25 years of the railways in Scotland since the Scottish Parliament reopening

[Gathursty]

2023-present: 2 people from Stockport successfully speed up the Far North Line by causing a massive legal headache for Transport Scotland, Police Scotland and Highland Council with their antics at Altnabreac Station.

 

[fandroid]

Altogether a much brighter story than the stop-go farce in England. A huge amount of money has been wasted here by vacillating politicians with unfounded beliefs in the value of an almost total fragmentation of a system that always works better when unified.

 

[BlueLeanie]

Wasn't Edinburgh Park developer funded with a long and drawn out process that resulted in a 2 platform station when BR (it took a while!) wanted a 4 road station to enable express services to overtake the stoppers?

Also wasn't Alloa just a happy consequence of the freight line to Longannet being un-mothballed on the cheap to keep the lights on?

 

[scosutsut]

2019 - second platform added at Dunbar

 

[GordonT]

Deployment of HSTs on the longer distance inter-city routes?

 

[IndianPacific]

I would agree with this statement if we were solely talking about the passenger railway. Sadly since 1982 freight traffic continues to contract, although in saying that it is more to do with the traditional rail using industries dissapearing.

While not the biggest project, would it be worth adding the Highland Spring terminal (opened 2023) to the list?

Not really a new connection but there are upgrades going on at Mossend (MIRF) to accommodate more intermodal traffic, they’ve had some government funding.

I think Russell’s Ravenscraig proposal was refused planning permission by the local authority, hopefully they appeal it To a higher level.

So it feels like there are glimmers of hope on the intermodal front at least!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Anyone mentioned the re-opening of Beauly as a modest (one coach length station ?) ..........any traffic on that line is / was worthwhile............

 

[och aye]

Anyone mentioned the re-opening of Beauly as a modest (one coach length station ?) ..........any traffic on that line is / was worthwhile............

It's mentioned on the first post under events that happened in 2002.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

It's mentioned on the first post under events that happened in 2002.

Thank you !

 

[Sealink]

Is it worth mentioning the new kiosks on Far North Line at Scotscalder etc. where boarding passengers now alert the driver electronically, potentially speeding up services?

 

[D6130]

Is it worth mentioning the new kiosks on Far North Line at Scotscalder etc. where boarding passengers now alert the driver electronically, potentially speeding up services?

Yes, definitely....but probably best not to mention Altnabreac!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I notice the list of improvements since 2000 doesn't include the routes to England via the WCML/ECML.
These may not be Scotrail projects but they certainly involve Network Rail Scotland north of Carlisle/Berwick, and substantial investment.
Including:
- 125mph tilting trains on the WCML, with increased London frequencies (hourly to Glasgow in the 2008 VHF timetable
- improved speeds/frequencies on the WCML to Edinburgh via Carstairs (including the recent junction upgrade), essentially to hourly
- bi-mode trains running north of Edinburgh from the ECML, and an increased frequency to London (LNER)

 

[BlueLeanie]

I notice the list of improvements since 2000 doesn't include the routes to England via the WCML/ECML.
These may not be Scotrail projects but they certainly involve Network Rail Scotland north of Carlisle/Berwick, and substantial investment.
Including:
- tilting trains on the WCML, with increased London frequencies (hourly to Glasgow in the 2008 VHF timetable
- improved speeds/frequencies on the WCML to Edinburgh via Carstairs (including the recent junction upgrade), essentially to hourly
- bi-mode trains running north of Edinburgh from the ECML, and an increased frequency to London (LNER)

When you include tenuous elements like that, shouldn't you also include the negatives of slashing of direct services from Scotland to destinations in England and the withdrawl of long-distance off-peak rail tickets to/from Scotland priced by Cross Country. It's now impossible to get to Edinburgh on a standard off-peak ticket on an XC service from Birmingham that arrives before 3pm.

 

[GordonT]

There were substantial enhancements to platform capacity at Edinburgh Waverley involving additional platforms and extensions to platforms over the past decade together with escalator provision.

2002 - Traincrew depot opened at Dumfries.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

When you include tenuous elements like that, shouldn't you also include the negatives of slashing of direct services from Scotland to destinations in England and the withdrawl of long-distance off-peak rail tickets to/from Scotland priced by Cross Country. It's now impossible to get to Edinburgh on a standard off-peak ticket on an XC service from Birmingham that arrives before 3pm.

You can reach Edinburgh by 1219 (0807 ex Birmingham) on an Avanti off-peak ticket (also cheaper than XC).

I wouldn't call the WCML VHF timetable a "tenuous improvement" for Scotland.
Granted Avanti/TPE services have deteriorated since 2019.

 

[matchmaker]

Wasn't Edinburgh Park developer funded with a long and drawn out process that resulted in a 2 platform station when BR (it took a while!) wanted a 4 road station to enable express services to overtake the stoppers?

Also wasn't Alloa just a happy consequence of the freight line to Longannet being un-mothballed on the cheap to keep the lights on?

No. Longannet was not at any point mothballed. One consequence of the SAK reopening was to take the Longannet coal trains off the Forth Bridge. Alloa passenger numbers hugely exceeded estimates.

