East Kilbride/Barrhead electrification updates

[hux385]

New Hairmyres Station Friday & Sat Progress

Brilliant photos, this is looking MEGA

 

[zwk500]

the bridge in NR's picture looks to be double track capable. I understand it was never doubled beyond Busby.

NR have a standard double track footbridge design that they use as much as possible. It'll be cheaper to continue using that same modular design than to need to amend it for single track.

 

[WesternBiker]

Brilliant photos, this is looking MEGA

Indeed - great to see rapid progress.

 

[d9009alycidon]

the bridge in NR's picture looks to be double track capable. I understand it was never doubled beyond Busby.

Found an old map on the NLS site https://maps.nls.uk/view/216546782 "Map showing the authorised and proposed extensions to railway lines in the West of Scotland, 1896-1897". I had known for a while that there had been a proposal for a branch to Eaglesham, but I didn't realise that the proposal included the line looping past Eaglesham, up to Newton Mearns and on to a junction with the Neilston line!

 

[s55823ewj]

Footbridge today

 

[Charged up]

Hairmyres new station on a very miserable MON 30 SEP. No sign yet of double tracking there or slewing of the current track towards the new platform.

Note that major roadworks will start tomorrow for 8 weeks to create new junction into Interchange hub /car park on the shops side of the new station.

View to the WEST from current Hairmyres station towards new location


Looking east from Redwood Road towards the new station.

 

[Class 170101]

Class 318, 320 or 321 units wouldn't be any use, they are DOO.

Class 321s operated in crew mode as well on both the WCML and parts of the GEML when they operated on those routes.

 

[Southsider]

Correct. It just that I'm used to turning onto Kilmarnock Rd

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Sep 2024 ==


Station side parapet coping all in situ on Fenwick Rd side complete on Sunday 22 Sept

Just crossed the Fenwick Road bridge, all the new parapets are in place now.

 

[Fudgie]

However, there are loads of 380 or 385 diagrams to Wemyss Bay, Gourock, Paisley Canal, Neilston and Lanark. 318s or 320s could replace some of those which in turn could go to East Kilbride.

As someone who lives in Inverclyde I sincerely hope that doesn't happen. It wouldn't be the first time that this area has suffered with being given poorer stock to the benefit of somewhere else.

 

[nlogax]

Short video update of track renewals at Busby Junction as well as the new Hairmyres footbridge being lowered into place.

 

[s55823ewj]

Planning application submitted last month for the railway loop and related changes of land use.

P/24/1122 | Change of use of land adjacent to existing railway line into operational railway land, engineering works to form railway track loop extension and associated works including the formation of embankments, drainage and the i

publicaccess.southlanarkshire.gov.uk

 

[Rick1984]

Short video update of track renewals at Busby Junction as well as the new Hairmyres footbridge being lowered into place.

When was Busby junction remodeled? I wouldn't have thought the track was that old there

 

[Railsigns]

When was Busby junction remodeled? I wouldn't have thought the track was that old there

The doubling of the junction in July 2013 entailed the installation of one new S&C unit and the removal of another. The other three units already in situ were unaffected, and it's these which have now been renewed.

 

[Rick1984]

Cheers

 

[MadMac]

The doubling of the junction in July 2013 entailed the installation of one new S&C unit and the removal of another. The other three units already in situ were unaffected, and it's these which have now been renewed.

Wasn’t the old relay room demolished to make way for the revised layout?

 

[Railsigns]

Wasn’t the old relay room demolished to make way for the revised layout?

Yes, it was:

 

[Southsider]

Last of the masts in at Giffnock station and some tensioners in the trees.

 

[Frankton Junct]

The old masonry arch Thornliebank Bridge was demolished last weekend. A crane is on site ready to lift the new sills etc into position overnight tonight/tomorrow morning.

They built a new GSM-R transmitter to replace the one that was attached to the old bridge.

Note in the second photograph a brick building that looks to be a WWII pill box.



Edited to add the photograph of the crane lift this morning.

 

[OB23Gone]

Bridge Decking going ON TOMORROW MORNING Tue 0100am. Some update photos

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Oct 2024 ==

Thornliebank Bridge Tuesday 08-10-2024 Todays Photos

 

[E400Lover101]

Bridge Decking going ON TOMORROW MORNING Tue 0100am. Some update photos

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Oct 2024 ==

Thornliebank Bridge Tuesday 08-10-2024 Todays Photos

Amazing photos.

 

[WesternBiker]

Bridge Decking going ON TOMORROW MORNING Tue 0100am. Some update photos

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Oct 2024 ==

Thornliebank Bridge Tuesday 08-10-2024 Todays Photos

That's a great photographic record - thank you!

 

[OB23Gone]

Thornliebank Bridge Wednesday Photos

 

[yorkie]

Thornliebank Bridge Wednesday Photos

Thanks for posting, but can you please edit the post to include a text description, for the benefit of anyone unable to view the photos (e.g. blind people). Thanks in advance

Also for others posting photos with brief descriptions, the more detail you can provide, the better; I know we have blind readers who really appreciate being able to follow the updates in a way that fully includes them and avoids being at a disadvantage.

