West Highland line closed

[bailey65]

According to the local paper it looks like the loco will have to be broken up.
I would have thought they could have cleared the wagons to unblock the route and close the line to recover the loco say on a sunday when there is the least timetabled traffic like 2 trains a day.
This would release the sleeper stock stuck at fort william and restore a service on this route.

 

[GB]

According to the local paper it looks like the loco will have to be broken up.
I would have thought they could have cleared the wagons to unblock the route and close the line to recover the loco say on a sunday when there is the least timetabled traffic like 2 trains a day.
This would release the sleeper stock stuck at fort william and restore a service on this route.

I believe this is exactly what they are doing. Rerailing and removing 5 of the 7 remaining wagons, fixing the pway and opening the line with a speed restriction with the loco and last two wagons being recovered at a later date.

As previously mentioned, Wednesday 11th July is the loose estimate for reopening.

 

[4SRKT]

This means I will be able to view the devastation for myself when I pass on 19th July! As I'll be on the seated sleeper I'll be able to lean out and get a photo

 

[fgwrich]

Over on WNXX forum, it's being reported as:

Been told that 66734 will officialy be written off by insurers today.
Traction motors,etc and other salvageable parts will be removed and rest cut up on site. Nameplates will be removed and returned to HQ prior to being fitted to another 66.

Five of the seven PCA wagons are derailed on the trackbed will be re-railed this week after embankment & hillside stabilized and made safe.Rock fences being installed.

The loco+two PCA wagons were not part of the line re-opening project in any case.

So it looks like GB are down a 66 now then.

 

[142094]

Wonder if it is the actual condition of the loco that has made it a right-off, or just its location, would be good to know.

 

[ainsworth74]

Is this one of the longest closures of an important line in UK rail history?

Is really an important line? I'm sure it's important to the people that use it but in the wider context of GB?

 

[Liam]

Is really an important line? I'm sure it's important to the people that use it but in the wider context of GB?

I think you've answered your own question there.

 

[Whistler40145]

Why is ScotRail running a Rail Replacement Bus from Glasgow Queen Street to Fort William & not from somewhere like Dumbarton Central?

It seems a bit daft to me when only part of the route isn't accessible by rail.


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[4SRKT]

Why is ScotRail running a Rail Replacement Bus from Glasgow Queen Street to Fort William & not from somewhere like Dumbarton Central?

It seems a bit daft to me when only part of the route isn't accessible by rail.


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Having been on a rail replacement bus on Friday I can back this up. It took ages to get in from Dalmuir. Much better to terminate it at Helensburgh Central IMHO. May need fewer buses as well.

 

[Whistler40145]

Only reason I was making comment that on BBC One Text service this morning was giving info of a Rail Replacement Bus throughout from Glasgow Queen Street to Fort William.

I also wonder what the overall journey time would be by road versus train, knowing that most of the rail route north of Crianlarich isn't accessible by road.


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[4SRKT]

We were five minutes early at Queen Street despite taking 3/4 hour in from Dalmuir. The train is very, very slow. Another reason, apart from cost, to only run the bus between FW and Helensburgh. It would certainly be quicker as well as cheaper.

 

[sprinterguy]

Wonder if it is the actual condition of the loco that has made it a right-off, or just its location, would be good to know.

67002 was brought back from a worse condition than that after it's accident near Bristol in 2001(?) - Bogies ripped off, one cab end stove in, probably all other manner of structural stresses and gouges inflicted on it too - And the derailment of 66048 at Carrbridge more recently strikes me as being comparable to the severity and nature of this latest incident, as it also slithered down a steep embankment with thick tree cover, taking out a few on the way. That would suggest to me that if 66734 is a write off then it is primarily down to its' inconvenient location.

(And I have a fair few words to eat in relation to a previous post of mine suggesting it would be recovered! )

 

[ainsworth74]

I think you've answered your own question there.

So I take it then that the definition of an important line is that it's important to the people that use it? In which case why don't we double track, electrify and increase the frequency of services on the Esk Valley Line to Whitby? After all it's an important line.

If you look again my question was is the WHL really an important line in the wider context of GB?

 

[reb0118]

If you look again my question was is the WHL really an important line in the wider context of GB?

Well if those pesky Jacobites ever feel up to a new rebellion the line might come in handy getting government troops up to the Fort?

 

[4SRKT]

The Calder Valley line was closed for much longer than this after the Summit Tunnel fire.

