East Kilbride/Barrhead electrification updates

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This press release has been up since Friday but i ignored it at first because I didn't notice it related to this thread.

Network Rail delivers £1.3m package of platform works in Glasgow and East Renfrewshire

Network Rail has delivered a £1.3 million investment of platform works at Giffnock and Pollokshaws West stations.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Network Rail has delivered a £1.3 million investment of platform works at Giffnock and Pollokshaws West stations.

The five-month programme at Giffnock station in East Renfrewshire, on the East Kilbride to Glasgow line, replaced the 153-metre long section of Platform 1 that’s been in place for over 80 years.

Precast units were laid on top of 85 concrete foundations that spanned the platform and 75 per cent of materials on site were processed and reused as a backfill.

Part of the work also involved engineers extending the section to the south end of the platform by 15-metres to improve future signalling in this location.

At Pollokshaws West station, on Glasgow’s southside, more than 65 tonnes of brickwork was removed and the wall rebuilt to improve the existing condition of the platform that serves both the Glasgow-Barrhead and East Kilbride to Glasgow lines.

For safety reasons, trains with only four carriages were in operation on both lines during the works but trains of up to six carriages will restart from tomorrow (20 April).

Ian Clark, project manager for the works at Giffnock station, said: “The work at Giffnock station is part of our wider maintenance strategy to run a safe and reliable railway by protecting and improving our assets.

“We thank residents living close to Giffnock station for their patience, given much of our work could only be done overnight, and also passengers who had to contend with a four-carriage service to allow the safe delivery of the project.

“However, the renewal work to Platform 1 means that it shouldn’t require an intervention on the scale again for at least another 80 years.”

Michelle McCaig, project manager for the works at Pollokshaws West station, said: “The platforms works at each station were necessary to improve the railway so that it continues to remain fit for purpose for our passengers and freight customers.

“We are very grateful for the support shown by the wider Pollokshaws community during delivery of the works.”

With the majority of work at Pollokshaws West station now complete, the final element will involve resurfacing Platform 2 and will be carried out later in the year.

Throughout the works at Giffnock, 33 parking spaces at the station were utilised to house the site compound – this will continue to remain in place to deliver the East Kilbride Enhancement project.

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Press release announcing reopening yesterday of Thornton Road bridge.

Thornton Road bridge reopens

Network Rail reopened the bridge over the railway at Thornton Road in East Kilbride today, Monday 22 April.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Network Rail reopened the bridge over the railway at Thornton Road in East Kilbride today, Monday 22 April.

The bridge has been replaced as part of a wider £140m Scottish Government investment in the East Kilbride Enhancement project to decarbonise passenger services.

Thornton Road bridge is one of several along the East Kilbride to Glasgow railway corridor being raised to provide more space underneath.

This will allow engineers to install the required overhead line equipment so that electric trains can run on the route.

Network Rail, along with contractor Story, started work in December 2023 and the bridge is the second to be completed after a new footbridge near Hairmyres station opened last month.

Simon Humble, Network Rail’s project manager for the bridge works, said: “The team’s made incredible progress since starting the bridge replacement works towards the end of last year. This hasn’t been without its challenges given the very wet and windy weather, particularly over the last few weeks.

“The re-opening of Thornton Road represents an important milestone on the enhancement project overall, as it marks the final element of our bridge replacement works in East Kilbride.

“I would like to thank the community for their patience both during the delivery of this work and the on-going activity across the wider route.”

After the old bridge was demolished at Thornton Road over the Christmas period, the team focused on building the new one by craning six precast concrete units into place that each weighed up to 35 tonnes.

Elsewhere, progress is continuing at the site of the new Hairmyres station, where the team recently installed 184 concrete units to create two new platforms.

At East Kilbride station, work to extend the existing platform by 51m is nearing completion. This will accommodate moving the station buffer to allow the construction of the new station building.

In addition, a 14-month programme to replace Thornliebank Road bridge in East Renfrewshire started earlier this month, with the old structure due to be demolished in the autumn.

Electric services will be introduced on the East Kilbride line following completion of the project in December 2025 and will offer enhanced operational performance and flexibility of service on the route.

Here's what it looked like before (Streetview link):

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www.google.co.uk

I've updated my list of bridges in #1826.