 

[BlueLeanie]

No. Longannet was not at any point mothballed. One consequence of the SAK reopening was to take the Longannet coal trains off the Forth Bridge. Alloa passenger numbers hugely exceeded estimates.

Reading through the Google searches, as far as I can see, the Stirling to Dunfermline route was indeed mothballed.

The purpose of the reopening of the SAK route was to take coal trains off the Forth Bridge, and the consequence was the ability to reopen Alloa station. Not the other way round.

 

[waverley47]

Reading through the Google searches, as far as I can see, the Stirling to Dunfermline route was indeed mothballed.

The purpose of the reopening of the SAK route was to take coal trains off the Forth Bridge, and the consequence was the ability to reopen Alloa station. Not the other way round.

No. Longannet was not at any point mothballed. One consequence of the SAK reopening was to take the Longannet coal trains off the Forth Bridge. Alloa passenger numbers hugely exceeded estimates.

The previous route for the coal trains was either from Leith Docks/Blindwells, around the Edinburgh Sub and across the bridge, or from Hunterston, via most of central Scotland, and the Winchburgh Chord.

The increase of services on the Falkirk High and Stirling routes meant that it was no longer feasible to timetable coal trains across Winchburgh Junction, and the looming opening of the Airdrie-Bathgate route meant that it was no longer feasible to timetable trains from the Edinburgh Sub, across the E&G route on the flat, and onto the Fife lines.

There were also issues with the weight across the Forth Bridge, with an expected reduction in the permanent speed restriction.

Reopening the mothballed Kincardine line (mothballed somewhere between 1985-1995, but I can't find the last train to navigate the whole route) was a very simple fix. The route from Paisley to Glasgow was also upgraded during this time, to speed up trains from Hunterston along that section.

Alloa was always a happy accident, however as it has turned out, it was a very very happy accident indeed.

 

[Railsigns]

Reading through the Google searches, as far as I can see, the Stirling to Dunfermline route was indeed mothballed.

Excluding the portion of line between Kincardine and Dunfermline.

 

[156421]

Is it worth mentioning the new kiosks on Far North Line at Scotscalder etc. where boarding passengers now alert the driver electronically, potentially speeding up services?

Is it materially any different to the system employed at St. Bees Golf Halt in 1914?

 

[d9009alycidon]

Much as the improvements to internal rail services have been welcome, without a truly integrated public transport system these improvements will not achieve the aim of reducing the current reliance on car use. The Scottish bus service network is a shambles and the Scottish Government need to instigate an in depth project to ensure that the buses work together with the expanded rail network to provide an effective system.

 

[Sealink]

Is it materially any different to the system employed at St. Bees Golf Halt in 1914?

Did that station have a computer screen with upcoming departures with a call system that transmitted to the train?

 

[GordonT]

Have we had the removal of "peak" fares from October 2023 until at least June 2024 which seems quite a bold move. Is anything similar currently in place anywhere south of the border?

 

[Speed43125]

Have we had the removal of "peak" fares from October 2023 until at least June 2024 which seems quite a bold move. Is anything similar currently in place anywhere south of the border?

I suspect they'll be watching this trial to see what comes of it. I note we have heard nothing on passenger numbers since it began, but we await the eventual result.

 

[Carntyne]

Will Transport Scotland be able to restore peak fares? I doubt it given the Government's absolute fear of negative headlines.

 

[Class 170101]

I hope that Transport Scotland will focus on wiring most of their existing lines in the next few years.

 

[Buzby]

Will Transport Scotland be able to restore peak fares? I doubt it given the Government's absolute fear of negative headlines.

Considering they introduced it as a promotion there’s nothing to restore as it times out on the due date (unless extended, of course). As for a fear I’d adverse reaction, what would make this any more special than - say - banning the influx of Bully dogs or the deposit return scheme?

 

[snowball]

I hope that Transport Scotland will focus on wiring most of their existing lines in the next few years.

The original plan in 2020 was to do most of the network by 2035 but the financial situation has drastically worsened. It's going to take a lot longer than that. We're still waiting for the "refresh" to the plan that was first promised for spring 2023, then "by the end of 2023".

 

[clc]

A third track was laid between Shields Junction and Arkleston to increase capacity between Glasgow Central and Paisley Gilmour Street, originally as part of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link project. I can’t recall the exact date but was something around 2015.
This allowed the Glasgow to Ayr service frequency to be doubled to 4tph though this was subsequently reversed in the Fit for the Future cuts.

Paisley Corridor Improvements. Quite a major project, cost £170 million. Included 2 new platforms at Central: https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/paisley-corridor/?cf-view&cf-closed

 

[kaysha]

The original plan in 2020 was to do most of the network by 2035 but the financial situation has drastically worsened. It's going to take a lot longer than that. We're still waiting for the "refresh" to the plan that was first promised for spring 2023, then "by the end of 2023".

It's going to take two years to complete the few miles up to East Kilbride. I can't see much else starting much before 2026. Hope I'm wrong