side of the A702 (respectively west and east), linked via a level crossing by a short track used solely for exchanging freight wagons and never used for passenger trains. Apparently a single stationmaster was in post at some time, though this seems unlikely from the start given the fierce rivalry.

 

[QueensCurve]

If memory serves, the current Carstairs East Junction was formerly known as Dolphinton Junction.

The current South to East curve at Carstairs was originally the Dolphinton Branch I believe.