Just done the new Airdrie-Bathgate: first impressions

[NightatLaira]

Very impressed: few things spring to mind:

1. Wow! Bathgate Depot: all that for just one line? Overkill?? But I'm not complaining...
2. The resevoir(?) east of Caldercruix - seems a bit close to the tracks - is flooding not an issue somehow? Do they have sluice that prevents it or something?
3. A 'service road' seems to follow the new or reconstructed bit of track between Drumgelloch and Bathgate very closely - almost like an emergency access road - was this to aid construction or is this some new law that all new railways have to be parralelled by an access road? I've noticed similar constructions alongside bits of HS1 and the Trent valley 4-tracking on the WCML.
4. All the footbridges are the same desgin! I take it this is some standard issue thing that Network Rail do now?
5. In some ways it still feels like 2 railway lines joined together over no-mans' land... Heading Eastbound from Charing X in the evening very few passengers boarded after leaving Glasgow. Most people had left by the time we reached Drumgelloch, and from there onwards to Bathgate (the new bit) hardly anyone but me was on the train. Then it became like a commuter train picking up people as we headed in towards Edinburgh. Reminds me a lot of Newcastle-Carlisle in some ways...

 

[Mcr Warrior]

[*]In some ways it still feels like 2 railway lines joined together over no-mans' land...

:roll: Effectively it is. Not sure how high the demand is yet for through journeys given that the travel time from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh via Bathgate is 50% longer than the more "direct" route via Falkirk High.

 

[PaulLothian]

A 'service road' seems to follow the new or reconstructed bit of track between Drumgelloch and Bathgate very closely - almost like an emergency access road - was this to aid construction or is this some new law that all new railways have to be parralelled by an access road? I've noticed similar constructions alongside bits of HS1 and the Trent valley 4-tracking on the WCML.

The track bed was previously used for part of the National Cycle Network (and very nice it was too).

As part of the project, a new cycle path is being built on a similar alignment, paralleling the railway.

As far as the reservoir levels are concerned, I have never come across historical records suggesting difficulties on that stretch.

 

[Mex]

Very impressed: few things spring to mind:

Wow! Bathgate Depot: all that for just one line? Overkill?? But I'm not complaining...

Well, it's for a number of things. Overnight stabling, cleaning, maintenance, that sort of thing. Also somewhere for Scotrail staff to have a sit down and a cuppa.

The resevoir(?) east of Caldercruix - seems a bit close to the tracks - is flooding not an issue somehow? Do they have sluice that prevents it or something?

Hillend Loch. Hopefully they have put in proper drainage. But there's a problem with the peat underneath the track apparently - hence the slowdown between Hillend and Caldercruix. Rumour has it they will be lifting that section later in the year and putting some concrete slab down to support it properly.

A 'service road' seems to follow the new or reconstructed bit of track between Drumgelloch and Bathgate very closely - almost like an emergency access road - was this to aid construction or is this some new law that all new railways have to be parralelled by an access road? I've noticed similar constructions alongside bits of HS1 and the Trent valley 4-tracking on the WCML.

As others have noted, it's the new bike route. Not finished yet... but it looks a bit 'interesting' in places with the steep gradients!

All the footbridges are the same desgin! I take it this is some standard issue thing that Network Rail do now?

Yeah, 2010 Official Grey Brutalist Style (c)

In some ways it still feels like 2 railway lines joined together over no-mans' land... Heading Eastbound from Charing X in the evening very few passengers boarded after leaving Glasgow. Most people had left by the time we reached Drumgelloch, and from there onwards to Bathgate (the new bit) hardly anyone but me was on the train. Then it became like a commuter train picking up people as we headed in towards Edinburgh. Reminds me a lot of Newcastle-Carlisle in some ways...
[/LIST]

Yeah, I get the same impression as well. Nice to have a quiet train on the last leg of the journey home to Bathgate though.

 

[OxtedL]

Probably is like two different lines. However, there will be some people who want to get to Glasgow from Bathgate and from Airdrie to Edinburgh eventually I would have thought?

