Decarbonising Scotland’s Railways

[snowball]

The feeder stations at Elderslie (now known as Ferguslie), Portobello, Newton and Currie are mentioned in the September 2020 Enhancements Delivery Plan Scotland Entry into Service Schedule.

Currie is also mentioned today in post #7 of a new thread https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/edinburgh-south-sub-feasibility-study.236261/

There are longstanding plans for a traditional grid connection at Currie, although whether the new SFC at Portobello will replace this, don't know.

(automerged post)

According to RAIL magazine #964, p. 17, Network Rail is thinking of installing various types of OLE components on the Forth Bridge and leaving them for several years to see which best survive the wet, windy (and presumably salty?) environment before designing a permanent electrification system.

(Also posted on the Haymarket to Dalmeny thread)

 

[GRALISTAIR]

According to RAIL magazine #964, p. 17, Network Rail is thinking of installing various types of OLE components on the Forth Bridge and leaving them for several years to see which best survive the wet, windy (and presumably salty?) environment before designing a permanent electrification system.

(Also posted on the Haymarket to Dalmeny thread)

Presumably, what is learned will also be applied to Tay Bridge.

 

[Altnabreac]

Latest on Grid Feeders locations

1. Kintore (between Inverness and Aberdeen)
2. Elgin (between Inverness and Aberdeen)
3. Beauly (between Inverness and Tain)
4. Drumlithie (between Aberdeen and Dundee)
5. Invergowrie (between Dundee and Perth)
6. Faskally (between Inverness and Perth)
7. Avielochan (between Inverness and Perth)
8. Greenloaning (between Dunblane and Perth)
9. Thornton - the one we all know about in Fife
10. Currie is getting a new FS -
11. Tweedbank - will come from the 132kV supply there
12. Ferguslie --- Virtually complete

I am up to 12 now from various sources and the comments from contributors on this thread

The Dunblane - Aberdeen planning document also lists:
Hilton Junction TSC
Perth MPTSC
Inverkeilor TSC

as well as Drumlithie, Invergowrie and Greenloaning that you already have.

 

[Nottingham59]

if alternative fuels (e.g. biodiesel) were suitable for rail then we'd likely have switched over to them already. CNG might not be as common here but it is reasonably well established technology in other regions of the world.

I don't think that a given at all. The train operator has no financial incentive to use HVO or CNG biogas, and tight margins in the franchse model mean that there is no spare cash for green add ons if they weren't in the original franchise specfication. And DfT / SG haven't, so far, written requirements to use low-carbon / non-fossil fuels into any franchise specfications.

SG could write their 2024 specification for rolling stock for the Scottish rural lines in a way which does not favour any particular zero-carbon technology, but I fear they have already decided on Hydrogen as the way forward.

 

[snowball]

I need to get some sleep but I have discovered a new document with info about electrification and other schemes in Scotland. I will post a link on Sunday (Edit: I've now created this thread in Infrastructure and Stations). Among other things it confirms that the six new feeder stations covered by the contract signed in the summer are, in probable order of commissioning, Ferguslie (still referred to as Elderslie in the document), Currie, Newton, Tweedbank and, tieing for fifth and sixth places in Nov 2024, Portobello and Thornton. The FS at Portobello will replace the existing one.

 

[clc]

Lecture by Bill Reeve of Transport Scotland explaining Scotland’s railway strategy:

 

[NotATrainspott]

Lecture by Bill Reeve of Transport Scotland explaining Scotland’s railway strategy:

It's a very interesting lecture. I think it's mostly a summary of things already released to the public but it focuses on the overarching story of decarbonisation and improving railway finances.

A very important point is that rail decarbonisation isn't really about reducing rail emissions, but actually about making rail more competitive against road for freight and passenger transport. Full electrification is the plan, because it's necessary to allow electrified rail freight. This will be a major factor in why Dunblane to Aberdeen is being prioritised for traditional complete electrification, while passenger-dominated routes like Fife will use BEMUs.

The operating costs per vehicle-mile are also quite important.

