East Kilbride/Barrhead electrification updates

[WesternBiker]

It looks like facing panels.

Not particularly sympathetic looking.

I agree - it would have been better if they'd made an attempt at matching the stone on the adjacent bridge.

 

[Falcon1200]

I've never seen OLE mounted on tall brick columns before

Same here; Presumably it was not possible to put the masts at the back of the platform.

Does that mean the wires will extend onto the start of the single track section south of the station?

Looks like it, masts were in place south of Barrhead before the town was isolated from civilisation.

 

[OB23Gone]

Same here; Presumably it was not possible to put the masts at the back of the platform.



Looks like it, masts were in place south of Barrhead before the town was isolated from civilisation.

There is a path beside the railway that comes of Gateside Rd. where it meets Graham Rd. There is a mast just there. This is where the up line crosses over to the down line and forms the onward single line towards Kilmarnock. Have driven further along Gateside Road but because of houses and trees have not seen any more. Not to say that there isn't or won't be. Still time to put them in. Big NR visit tomorrow with high hied yins going to have a look so probably be some sort of press release in next couple of days. Guys tidying up around the old gate to the, now gone,s ignal box for that reason

 

[GLC]

Alex Hynes tweeted that electric services will begin in December

https://twitter.com/AlexHynes/status/1684497939635343360

It was great to visit the Glasgow to Barrhead electrification project yesterday. Good progress being made on the ground. Services resume for customers on 4 August and modern electric trains from December! Well done to the team!
@ScotRail

@NetworkRailSCOT

@transcotland

 

[Southsider]

Some good pictures on the Barrhead News website.

BARRHEAD’S train station is set to reopen next week following a month-long closure to electrify the line.

https://www.barrheadnews.com/news/23683736.images-reveal-progress-barrhead-glasgow-rail-works/

 

[Frankton Junct]

The contractor has installed the registration arms under the Cathcart Circle bridge and the Titwood Road bridge. They installed extensions to the balustrades on the pedestrian over-bridge and the rail bridge proper. They clamped together the contact and catenary wires where they pass under the bridges.

On either side of the Cathcart Circle bridge, there are devices mounted on the masts - are they surge arresters?

 

[OB23Gone]

Some good pictures on the Barrhead News website.

BARRHEAD’S train station is set to reopen next week following a month-long closure to electrify the line.

https://www.barrheadnews.com/news/23683736.images-reveal-progress-barrhead-glasgow-rail-works/

Some update pictures from today between Nitshill Compound, Levernwater Viaduct & Barrhead Station

 

[59CosG95]

The contractor has installed the registration arms under the Cathcart Circle bridge and the Titwood Road bridge. They installed extensions to the balustrades on the pedestrian over-bridge and the rail bridge proper. They clamped together the contact and catenary wires where they pass under the bridges.

On either side of the Cathcart Circle bridge, there are devices mounted on the masts - are they surge arresters?

Those devices are most definitely Surge Arresters.

 

[snowball]

I've just found this video on refurbishment of semaphore signals at Lugton.

Edit: this appears to be the video mentioned but not linked in #1515.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Alex Hynes tweeted that electric services will begin in December

https://twitter.com/AlexHynes/status/1684497939635343360

Excellent that will be for more km wired and energised than last year and with a service shortly after completion of works.

 

[nlogax]

Just driven under Cross Arthurlie St bridge at Barrhead, interesting that the wires still don't extend beyond the western end of the platforms.

 

[Southsider]

Just driven under Cross Arthurlie St bridge at Barrhead, interesting that the wires still don't extend beyond the western end of the platforms.

Do you mean towards Kilmarnock? I don’t think they’re intended to yet.

 

[snowball]

Do you mean towards Kilmarnock? I don’t think they’re intended to yet.

See posts #1519, #1530 and #1532 which discuss the precise location of the end point of the currently proposed wiring.

 

[OB23Gone]

Just driven under Cross Arthurlie St bridge at Barrhead, interesting that the wires still don't extend beyond the western end of the platforms.

As of this afternoon the wires have still not been extended beyond the End of Commercial Road. There is 1 wire although which does, that is the Return wire that connects , on the outside, the masts but is not part of the pick up for trains. Someone may explain this better. That would be the wire you can see.
Whilst out stopped by Nitshill here is the latest on the progress on the underpass. To be completed by the 4th

 

[MadMac]

See posts #1519, #1530 and #1532 which discuss the precise location of the end point of the currently proposed wiring.

