Recent content by Altnabreac

As a regular user of the line the timetable reset was done a couple of years ago. Currently the northbound trains arrive early at Patterton every time as the Balgray stop doesn’t happen.

Given both Balgray and Winchburgh have been delivered in association with large volumes of new house building I’d suggest that’s the key thing to look for. Which to me makes Stirling South (Bannockburn / Cowie) the most likely next candidate to be delivered as the “South Stirling Gateway” major...

My understanding is that there is no direct funding planned from the local authority here. There may however be additional funding from the developer linked to potential future allocations so effectively WLC borrows money, SG funds borrowing costs and eventually WDL repays the loan costs...

If you’re using traditional counties then use the traditional boundaries of traditional counties!

Since the reopening of Reston station, Selkirkshire now has the distinction of being the only historic mainland county that does see trains running but doesn’t have a station. The Gala water being the historic Selkirkshire / Roxburghshire boundary means both Galashiels and Tweedbank stations...

The expensive bit is new grid connections so you’d minimise those if converting to battery by extending the wires north from Craigendoran. Maybe as far as Crianlarich? The terminal dwell times are quite doable for plug in charging at Oban and Mallaig so they make sense. You’d then only need...

2 out of 3 Glasgow / Kilmarnock diagrams operate pretty much self contained on that route with just a positioning move from Ayr CSD morning and evening. They could be easily run by BEMUs. The 3rd diagram is linked in with Stranraer and Carlisle services so would require major changes to the...

Kilmarnock is really not the best project to do next because there’s a limited number of services that can use it. In terms of pure electric services it basically only allows 3 trains per 2 hours. BEMUs aren’t a lot of use here either as nearly all the Ayrshire starters of old have now been...

I seem to remember a Stanley Hall article in either Rail or MR about 15 years ago proposing exactly that as a simple safety proposal. A pot of money each year to ensure all crossings on 100mph lines would close in first 5 years and then moving down speed bands every few years. With a...

A station in Methil around the Fife Energy Park / Dock No 2 is the obvious extension. I know Fife Council were keen to explore it as an option a few years back but i don't know how much work was done at the time. The trackbed is pretty much extant (sometimes with track still there) and mainly...

I believe Upper Tyndrum, Rannoch, Spean Bridge and Fort William are all fine for 5 coach trains so don’t need any additional works to accommodate these trains. Corrour will continue to be 1 door opening. Dumbarton Central is fine for 7 coach trains too. The only operational issue I can see...

I used that service about 2 years ago after attending a dinner party in Glenfinnan to get to my hotel in Lochailort. Probably a fairly niche market though. Chatted to the driver as I boarded to request the Lochailort stop just in case I didn’t manage to catch the guard before Lochailort.

Two missing station reopenings from the list: Howwood 2001 Gartcosh 2005

The current timetable includes a Winchburgh slot and has been signed off by Transport Scotland. It just needs the money to build the station now. Location is north of the new bridge, rather than under it.

Not least because the chord isn’t happening in the next 10 years whereas the station is needed ASAP. If the chord were happening the location isn’t that much worse than the proposed one but it isn’t as good.