Operating Costs (£ per vehicle mile)	Diesel (DMU)	Battery-electric (BEMU)	Electric (EMU)	Hydrogen (estimated)
Fuel/energy	0.47	0.35	0.32	0.97
Track Access (NR)	0.11	0.11	0.09	0.12
Maintenance	1.36	0.97	0.80	0.97
Total	1.94	1.43	1.21	2.26

I can't see hydrogen being the solution for the alternative traction lines like the West Highland with figures like these. Electrification is presented as a way to reduce long-term subsidy on other lines. When the focus is on decarbonisation of transport as a whole, the priority has to be on taking cars off the A82/A85 rather than gimmicky zero-carbon trains. If the easiest way to do that in the short term is to continue with DMUs, then so be it. The old Scotland Route Study suggested big improvements to the WHL, with 1tph to Crianlarich splitting into 1p2h to Oban and Fort William. Frequency like that will be crucial to get people out of cars, and a frequency like that would probably weigh against hydrogen, given that higher frequencies favour more fixed infrastructure investment and lower unit costs.

 

[tbtc]

Full electrification is the plan, because it's necessary to allow electrified rail freight. This will be a major factor in why Dunblane to Aberdeen is being prioritised for traditional complete electrification, while passenger-dominated routes like Fife will use BEMUs

If this attracts significant numbers of freight trains a week then fair enough but I do worry that those in charge put more weighting on occasional freight trains than a passenger service that may be clockface hourly, maybe because “getting those pesky slow trucks off the A90 to make the road nicer for motorists like me” is a more acceptable plan to sell to the general public than “getting motorists like me off the A90”

In hindsight, maybe taking freight off the Forth Bridge was a hollow victory, since the lack of freight trains means that Fife is less of a priority for proper electrification… but the recent cuts to passenger frequency means that the paths freed up by removing the freight aren’t currently being used

The old Scotland Route Study suggested big improvements to the WHL, with 1tph to Crianlarich splitting into 1p2h to Oban and Fort William

Interesting, is there much infrastructure required to permit that, or could the line south of Crainlarich cope with hourly services without any new loops?

 

[clc]

Regarding the operating costs per vehicle-mile for EMUs/BEMUs, am I right in thinking that these do not reflect the capital cost of constructing the electrification infrastructure?

 

[Energy]

Regarding the operating costs per vehicle-mile for EMUs/BEMUs, am I right in thinking that these do not reflect the capital cost of constructing the electrification infrastructure?

No this is the operating cost. Capital wise BEMUs cost more to buy outright. They also make the business case for full electrification more difficult as there is less saving in operating costs compared to DMU to electrification.

Not too much of a problem, they still run on electricity.

 

[Bald Rick]

They also make the business case for full electrification more difficult as there is less saving in operating costs compared to DMU to electrification.

They make the business case a lot better than electrification in some cases though - particularly so where the number of services are relatively few.

 

[Energy]

They make the business case a lot better than electrification in some cases though - particularly so where the number of services are relatively few.

Agreed, hydrogen will be the difficult one.

 

[chorleyjeff]

Noticed these ‘Rail Demand Assumptions’ on pages 123-125 of the Zero Emission Energy for Transport Report published last month:


Here’s a link to the report: https://www.transport.gov.scot/medi...nd-forecasts-for-electricity-and-hydrogen.pdf

The scenarios referred to are on pages 60-62.

Decarbonise the railway thereby producing CO2 elsewhere

 

[najaB]

Decarbonise the railway thereby producing CO2 elsewhere

That depends entirely on how the electricity or hydrogen is produced.

And in any case centralised generation is more efficient than distributed.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Lecture by Bill Reeve of Transport Scotland explaining Scotland’s railway strategy:

Interesting presentation thanks for posting.

Its great their commitment to decarbonising rail although given it only represent 1.2% of Scottish emissions you have to wonder at the value of pushing rail so much given buses representing 3.4% of emissions they would be doing more there.

Figures on the various options on power are interesting and whilst hydrogen is not unsurprisingly the most expensive its not that far away from diesel and given the efforts going into hydrogen production and infrastructure it maybe become as competitive as diesel. Anyhow i can't see BEMUs being viable on the North lines without fast charge infrastructure which is problematic getting high power connections off rural electrification networks.

 

[Bald Rick]

Anyhow i can't see BEMUs being viable on the North lines without fast charge infrastructure which is problematic getting high power connections off rural electrification networks.

