Potential of a new Kirkliston station

[och aye]

I was wondering how viable it would be to open a new Kirkliston station off Queensferry Road, as part of the Almond chord (if it ever gets built)?

 

[waverley47]

If and when the Almond Chord ever gets built, it will be to divide frequencies across the north and south lines at Haymarket. It's most likely that they'd want to be able to do that 'on the fly', so building a station on the chord seems counterproductive, as you're locking in trains to serve either the north or south set of lines.

Additionally, there are only so many services, and any train calling at Kirkliston is one that doesn't call at Winchburgh, which has a bigger catchment, and helpfully, has a regular service that could be stopped tomorrow if the station opened.

There's never been a station there, because there's never been a way for trains to get to Edinburgh without reversing, and until you built such a way, there's no point of trying to invent a regular service between Glasgow and Fife to serve what basically amounts to 10,000 people and some farmland.

 

[AlastairFraser]

I was wondering how viable it would be to open a new Kirkliston station off Queensferry Road, as part of the Almond chord (if it ever gets built)?

View attachment 172535

There was a proposal for a western tram branch from Ingliston Park and Ride to Ratho Station and Newbridge, it may well be a good idea to extend this to Kirkliston instead via the old railway path (several times the population), especially if the tram extension from Newhaven up the Roseburn Path and round a western curve by Haymarket TMD got built.

 

[och aye]

If and when the Almond Chord ever gets built, it will be to divide frequencies across the north and south lines at Haymarket. It's most likely that they'd want to be able to do that 'on the fly', so building a station on the chord seems counterproductive, as you're locking in trains to serve either the north or south set of lines.

Additionally, there are only so many services, and any train calling at Kirkliston is one that doesn't call at Winchburgh, which has a bigger catchment, and helpfully, has a regular service that could be stopped tomorrow if the station opened.

There's never been a station there, because there's never been a way for trains to get to Edinburgh without reversing, and until you built such a way, there's no point of trying to invent a regular service between Glasgow and Fife to serve what basically amounts to 10,000 people and some farmland.

Thanks for your insight.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jan 2025 ==

There was a proposal for a western tram branch from Ingliston Park and Ride to Ratho Station and Newbridge, it may well be a good idea to extend this to Kirkliston instead via the old railway path (several times the population), especially if the tram extension from Newhaven up the Roseburn Path and round a western curve by Haymarket TMD got built.

I think that the council have now dropped the long-term plan of extending the line out to Ratho and Newbridge and instead look at a branch line going out to Heriot-Watt University and Curriehill station. Although I doubt we'll see any (is any) movement on that idea until well into the 2030s.

 

[AlastairFraser]

I think that the council have now dropped the long-term plan of extending the line out to Ratho and Newbridge and instead look at a branch line going out to Heriot-Watt University and Curriehill station. Although I doubt we'll see any (is any) movement on that idea until well into the 2030s.

Silly really, that branch heading on further towards Kirkliston will probably be a lot easier to implement than a branch towards Heriot Watt, but good luck to them.

 

[waverley47]

Silly really, that branch heading on further towards Kirkliston will probably be a lot easier to implement than a branch towards Heriot Watt, but good luck to them.

Very true, but a route to Herriot Watt would serve more people and make more money.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Very true, but a route to Herriot Watt would serve more people and make more money.

How much will it cost though?!

 

[waverley47]

How much will it cost though?!

Oh it would cost a lot more, but it's also much more likely to be able to pay back any loan taken out to build it. There's not really that much out at Newbridge or Kirkliston or Ratho.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Oh it would cost a lot more, but it's also much more likely to be able to pay back any loan taken out to build it. There's not really that much out at Newbridge or Kirkliston or Ratho.

Although a P&R closer to the M9 would add more capacity for commuters, especially those from e.g Broxburn/Uphall.