Airdrie - Bathgate Project Update Report With Photographs

[jonnorail]

Hi all. I have had an extremely busy weekend in terms of photography, infact I have been doing nothing else. On Saturday my main aims for photography was to capture updates showing progress of the A - B (Airdrie - Bathgate) Project at Drumgelloch and Airdrie stations. No work has started on Airdrie as of yet but will commence in Spring next year (2010) so I captured photographs of how the station looks now and I also took photographs at the station of where the new platform 3 will be added and where the former and disused Airdrie Station Signal Box still stands fully intact. This signal box will be demolished prior to work starting at Airdrie next year. I was able to capture a good number of photographs at Drumgelloch showing the nearly complete Crowwood Drive Roadbridge which has recenly been rebuilt and widened to make way for the new railway line which will be running below. THe road bridge is now open to road traffic. Full information and the update photographs from yesterday can be found by clicking on the links below. I have filled in all photograph captions also.

Drumgelloch:
Class 320 322 sits inside the existing but soon to be demolished (in time) Drumgelloch station:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008755.html
Crowwood Drive Road Bridge view from the station looking east towards where the new double track will pass under and lead upto where the new relocated Drumgelloch station will be situated (550 yards east):
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008762.html
An elderly woman crossed over the recently reopened and rebuilt (nearly complete - adding finishing touches e.g. fence protecting the road from the railway line) Crowwood Drive Road Bridge:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008764.html
The following four photographs show the view looking down from Crowwood Drive Road Bridge to where the new Drumgelloch station will be located and further east towards Caldercruix. You can clealry see work is about to commence here as planned ( in Winter 2009 / 2010) on constructing the new station:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008766.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008768.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008769.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008772.html

Two general view photographs taken from Crowwood Drive Road Bridge showing Clas 320 322 sitting inside th existing bu soon to be demolished Drumgelloch station. First photographs shows stantions, part of the bridge where a fence will be added to protect the road from the railway line:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008757.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008758.html

Airdrie:
Class 320 322 calls at platform 2 at the station en - route with a service to Helensburgh Central. A new third platform and accommodating track will be built to the left, work starting on this in Spring next year (2010):
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008760.html
Network Rail M.P.V. R.H.T.T. working comes into end its journey at platform 2:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008775.html
A side view of D.R. 98915 at platform 2 at Airdrie station also showing the former and disused Airdrie Station Signal Box which will be demolished prior to Spring when work is sheduled to commence here:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008777.html
The following two photographs show D.R. 98915 + D.R. 98965 sittng inside platform 2 at Airdrie station. To the left of the two photographs is where the third platform will be added as part of the A - B project:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008779.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008781.html
Another two photographs of the Network Rail MPVs sitting inside platform 2:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008783.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008785.html
A general view of the former and disused platform looking east towards Drumgelloch. You can clearly see where the third track will be laid to accommodate the new platform 3 which will be built as part of the project, work begins on this in Spring next year. Airdrie Station Signal Box can also be seen on the platform:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008788.html
A view taken from the top of the island platform at Airdrie station looking west towards Coatdyke. The points seen in the photograph at Airdrie Junction will have a new track added which will lead to where the new platform 3 will be located at Airdrie station when built:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62008789.html
A general and close up photograph of the former and disused Airdrie Station Signal Box which will be demolished next year (Spring 2010).

I hope you enjoyed the big updates. Hopefully the backlog of information will give you a good and rough idea as to what has been and will be going on in the future during the construction of the project.

Best Regards

Jonathan McGurk

Railway and Freelance Photographer

www.jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net

 

[Bill EWS]

Well Done Johnathan. Interesting photos that will be a real keepsake in the future. It does my heart good to see this type of work being carried out after spending most of my 42 years on the railway seeing line after line close down.

Your photos also prove that no matter how long a line has been closed, with modern equipment and technology the only thing stopping many of them being reopened is money and the political will.

 

[jonnorail]

Well Done Johnathan. Interesting photos that will be a real keepsake in the future. It does my heart good to see this type of work being carried out after spending most of my 42 years on the railway seeing line after line close down.

Your photos also prove that no matter how long a line has been closed, with modern equipment and technology the only thing stopping many of them being reopened is money and the political will.

More money should be invested on reopening many several abandoned and disused railway lines in Scotland, a lot more than at present which could easily be reopened. Like you say Bill - 'MORE MONEY IS NEEDED' to invest on such railway line reopening projects up here. Many more photograph updates to come from me in the near and distant future up until completion of the project so I shall keep yourself and others posted.

Best Regards

Jonathan McGurk

Railway and Freelance Photographer

www.jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hi all. Yesterday (Thursday 12th November 2009) I went out with the camera to follow more progress and to capture a few more photographs of the Airdrie - Bathgate Project.

Airdrie - Bathgate Photograph Updates From Yesterday (Thursday 12th November 2009)

Drumgelloch:

Class 334 013 is seen sitting inside the single platform at the existing station awaiting to kick start the 12.38 service to Helensburgh Central:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62068847.html
Class 334 013 is seen in a photograph showing a view of resedential housing in the area of Drumgelloch looking west towards Airdrie:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62068848.html
Poor drainage has caused minor flooding at Drumgelloch. This is about 100 yards west of where the new Drumgelloch station will be relocated and situated - works start here on building the new station in December 2009 and is scheduled for completion in Spring 2010:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62068849.html
Three photograph views looking east towards Plains and Caldercruix from where the new Drumgelloch station will be relocated and situated - lots of workman and heavy construction machinery at the scene:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62068850.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62068851.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62068852.html

Airdrie:
Class 320s and Network Rail's R.H.T.T. sit inside the station:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62068853.html
Three photographs of Network Rail's R.H.T.T. sitting inside platform 2 - a brand new platform 3 will be built to the left:
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62068854.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62068855.html
http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/p62068856.html

Best Regards

Jonathan McGurk

Railway and Freelance Photographer

www.jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net