Carstairs Overhead Line Equipment renewals and upgrade

[The Puddock]

An interesting move I witnessed this morning at Midcalder was 1M09 0740 GLC - EUS being looped in the Up Shotts at EJ720 and 1V56 0748 GLC - BRI passing it, signalled wrong direction, on the Down Shotts and on to the Down Midcalder as normal. After 1V56 had passed, 1M09 proceeded forward to EJ703 on the Down Midcalder before changing ends and setting off from EJ982 as usual.

It’s very rare these days to see the bi-direction part of the Down Shotts at Midcalder being used (though this move will occur every day during the works), and even rarer to see EJ718 lit as it’s normally unlit.

It’s been a good stroke of foresight that maintained the ability to use that last little section of the Up Shotts as a loop when the junction was reconfigured to double lead a few years ago.

The had a good, very experienced Ops man on the project team.

 

[Chris Hamilton]

The had a good, very experienced Ops man on the project team.

Good to hear, too often in the past a lot of these projects have taken place without heeding the input from the ground.

 

[och aye]

A video of someone passing the upgraded South Junction:

https://twitter.com/mainbranchlines/status/1639212736612560896

 

[Huntergreed]

I passed over it again today.

The 40mph feels almost unnaturally fast for a curve that tight, it’s quite impressive!

https://twitter.com/dmtravel3/status/1640349966240567296?s=46&t=gux8jV-239P7vFWJRyru_A

 

[Scotrail88]

I passed over it again today.

The 40mph feels almost unnaturally fast for a curve that tight, it’s quite impressive!

https://twitter.com/dmtravel3/status/1640349966240567296?s=46&t=gux8jV-239P7vFWJRyru_A

Looks like a TSR on the exit onto WCM, so maybe not full increase as yet? Might need final tamping works before speeds realised.

Will be massive to see the benefits on the mainline with 50 > 110 increase

 

[adamedwards]

Wow! Makes me think of when Kings Cross reopened with the faster line speeds trains were zipping in and out at what felt like crazy speeds.
Defintiely supports the rule that dealing with the really low speed crossings and junctions is often more important than top speeds for improving journey times.

I've added a thread in the Speculative section for this.

 

[najaB]

Defintiely supports the rule that dealing with the really low speed crossings and junctions is often more important than top speeds for improving journey times.

Oh, without a doubt. If for no other reason that slow speed restrictions affect all trains where top speed increases affect some trains.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Will be massive to see the benefits on the mainline with 50 > 110 increase

Noting of course the 50mph has been a long running TSR whilst the actual line speed increase is 'only' 20/15mph, 90mph having been the line speed for almost 50 years since electrification in 1974 (or possibly slightly before that) and in parts more recently (circa 20 years ago?) increased to 95mph.

 

[snowball]

Pictures of work at Carstairs have been posted by @OB23Gone in post #1302 of EK and Barrhead thread.

 

[cle]

How much in journey time will the TSR lifting to 110mph equate to? 1 min? Or maybe 2?

 

[Bald Rick]

How much in journey time will the TSR lifting to 110mph equate to? 1 min? Or maybe 2?

If you mean the PSR on the through route between Glasgow and Gretna, it’s from 90 to 110 for a little over a mile. It’s about 10 seconds.

 

[cle]

Looks like a TSR on the exit onto WCM, so maybe not full increase as yet? Might need final tamping works before speeds realised.

Will be massive to see the benefits on the mainline with 50 > 110 increase

I was referring to this. Not as big as it seems?

 

[najaB]

I was referring to this. Not as big as it seems?

But that's not where the bulk of the benefit is coming from. The big win is raising the previous 15mph when leaving/joining the WCML at Carstairs South Junction to 40mph.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

But that's not where the bulk of the benefit is coming from. The big win is raising the previous 15mph when leaving/joining the WCML at Carstairs South Junction to 40mph.

Indeed. That is huge. 15mph is 1 mile in 4 minutes. 40 mph is 1 mile in 1.5 minutes. Two and a half minutes per mile of intervention- massive saving. Going from 90 mph ( 1 mile in 40 seconds) to 120 mph ( 1 mile in 30 seconds) = 10 seconds saved per mile of very expensive intervention and in maintenance costs.