Plenty of high power grid all over the wilds of Scotland to distribute power from various hydro and wind farms. By far the biggest gap without a nearby 33kV or better is the 60 miles from Crianlarich to Torlundy on the West Highland line. And even then, there’s nothing to stop a local battery trickle charge system.

 

[gingertom]

Plenty of high power grid all over the wilds of Scotland to distribute power from various hydro and wind farms. By far the biggest gap without a nearby 33kV or better is the 60 miles from Crianlarich to Torlundy on the West Highland line. And even then, there’s nothing to stop a local battery trickle charge system.

OS maps suggests there's power grid criss-crossing the WHL more or less the entire way to both Oban and Ft William. Accessing it is a different matter through. Big question: how much capacity would actually be needed? More than a 40MW SFC at Ardlui/Crianlarich, Dalmally and Spean Bridge?

 

[najaB]

Plenty of high power grid all over the wilds of Scotland to distribute power from various hydro and wind farms.

I reckon some days the wind plant operators might pay the railway to take their excess power!

 

[Bald Rick]

I reckon some days the wind plant operators might pay the railway to take their excess power!

They would have done this last week, for sure !

At full power, one modern offshore turbine produces enough power in a day to run about 40x4 car units for a day.

 

[numtot12345]

Scotland Green Freeports have been announced on the Firth of Forth, and Cromarty Firth.

Cromarty Firth and Forth to host first green freeports

The UK and Scottish governments announce that Cromarty Firth and Forth bids have been successful.

www.bbc.co.uk

What opportunities, if anything, does the Cromarty Firth Green Freeport mean for the Far North Line? Apparently 25,000 jobs to be created up that neck of the woods so would think that would help the case for future Decarbonisation and associated freight capacity investment between Inverness and Invergordon/Tain (which I'm sure was set out in the Decarb Plan) - both in terms of passenger demand, but also for freight if the Green Freeport means any movement of freight (though given it's a freeport probably has to stay in that location). Coupled with that, possibly helps case as well for Inverness-CB improvements.

Seems odd they would not go for North East given existing skills base and infrastructure (And ultimately electrication Aberdeen-CB work etc.) however this is probably not the appropriate forum to comment on that.

 

[takno]

Scotland Green Freeports have been announced on the Firth of Forth, and Cromarty Firth.

Cromarty Firth and Forth to host first green freeports

The UK and Scottish governments announce that Cromarty Firth and Forth bids have been successful.

www.bbc.co.uk

What opportunities, if anything, does the Cromarty Firth Green Freeport mean for the Far North Line? Apparently 25,000 jobs to be created up that neck of the woods so would think that would help the case for future Decarbonisation and associated freight capacity investment between Inverness and Invergordon/Tain (which I'm sure was set out in the Decarb Plan) - both in terms of passenger demand, but also for freight if the Green Freeport means any movement of freight (though given it's a freeport probably has to stay in that location). Coupled with that, possibly helps case as well for Inverness-CB improvements.

Seems odd they would not go for North East given existing skills base and infrastructure (And ultimately electrication Aberdeen-CB work etc.) however this is probably not the appropriate forum to comment on that.

I'd have to reluctantly agree with the Scottish Greens on Freeports. In terms of domestic transport though I'd say they won't generate much - the whole point is that they operate as places which are outside the country for goods, which mostly head in and out on boats, but employ people from the local area. Might be good for local bus services, but that's about it.

 

[najaB]

In terms of domestic transport though I'd say they won't generate much - the whole point is that they operate as places which are outside the country for goods, which mostly head in and out on boats, but employ people from the local area. Might be good for local bus services, but that's about it.

Well, yes and no. It depends on what companies in the freeport are doing. If they are combining UK-supplied raw materials/components with imported raw materials/components and exporting the finished product then there may well be inward transport requirements. What there won't be is much flowing out from the freeport to the rest of the UK.

 

[numtot12345]

Thanks both for your responses, very useful.

 

[snowball]

Humza Yousaf has won the SNP election to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as party leader and will almost certainly become First Minister this week. I don't follow Scottish domestic politics closely but my impression from articles I have read is that this is the best result for the continuation of the rail decarbonisation programme.

At the same time the programme may have to be slowed down in view of the rapid inflation we're seeing.