People use this argument for the so-called BML2 "oh look at this overambitious scheme now don't reopen the uckfield-lewes line" scheme. And honestly I would occasionally travel to Brighton.

So maybe. Good to here everythings OK up in Scotland.

 

[dalmahoyhill]

Very impressed: few things spring to mind:

1. The resevoir(?) east of Caldercruix - seems a bit close to the tracks - is flooding not an issue somehow? Do they have sluice that prevents it or something?
   
2. All the footbridges are the same desgin! I take it this is some standard issue thing that Network Rail do now?
3. In some ways it still feels like 2 railway lines joined together over no-mans' land... Heading Eastbound from Charing X in the evening very few passengers boarded after leaving Glasgow. Most people had left by the time we reached Drumgelloch, and from there onwards to Bathgate (the new bit) hardly anyone but me was on the train. Then it became like a commuter train picking up people as we headed in towards Edinburgh. Reminds me a lot of Newcastle-Carlisle in some ways...

1) Reservoirs are my speciality, i am a civil engineer who works on them. They have a spillway on the dam to get rid of the worst flooding which prevent the dam from overtopping. As airdrie lies below the dam it will be a Cat A under the UK reservoirs act which means its high risk. Therefore the spillway is designed for a PMF flood. In laymans terms a PMF is a noahs ark flood which occurs approx every 30,000 years. the flooding in cumbria was a 1:200 year event. I would assume they set the track bed level above the top of the spillway level. therefore its exceedingly unlikely it will ever flood. probably the highest risk (still pretty unlikely) is exceptional winds whipping up waves that crash onto the track

2)I understand a lot of the structures including footbridges and stations were built to network rails modular construction. the idea is that standardisation reduces costs.

3) this is no different to the shotts line. very similar in that no many people (except me sometimes) cross the watershed between glasgow and edinburgh. more people use it as a local commuter, that may change as the whole point of opening it was that bathgate is earthmarked for massive development and to take the pressure off the M8

 

[PaulLothian]

In some ways it still feels like 2 railway lines joined together over no-mans' land... Heading Eastbound from Charing X in the evening very few passengers boarded after leaving Glasgow. Most people had left by the time we reached Drumgelloch, and from there onwards to Bathgate (the new bit) hardly anyone but me was on the train. Then it became like a commuter train picking up people as we headed in towards Edinburgh. Reminds me a lot of Newcastle-Carlisle in some ways...
[/LIST]

Not at all surprising - the new growth areas along the line (particularly Bathgate and Armadale) are still only a small proportion of their eventual size. Up to now, public-transport users have tended to move there because of good eastward rail and bus links. I would expect that it will take a few years for west-bound passenger traffic to develop, as people in West Lothian refocus on the job market in Lanarkshire and Glasgow.

 

[rail-britain]

Very impressed: few things spring to mind

What about the speed restriction and subsidence
Did you notice this?

 

[ADRboy]

Speed restriction was very noticeable when i travelled a few weeks ago, It'll be fixed though so no major issues. Timing for trains running to Glasgow seems a bit dodgy since the line opened, hopefully they can sort that out.

Passenger usage will probably improve when the 4 tph (and 6 between Airdrie and Glasgow I hear!) begins with the new timetable. Would use it over the GLQ high level service to Edinburgh, more chance of a seat!

 

[rail-britain]

Would use it over the GLQ high level service to Edinburgh, more chance of a seat!

Seating (in Standard) would be of almost the same standard when you sit in the 2+2 seating of the Class 334
The only thing missing would be a table

 

[Blindtraveler]

Seating (in Standard) would be of almost the same standard when you sit in the 2+2 seating of the Class 334
The only thing missing would be a table

have already used it for several EDB - GLQ runs and yes if seated 2 plus 2 its absolutely fine and journey time woant be that bad when semi fasts come in propperly. Wil the track works in West Lothian take long? Is it a weekend job?