There’ll be some sort of “overrun” onto the single line: also, when/if they decide to extend to Kilmarnock, it’s easier to connect into that. Unless redoubling is part of that…..

 

[Southsider]

A shot of East Kilbride station in the 1950s. (Mods: found on Facebook, please delete if not allowed)

 

[InOban]

Presumably the hourly electric train will always use the bay platform, so in a sense the wires on the through tracks don't need any overrun? Would actually make it easier if it were decided to extend the double track and wires.

 

[snowball]

Presumably the hourly electric train will always use the bay platform, so in a sense the wires on the through tracks don't need any overrun? Would actually make it easier if it were decided to extend the double track and wires.

Isn't the purpose of an overrun to prevent dewirement in the event of a train being wrongly routed?

I've been wondering what the next electrification in that area will be (accepting that it probably won't be for several years). Would it be Barrhead to Kilmarnock or Kilmarnock to Barassie? The latter might require a new feeder station at Kilmarnock, which is not in the current contract for six sites, but which would be needed for the eventual decarbonisation of Kilmarnock to Carlisle. You could argue that Barrhead to Kilmarnock should not be a high priority, as when BEMUs finally arrive, they will enable Glasgow-Kilmarnock services, turning round at Kilmarnock, to be operated from the Glasgow-Barrhead wires.

 

[NotATrainspott]

Without any structures in the way there's no real reason not to wire up the bit beyond the station. Those few hundred metres of wire and a few OHLE supports aren't what makes or breaks the financial viability of an electrification scheme.

I am also curious about where they'll wire up next. Wiring needs to start from a grid feeder station. There's no shortage of electricity available in and around Kilmarnock, according to OpenInfraMap. There's a 275kV substation in the town and a 400kV substation just south of there.

With these being on the southern side, and as the G&SW line is still double track there, it seems pretty likely that the grid feeder will be on that side and so the Barrhead-Kilmarnock wiring will come later. Redoubling, resignalling and electrification are all projects that make sense being done in one fell swoop. Until then, BEMUs will work just fine.

Indeed, the redoubling might end up being quite late. Not much really happens by redoubling/electrifying the Barrhead-Kilmarnock line on its own. It's only once the wires reach Carlisle is there really a benefit for freight and diverted WCML services. So, you may as well leave Barrhead-Kilmarnock until the very end.

 

[380101]

Without any structures in the way there's no real reason not to wire up the bit beyond the station. Those few hundred metres of wire and a few OHLE supports aren't what makes or breaks the financial viability of an electrification scheme.

I am also curious about where they'll wire up next. Wiring needs to start from a grid feeder station. There's no shortage of electricity available in and around Kilmarnock, according to OpenInfraMap. There's a 275kV substation in the town and a 400kV substation just south of there.

With these being on the southern side, and as the G&SW line is still double track there, it seems pretty likely that the grid feeder will be on that side and so the Barrhead-Kilmarnock wiring will come later. Redoubling, resignalling and electrification are all projects that make sense being done in one fell swoop. Until then, BEMUs will work just fine.

Indeed, the redoubling might end up being quite late. Not much really happens by redoubling/electrifying the Barrhead-Kilmarnock line on its own. It's only once the wires reach Carlisle is there really a benefit for freight and diverted WCML services. So, you may as well leave Barrhead-Kilmarnock until the very end.

The overhead stantions extend South beyond the platforms to the end of the extended run off from platform 1 and across to the single line.

 

[92002]

Without any structures in the way there's no real reason not to wire up the bit beyond the station. Those few hundred metres of wire and a few OHLE supports aren't what makes or breaks the financial viability of an electrification scheme.

I am also curious about where they'll wire up next. Wiring needs to start from a grid feeder station. There's no shortage of electricity available in and around Kilmarnock, according to OpenInfraMap. There's a 275kV substation in the town and a 400kV substation just south of there.

With these being on the southern side, and as the G&SW line is still double track there, it seems pretty likely that the grid feeder will be on that side and so the Barrhead-Kilmarnock wiring will come later. Redoubling, resignalling and electrification are all projects that make sense being done in one fell swoop. Until then, BEMUs will work just fine.