I imagine he'll be conducting a cabinet reshuffle and we'll know in a few days who gets (or keeps) the transport and finance portfolios. The coalition with the Greens seems likely to survive - it might not have done if a different candidate had won.

The original decarbonisation policy document states that the policy will be reviewed in spring 2023, which means any time now, but it may well be that the review itself has been delayed, either by Sturgeon's resignation or the cost of living crisis or both.

I've been looking forward to this review for some time as I hope it will include some timescales for the next lines to follow Barrhead/EK/Fife/Tweedbank, and maybe some thoughts on BEMU specifications and numbers.

 

[numtot12345]

Humza Yousaf has won the SNP election to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as party leader and will almost certainly become First Minister this week. I don't follow Scottish domestic politics closely but my impression from articles I have read is that this is the best result for the continuation of the rail decarbonisation programme.

At the same time the programme may have to be slowed down in view of the rapid inflation we're seeing.

I imagine he'll be conducting a cabinet reshuffle and we'll know in a few days who gets (or keeps) the transport and finance portfolios. The coalition with the Greens seems likely to survive - it might not have done if a different candidate had won.

The original decarbonisation policy document states that the policy will be reviewed in spring 2023, which means any time now, but it may well be that the review itself has been delayed, either by Sturgeon's resignation or the cost of living crisis or both.

I've been looking forward to this review for some time as I hope it will include some timescales for the next lines to follow Barrhead/EK/Fife/Tweedbank, and maybe some thoughts on BEMU specifications and numbers.

Any word on that document if it's been released yet? Not seen anything online.

 

[snowball]

Any word on that document if it's been released yet? Not seen anything online.

I think we'd have heard. I won't be surprised if it doesn't appear for several months. I have no inside knowledge but even before Sturgeon resigned I was expecting it to be late.

In Yousaf's first cabinet list it was not even clear who was responsible for transport, but now we know it's Kevin Stewart, within the department headed by Màiri McAllan.

 

[snowball]

Readers of the early pages of this thread may recall that under a £120M contract announced last year, six new feeder stations are to be installed in central Scotland and the Borders over the next few years, of which one, known originally as Elderslie and now as Ferguslie, has already been installed (and I assume is operational by now).

According to the document linked in the first post of this thread, the next one due is at Currie.

There seems to be a feeder station there already, which I assume dates from the Edinburgh-Carstairs electrification in the early 1990s.

Google Streetview of the nearest road, Riccarton Mains Road, was updated in March 2023 and shows work in progress.

July 2021

March 2023

 

[snowball]

I'm not a registered user of LinkedIn and I hope this link works.

Ferguslie feeder station has been commissioned.

SPL POWERLINES UK on LinkedIn: #rpodtractionpowerphase1 #ferguslie

A great update from Stephen Lynch on the Feeder Station - #RPoDTractionPowerPhase1 Entered into Service at #Ferguslie Well done teams

uk.linkedin.com

 

[snowball]

The original decarbonisation policy document states that the policy will be reviewed in spring 2023, which means any time now, but it may well be that the review itself has been delayed, either by Sturgeon's resignation or the cost of living crisis or both.

Any word on that document if it's been released yet? Not seen anything online.

I think we'd have heard. I won't be surprised if it doesn't appear for several months. I have no inside knowledge but even before Sturgeon resigned I was expecting it to be late.

In Yousaf's first cabinet list it was not even clear who was responsible for transport, but now we know it's Kevin Stewart, within the department headed by Màiri McAllan.

Apparently Kevin Stewart resigned as transport minister on or about 6 June, citing mental health issues.

In response Yousaf has extended Màiri McAllan's job description to explicitly include transport and has appointed Fiona Hyslop as junior transport minister.

I've been looking through Scottish parliamentary answers from recent months to see if they contained any hints of new information about the rail electrification/decarbonisation programme. All I found is an answer from March, a few days before Yousaf's victory, saying that the review (originally planned for spring 2023) would still happen this year.

 

[chuff chuff]

Seems to have gone pretty quiet though they never really tell us anything anyway,though there may be plenty going on in the background.
Was in the news the other week that there is a gapping hole in the SG budget for the next few years so God knows what's going to happen and when.