 

[38Cto15E]

ECML was closed for a long while at Cocksburnpath when the Penmanshiel tunnel collapsed.

 

[Skymonster]

67002 was brought back from a worse condition than that after it's accident near Bristol in 2001(?) - Bogies ripped off, one cab end stove in, probably all other manner of structural stresses and gouges inflicted on it too - And the derailment of 66048 at Carrbridge more recently strikes me as being comparable to the severity and nature of this latest incident, as it also slithered down a steep embankment with thick tree cover, taking out a few on the way. That would suggest to me that if 66734 is a write off then it is primarily down to its' inconvenient location.

Seems like off 66734 isn't a write-off yet - same source quoted above now suggesting that the decision hasn't been made.

And as far as 66048 is concerned, even though it was recovered its never been repaired - its still sitting outside at Toton.

Andy

 

[ushawk]

Think the line between Cambridge and Ipswich was closed for a few months when the bridge over the river collapsed while a freight was crossing it several years ago.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

I wouldn't have thought there is a rush to recover 66734. It could be left there for several weeks while they plan its recovery.
NR cranes at 75 tonnes each could be a bit too small. Probably could do with two 150 tonne rail cranes.
One method could be to make a ramp at a suitable nearby road location - load a road crane onto a flat bed wagon and take it by rail and similarly unload at the crash site.

 

[General Zod]

You would have thought that it would be in their best interests to get the expired loco removed and the line re-opened , especially with the summer holidays rapidly approaching.

 

[Maxfly]

You would have thought that it would be in their best interests to get the expired loco removed and the line re-opened , especially with the summer holidays rapidly approaching.

That is their general idea, get rid of wagons that are 'easily' recoverable then secure remaining wagons and loco and get line ope with a view to recovering those still in situ once a full plan has been formulated

 

[4SRKT]

You would have thought that it would be in their best interests to get the expired loco removed and the line re-opened , especially with the summer holidays rapidly approaching.

The loco itself isn't blocking the line though. All that needs to happen to get the line open is move the wagons and repair the trackbed/rails.

 

[lemonic]

Think the line between Cambridge and Ipswich was closed for a few months when the bridge over the river collapsed while a freight was crossing it several years ago.

That was actually the Ipswich-Peterborough line with no direct trains between Bury St Edmunds and Ely for quite a few months. I think the bridge affected was very close to Ely station.

 

[General Zod]

The loco itself isn't blocking the line though. All that needs to happen to get the line open is move the wagons and repair the trackbed/rails.

Do they intend to move the loco by rail or huge lorry trailers ? Are there any roads close by which could accommodate the large load ?

 

[sprinterguy]

I wouldn't have thought there is a rush to recover 66734. It could be left there for several weeks while they plan its recovery.
NR cranes at 75 tonnes each could be a bit too small. Probably could do with two 150 tonne rail cranes.
One method could be to make a ramp at a suitable nearby road location - load a road crane onto a flat bed wagon and take it by rail and similarly unload at the crash site.

Would a flat bed wagon be large enough to accomodate a crane (or two cranes) hefty enough to lift a heavy class 66 loco? And would they fit within the restricted West Highland loading gauge? Maybe it's perfectly possible, but those cranes always seem massive to me.

 

[Donny Dave]

Do they intend to move the loco by rail or huge lorry trailers ? Are there any roads close by which could accommodate the large load ?

The nearest road is approx 3 miles away, while the nearest road suitable for getting the heavy equipment to the scene is approx 6 miles away.

 

[4SRKT]

I guess they will remove the loco in railway wagons, after they have chopped it up into little bits!

 

[ushawk]

That was actually the Ipswich-Peterborough line with no direct trains between Bury St Edmunds and Ely for quite a few months. I think the bridge affected was very close to Ely station.

Ah, my mistake, thought i got something wrong !

 

[Uitlander]

I wanted to post a quick update and thank people here for their suggestions. As a result of this I am now routed on the sleeper to Glasgow Central, and then on from Glasgow Queen Street to Oban, with my bike booked through all the way. Much kudos and thanks has to go to Colin and Terri in their customer support section, and thanks to you guys for suggesting the option in the first place.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

The loco itself isn't blocking the line though. All that needs to happen to get the line open is move the wagons and repair the trackbed/rails.

A lot of stabilisation work needed on the terrain above the line - which caused the landslip in the first place.