Borders Railway - Now Open

[kylemore]

Well the 31st came and went without any big announcement - apparently it's been put off until "week commencing 5th November".

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Well the 31st came and went without any big announcement - apparently it's been put off until "week commencing 5th November".

How are Campaign for Borders Rail dealing with both the matter of the £50million project cost increase and this setback in their latest publicity...or do we still await their views to be made known ?

 

[kylemore]

How are Campaign for Borders Rail dealing with both the matter of the £50million project cost increase and this setback in their latest publicity...or do we still await their views to be made known ?

I got the news of the slight delay from their website.

As for the £50m increase - well so what to be honest?

The cost of the Aberdeen bypass motorway has doubled in the last 3/4 years we've just been told.

That's how things are done in the UK ie. not very efficiently!

I really don't think ordinary people care about these things any more - it's just numbers over which they have no control or say (the situation never changes no matter which political label or combination thereof is voted in).

 

[marks87]

Anyone fancy opening a book on what will run first - Edinburgh's trams on or the Borders railway...?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Edinburgh's trams on the Borders railway...?

Now that's a thought to make your mind boggle..

 

[marks87]

Woops...

 

[fegguk]

According to the Campaign for Borders Rail the announcement will be next Tuesday.

http://campaignforbordersrail.wordpress.com/

 

[kylemore]

Also it looks like Loco hauled Charters and Specials will be accomodated by extending the platform at Tweedbank (todays Evening News) - Good news!

 

[philjo]

BBC News mentions today that the agreement with Network Rail has been signed. The contract sets a final deadline for opening by summer 2015:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-20206538

 

[tbtc]

the project will see trains return to the Borders for the first time in more than 40 years

Trains have been running in the Borders all this time, just not stopping there. Or did Berwickshire declare independance?

 

[PaxVobiscum]

With the announcement comes a new website http://www.bordersrailway.co.uk/ albeit with some backdated pages.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There is virtually a full-page article on page 9 of the December 2012 issue of the Modern Railways magazine about this project.

 

[railjock]

Plenty of activity kicking off in Midlothian as part of the rebuild plans. Lots of further ground clearing at Eskabnk and Newtongranege station site and work starting on LothianBridge viaduct it seems. Also, plans for getting under the city bypass.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-city-bypass-rail-tunnel-plan-unveiled-1-2782822

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Work starting on LothianBridge viaduct it seems.

The Lothianbridge Viaduct is a tribute to the line engineers of past days. About 1/3 of a mile in length and constructed in 1847.

 

[fsmr]

Any plans to extend south and combine with the Steel rd preserved section project or is 2 lines over the border enough? I assume the time advantage for Carlisle Edinburgh over the Waverly is minimal over the present route

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Any plans to extend south and combine with the Steel rd preserved section project or is 2 lines over the border enough? I assume the time advantage for Carlisle Edinburgh over the Waverly is minimal over the present route

From what I have heard in the past, there is more chance of Fort William FC winning the Scottish Premiership, than to see the continuation of this line onwards in the direction that you state and reaching Carlisle..:roll:

 

[JohnB57]

From what I have heard in the past, there is more chance of Fort William FC winning the Scottish Premiership, than to see the continuation of this line onwards in the direction that you state and reaching Carlisle..:roll:

So enough of a chance for Mr S to get behind it then? It'd be a cross border line of course, so we'd have to pay.

 

[L&Y Robert]

The original project strategy was abandoned in September 2011 with Network Rail Scotland being asked by the Scottish Government to take the project forward under a new remit covering:-

A)....A total of 35 miles of new railway with seven new stations.

B)....The route to be mainly single track with three dynamic passing loops and on the line infrastructural side, a total of some 26 new bridges to be constructed and 88 of the existing line structures to be utilised.

What's the difference between a "Passing Loop" and a "Dynamic Passing Loop"?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What's the difference between a "Passing Loop" and a "Dynamic Passing Loop"?

This was the actual wording used in the submission to Network Rail by the Scottish Government. Unfortunately I am not privy to the cognisence of their wording in any documentation.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Isn't a dynamic loop one where they are long enough to entail that neither train using it has to slow down to pass?

 

[swt_passenger]

Isn't a dynamic loop one where they are long enough to entail that neither train using it has to slow down to pass?

That seems to be the idea. Axminster doubling was always described as a dynamic loop for that reason. Obviously only works if both trains are running very near to the timetable.

 

[JohnB57]

What's the difference between a "Passing Loop" and a "Dynamic Passing Loop"?

The Wikipedia article on the subject has this: -

If a crossing loop is several times the length of the trains using it, and is suitably signalled, then trains proceeding in opposite directions can pass (cross) each other without having to stop or even slow down. This greatly reduces the time lost by the first train to arrive at the crossing loop for the opposing train to go by. This system is also referred to as a dynamic loop.

 

[railjock]

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/borders-rail-works-starts-on-historic-link-1-2786591

 

[caliwag]

...and a very positive editorial from the Edinburgh Evening News.

http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-e...sults-will-bring-real-boon-to-area-1-2786643?

 

[tbtc]

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/borders-rail-works-starts-on-historic-link-1-2786591

The excavation will allow a double track section of rail to pass under the A720, 200 metres east of Sheriffhall Roundabout

I'd always heard that the mining in the area meant there was no way of tackling the Sherrifhall bottle-neck on the Edinburgh by-pass. Interesting to know that this doesn't appear to be the case (?)

Personally I'd rather that they focussed on building the line to Gorebridge first (and dealt with the Galashiels end once it was up and running through Midlothian) as I think that the northern end of the line should be busier.

The "doing it all at once" approach is one of the reasons why the Edinburgh Trams aren't yet running - they'd have been working by now if they'd built it in sections. Hope we aren't seeing similar problems here.

 

[michael769]

I'd always heard that the mining in the area meant there was no way of tackling the Sherrifhall bottle-neck on the Edinburgh by-pass. Interesting to know that this doesn't appear to be the case (?)

The road sits on an East-West alignment there wheras the railway will be on a North-South(ish) alignment so it is not necessarily the case that geological factors affecting the road would also affect the railway.

 

[PhilipW]

Although, as previously stated, the line will be mainly single track with 3 dynamic loops, is it being constructed so that it all can be easily converted to double track if need be in the future ?

I presume also that all structures/bridges are designed so that they will be OHLE compatible perchance (even if unlikely) the line is electrified in the future.

 

[ian1944]

Deeply unsurprising, the fact that houses in Midlothian will cost more is seen as a good thing. Of course, such articles are always written by members of the property-owning advantaged class.

 

[route:oxford]

They'd have been working by now if they'd built it in sections. Hope we aren't seeing similar problems here.

If only they had...

A direct tram service from Edinburgh Park Station, through Edinburgh Park, the Gyle and onto the Airport would have been busily generating a contribution for years.

 

[lancastrian]

From what I have heard in the past, there is more chance of Fort William FC winning the Scottish Premiership, than to see the continuation of this line onwards in the direction that you state and reaching Carlisle..:roll:

That comment about Fort William FC winning the Scottish Premiership really made me laugh. I would be surprised if they could ever win the Highland League.

But seriously, I feel that an extension to Hawick is possible as it would reach a reasonable population in the towns of Melrose, St. Boswells and Hawick. To be very honest I was very surprised that they plan was to stop at Tweedbank, as the original line went through to Hawick.