Indeed, the redoubling might end up being quite late. Not much really happens by redoubling/electrifying the Barrhead-Kilmarnock line on its own. It's only once the wires reach Carlisle is there really a benefit for freight and diverted WCML services. So, you may as well leave Barrhead-Kilmarnock until the very end.

However if Barassie to Kilmarnock was done first after Barrhead was open
It could probably be fed from the Ayr lines. With a new feeder at Kilmarnock the line could be finished back to Barrhead. It may even be possible to feed from the Ayr lines all the way to Barrhead.

Later GSW could be added. Although passenger numbers there may not make the sums add up.

 

[Falcon1200]

Presumably the hourly electric train will always use the bay platform, so in a sense the wires on the through tracks don't need any overrun?

Barrhead has an extremely flexible track layout, with trains able to use both through platforms in either direction, so should the bay be unavailable for any reason the terminators can reverse there instead.

I've been wondering what the next electrification in that area will be (accepting that it probably won't be for several years). Would it be Barrhead to Kilmarnock or Kilmarnock to Barassie?

I would hope both at the same time! Electrifying Barassie/Kilmarnock on its own would have little operational benefit, whereas doing it and Kilmarnock/Barrhead would facilitate a regular Glasgow/Ayr via Kilmarnock service, and allow the sets for the early trains from Kilmarnock to stable at Ayr Townhead, as the DMUs do now.

 

[snowball]

I would hope both at the same time! Electrifying Barassie/Kilmarnock on its own would have little operational benefit, whereas doing it and Kilmarnock/Barrhead would facilitate a regular Glasgow/Ayr via Kilmarnock service, and allow the sets for the early trains from Kilmarnock to stable at Ayr Townhead, as the DMUs do now.

It seems to me that you are not taking sufficient account of Scotland's philosophy of BEMUs, and partial electrification as an initial step. They are not proposing to waste time electrifying the whole of the Borders line from the start or the whole of Fife from the start. With one but not both of Barrhead-Kilmarnock and Kilmarnock-Barassie wired, BEMUs could stable at Ayr and run a service between there and Glasgow.

I may be making some false assumptions about redeployability of existing rolling stock! Existing rolling stock and service patterns are not subjects I know much about!

 

[92002]

It seems to me that you are not taking sufficient account of Scotland's philosophy of BEMUs, and partial electrification as an initial step. They are not proposing to waste time electrifying the whole of the Borders line from the start or the whole of Fife from the start. With one but not both of Barrhead-Kilmarnock and Kilmarnock-Barassie wired, BEMUs could stable at Ayr and run a service between there and Glasgow.

I may be making some false assumptions about redeployability of existing rolling stock! Existing rolling stock and service patterns are not subjects I know much about!

Think the slight problem is ScotRail have yet to order BEMUs and delivery is quite long.

 

[snowball]

Think the slight problem is ScotRail have yet to order BEMUs and delivery is quite long.

Yes, I'm concerned about that too, but any further electrification in the Kilmarnock area would undoubtedly be coming after both the Borders line and the Fife area, both of which are partial electrification schemes dependent on the delivery of BEMUs.

 

[OB23Gone]

There’ll be some sort of “overrun” onto the single line: also, when/if they decide to extend to Kilmarnock, it’s easier to connect into that. Unless redoubling is part of that…..

WIRES NOW IN THRU STATION TO LIMIT

 

[GRALISTAIR]

WIRES NOW IN THRU STATION TO LIMIT

Wow - in picture 2 you can even see the newness of the copper wire!

 

[takno]

Yes, I'm concerned about that too, but any further electrification in the Kilmarnock area would undoubtedly be coming after both the Borders line and the Fife area, both of which are partial electrification schemes dependent on the delivery of BEMUs.

I know the Fife route is, but I thought borders was supposed to be continuous? Doesn't seem like it would be the hardest line ever to do in full.

 

[nlogax]

WIRES NOW IN THRU STATION TO LIMIT

Excellent stuff. And great photos as usual.

Wow - in picture 2 you can even see the newness of the copper wire!

It's pretty visible in person, especially in those rare moments when we have a bit of sun!

 

[hwl]

I know the Fife route is, but I thought borders was supposed to be continuous? Doesn't seem like it would be the hardest line ever to do in full.

Power supply closer to Edinburgh is the issue (NatGrid long lead time) so the plan is to electrify the southern end and bridge the gap with battery till the Edinburgh area power supply gets enhanced so wires could be powered.