 

[John Street]

Scotrail are asking passengers on how things went on the replacement bus service, use of alternatives etc to help inform any further improvement works. Yep. https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/24640695.scotrail-asking-feedback-east-kilbride-line-works/

And East Renfrewshire Council has posted the planning application for the bridge replacement works at Giffnock Station.

https://ercbuildingstandards.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/buildingstandards/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SK9DBYGP06G00&activeTab=summary

 

[EMU303]

Returning to the topic of whether SR have enough EMU's to run a full electric service once the EK line is electrified.... I reviewed information on Real Train Times to see the utilisation of EMUs in the morning and afternoon peaks from one day in October (full timetable). Overall (and if wiki is correct in SR having a total of 203 EMUs), there were 23 units not used in the morning peak and 27 not used in the afternoon/early evening peak. Drilling down to class 380s there were 5 unused in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. For 385s it was 9 and 12 respectively, 334s 4 and 6, 320s 4 and 6, and 318s 1 and zero respectively. It was a lot of info to plough through so I accept my data might not be 100% but close to it, plus this was a single day snapshot.

On the assumption that some classes can be moved around the network i.e. using 380s for EK with other units covering existing allocated patterns, and with the EK line requiring up to a maximum of 5 x 6 carriage EMUs (or perhaps a mixture of 3 and 6 carriages)?, does that leave the electrified line reliant on some mix of DMU + EMUs to run the existing timetable? Or can the current 203 EMU fleet support 100% EMUs on the EK line without compromising overall SR EMU resilience with respect to normal maintenance and back up units? Or would SR need to squeeze some existing EMU 6 carriage services down to 3?
Otherwise it's going to be pretty weird/bit of a PR embarrassment having DMUs running under the wires for a few years until whenever TS/SR get some new EMUs to replace the 318/320s....
Welcome thoughts from those more informed than me (I don't work in the industry).

 

[hexagon789]

Returning to the topic of whether SR have enough EMU's to run a full electric service once the EK line is electrified.... I reviewed information on Real Train Times to see the utilisation of EMUs in the morning and afternoon peaks from one day in October (full timetable). Overall (and if wiki is correct in SR having a total of 203 EMUs), there were 23 units not used in the morning peak and 27 not used in the afternoon/early evening peak. Drilling down to class 380s there were 5 unused in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. For 385s it was 9 and 12 respectively, 334s 4 and 6, 320s 4 and 6, and 318s 1 and zero respectively. It was a lot of info to plough through so I accept my data might not be 100% but close to it, plus this was a single day snapshot.

On the assumption that some classes can be moved around the network i.e. using 380s for EK with other units covering existing allocated patterns, and with the EK line requiring up to a maximum of 5 x 6 carriage EMUs (or perhaps a mixture of 3 and 6 carriages)?, does that leave the electrified line reliant on some mix of DMU + EMUs to run the existing timetable? Or can the current 203 EMU fleet support 100% EMUs on the EK line without compromising overall SR EMU resilience with respect to normal maintenance and back up units? Or would SR need to squeeze some existing EMU 6 carriage services down to 3?
Otherwise it's going to be pretty weird/bit of a PR embarrassment having DMUs running under the wires for a few years until whenever TS/SR get some new EMUs to replace the 318/320s....
Welcome thoughts from those more informed than me (I don't work in the industry).

Unless I've grossly misunderstood, the plan appeared to be:

1 EMU diagram weekdays
2 EMU diagrams weekends

I assume for the December 2025 timetable period, though not really clear if that's it or if May 2026 etc would see any increase in the ratio of electric to diesel diagrams.

 

[Southsider]

In the Transport Scotland Zero Emission Energy for Transport Report from 2022 it states for 2025 "Glasgow Central to East Kilbride, Some services use existing EMUs - Class 156 units withdrawn", so it appears they planned to retain some 156's on the route post electrification due to insufficient spare EMU's in the fleet. They should have tendered for the new EMU/BEMU fleets by now so if that had gone to plan once they arrived the last of the 156's on East Kilbride would be replaced I assume.

It says ‘Class 156 units withdrawn’ which doesn’t fit with your assumption that they planned to retain some. I do agree that they appear to have dropped the ball on new EMU procurement.

 

[deerokus]

The tree felling at Giffnock is well underway. They've also cleared and dug up a bit of spare land next to the station.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Oct 2024 ==

Forgot the other one!

 

[OB23Gone]

Thorntonhall. Masts are now in position either side of the road bridge at the station. Towards East Kilbride The line curves through the cutting so it’s impossible to see how for a long the line they actually go. Actually, this part of the line, track, along to nearly the Glasgow South Orbital Road is almost the only stretch of the line that Cannot Be Photographed. It is in a cutting on farmland and not sure where to ask to see if there is any access.

On the Busby side the track is straight up towards “The Masts”, and then curves towards Busby. The other end of the curve can be seen from OB31.

The Road Bridge had to have its Coping raised to the latest standards to comply with the LIVE ONL Wires one Electrification is completed. Personally, I think THAT A TREMENDOUS JOB HAS BEEN DONE. The existing Coping was removed and 2 levels of Stone laid on top. Assumed but may be some block work finished with a thin stone cladding & finally the Coping. This Coping is actually Sand Stone retained from other demolished bridges and DRESSED TO SIZE TO SUIT. Certainly, a huge improvement over the other Concrete Copes installed on the other bridges upgraded on the line. There was also a good few other bits and bobs where there was some TLC to bring some blocks up to a good standard. Finally, some stone blasting to really finish it off. The same company are applying facing Stone on the Thornliebank bridge at the moment so looking for an equally impressive job

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Fabulous photos thanks for posting. As you say, they have done a great job.