 

[Scotrail88]

Indeed. That is huge. 15mph is 1 mile in 4 minutes. 40 mph is 1 mile in 1.5 minutes. Two and a half minutes per mile of intervention- massive saving. Going from 90 mph ( 1 mile in 40 seconds) to 120 mph ( 1 mile in 30 seconds) = 10 seconds saved per mile of very expensive intervention and in maintenance costs.

That is correct but the 90mph is theory as a PSR of 50mph has been in place for years on the main line.

50 mph to 110 plus the associated slowing / increasing will have a saving

 

[Bald Rick]

That is correct but the 90mph is theory as a PSR of 50mph has been in place for years on the main line.

50 mph to 110 plus the associated slowing / increasing will have a saving

ah I see.

well that isn’t a saving in timetabled times, as (in theory) the delay caused by it is covered by engineering allowances. A 50mph TSR in an otherwise 110mph railway costs about a minute.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

hat is correct but the 90mph is theory as a PSR of 50mph has been in place for years on the main line.

50 mph to 110 plus the associated slowing / increasing will have a saving

The PSR is 90/95 as per the Sectional Appendix, the 50mph has been a long running TSR. Therefore the saving on booked timings will be around 10 secs as per post 101, the timing impact of the 50mph TSR is taken account of in standard Engineering Allowances (even if the actual impact exceeds that allowance).

 

[zwk500]

ah I see.

well that isn’t a saving in timetabled times, as (in theory) the delay caused by it is covered by engineering allowances. A 50mph TSR in an otherwise 110mph railway costs about a minute.

Will be a big help in saving sub-threshold delays though, as it eases the pressure on critical points like Motherwell.

 

[Bald Rick]

Will be a big help in saving sub-threshold delays though, as it eases the pressure on critical points like Motherwell.

oh quite, getting shot of the TSR will be a big help

 

[Cheshire Scot]

In timing terms the main beneficiaries of this scheme are WCML to Edinburgh - crossover up from 30 to 50, south to east curve up from 15 to 40, and Edinburgh towards Motherwell up from 15 to, is is 40?

 

[jfollows]

In timing terms the main beneficiaries of this scheme are WCML to Edinburgh - crossover up from 30 to 50, south to east curve up from 15 to 40, and Edinburgh towards Motherwell up from 15 to, is is 40?

40 going to 60, see post 79 above

 

[zwk500]

In timing terms the main beneficiaries of this scheme are WCML to Edinburgh - crossover up from 30 to 50, south to east curve up from 15 to 40, and Edinburgh towards Motherwell up from 15 to, is is 40?

Don't forget that getting the Edinburgh trains out of the way faster helps everybody else out at the same time.

 

[InOban]

AIR last year's record attempt between EUS and GLC was scuppered by the TSR through Carstairs.

 

[QueensCurve]

Noting of course the 50mph has been a long running TSR whilst the actual line speed increase is 'only' 20/15mph, 90mph having been the line speed for almost 50 years since electrification in 1974 (or possibly slightly before that) and in parts more recently (circa 20 years ago?) increased to 95mph.

90mph on the Up Main in turn required the superelevation of the rail and the 15mph turnout towards edinburgh. The rocking of the stock as you went through it was very memorable from portion working in the 1980s.

I presume that the chord will be used for through services like Crosscountry heading to/from EDB - GLC as will have the overall higher speeds?

Thank you for that. Essentially the station has been segregated from the WCML while access remains if required.

 

[adamedwards]

In terms of track layout putting the station to one side of the fast main lines, Carstairs is now the new Darlington!

 

[Cheshire Scot]

In terms of track layout putting the station to one side of the fast main lines, Carstairs is now the new Darlington!

Also as Dunbar was for many years until the new down platform was provided fairly recently, perhaps there are or were others around the network.

Fortunately in a 'normal' timetable there are I think only two down trains per day from the Carlisle direction which require to cross the up main at Carstairs to access the platform.

 

[zwk500]

Also as Dunbar was for many years until the new down platform was provided fairly recently, perhaps there are or were others around the network.

Malton sort of is, except its not a loop but on the running line.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Moving across the Irish Sea it would be remiss of me to not to mention the former layout at Limerick Junction.

 

[Mollman]

Malton sort of is, except its not a loop but on the running line.

Same for Maryport

 

[Railsigns]

Same for Maryport

Maryport's platform is on a loop line, so not the same as Malton.