Disruption for Edinburgh - Glasgow Improvements at Winchburgh, how will it impact me?

[Mulson]

Winchburgh Disruption 2015: -

I am an annual season ticket holder for my commute between Polmont and Edinburgh and contemplating renewing or not for 2015. Can anyone give any advice or guidance on the likely disruption I will endure during 2015 for the EGIP Upgrade works, expecially around the anticipated closure of Winchburgh?

Am I likely to have any rail service to use at all?
Is it likely they would put on bus replacements?
If I do get an annual season and the disruption is such that I would be unwilling to use the service would I be eligible for a refund?

Thanks in advance.

 

[170401]

I haven't seen much in the way of detailed plans for the works yet, but going by previous closures of the route E+G services will be reduced to half hourly and diverted to reverse at Dalmeny. Dunblane - Edinburgh's will terminate at Linlithgow. Much emphasis will be put on through routes such as Bathgate and Carstairs for Glasgow-Edinburgh traffic to take some of the pressure off.

Electrification works will mostly be overnight and possibly weekday evening possesions maybe with a few weekend/holiday closures.

 

[Class 170101]

Winchburgh is a blockade I think due to a tunnel that needs serious and continous work on it for the duration.

 

[170401]

It's being closed to allow track lowering and electrification work to be carried out. Presumably the opportunity will also be taken to carry out general repairs and improvements to the tunnel. As I've said above some kind of regular service will be maintained but may take a little longer than usual.

The real challenge on the route will come when they close Queen st high level tunnel (rumoured to be for 4 months) to allow complete replacement of the concrete slab track.

 

[edwin_m]

I haven't seen much in the way of detailed plans for the works yet, but going by previous closures of the route E+G services will be reduced to half hourly and diverted to reverse at Dalmeny. Dunblane - Edinburgh's will terminate at Linlithgow. Much emphasis will be put on through routes such as Bathgate and Carstairs for Glasgow-Edinburgh traffic to take some of the pressure off.

Electrification works will mostly be overnight and possibly weekday evening possesions maybe with a few weekend/holiday closures.

There was a piece in Modern Railways, I think about 18 months ago, which did indeed suggest limited through service via Dalmeny and end-to-end passengers encouraged to use the Bathgate route. The Bathgate fasts seem to be about 1hr 7min so would be the fastest end-to-end journey, with the Shotts fasts at 1hr 13min not far behind.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Have any actual dates in 2015 been announced yet for the Winchburgh tunnel improvement works?

 

[Class 170101]

From Network Rail Rules of the Route 2015 13/06/15 to 27/07/15 all lines blocked continuously between Newbridge Jn and Winchburgh Jn. Available on their website.

EDIT
Queen Street High Level Station will be blocked continuously from 20/03/16 to 08/08/16 again from NR website.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There was a piece in Modern Railways, I think about 18 months ago, which did indeed suggest limited through service via Dalmeny and end-to-end passengers encouraged to use the Bathgate route. The Bathgate fasts seem to be about 1hr 7min so would be the fastest end-to-end journey, with the Shotts fasts at 1hr 13min not far behind.

XC journey time Edinburgh-Glasgow Central via Carstairs is 61-65 minutes (calling at Haymarket and Motherwell).

 

[edwin_m]

XC journey time Edinburgh-Glasgow Central via Carstairs is 61-65 minutes (calling at Haymarket and Motherwell).

Thanks - didn't realise it was quite so quick. But it's only a single Voyager every two hours so they wouldn't want a lot of people trying to use it.

 

[Class 170101]

Thanks - didn't realise it was quite so quick. But it's only a single Voyager every two hours so they wouldn't want a lot of people trying to use it.

Currently yes. However I wonder if it would be possible to make it an hourly service by working the XC HST fleet slightly harder during the week?

Another alternative might be to use displaced 170s from the Queen Street services between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh instead either as extra services or strengthening existing services on this axis.

 

[railjock]

A chord at Dalmeny coul make things a lot easier both during and after the blockade.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Thanks - didn't realise it was quite so quick. But it's only a single Voyager every two hours so they wouldn't want a lot of people trying to use it.

Yes, what I implied was the Scotrail could operate a fast DMU or EMU service via Carstairs with a good journey time, avoiding the congested routes via Bathgate and Shotts (mostly stoppers).
Maybe more likely for the long Queen St closure.
Also for the QS closure a route into Central via Falkirk Grahamston, Cumbernauld, Coatbridge and Rutherglen will be possible.

 

[Class 170101]

NR appear to be planning to construct and commission a chord at Anniesland by Christmas 2015 according to Rules of the Route to crerate a south facing chord.

 

[route:oxford]

A chord at Dalmeny coul make things a lot easier both during and after the blockade.

One at Dunfermline would be handy too. Stirling/Alloa services could route across the Forth.

 

[edwin_m]

One at Dunfermline would be handy too. Stirling/Alloa services could route across the Forth.

That would only help for the Winchburgh tunnel blockade not the Queen Street one, and Dunfermline-Alloa is probably full with freight anyway.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Yes, what I implied was the Scotrail could operate a fast DMU or EMU service via Carstairs with a good journey time, avoiding the congested routes via Bathgate and Shotts (mostly stoppers).
Maybe more likely for the long Queen St closure.
Also for the QS closure a route into Central via Falkirk Grahamston, Cumbernauld, Coatbridge and Rutherglen will be possible.

I suspect the route via Motherwell is more congested than via Shotts, and maintaining that schedule would probably require EMUs which aren't available unless the transferred 321s can be used in some way (and if there are any spare EMUs it would probably be better to put them on the Bathgate route). Whereas with Shotts the existing fast service can easily be lengthened using temporarily spare 170s - only hourly of course.

 

[170401]

NR appear to be planning to construct and commission a chord at Anniesland by Christmas 2015 according to Rules of the Route to crerate a south facing chord.

A connection with the branch from Maryhill? It would certainly make a lot of sense and would allow E+G's/Stirlings to use Queen st low level without having to reverse anywhere during the high level blockade the following year.