East Kilbride/Barrhead electrification updates

[snowball]

If you follow the railway on the roadworks website and click on the road closure icons it gives details of the planned activity.

Thanks. I have had a look and will edit the info into #1826 some time soon. There are some curiosities concerning the dates.

Surprisingly (for me at least) it includes replacing the underbridge at Busby station.

Oh, I dunno. It looks as though it needs it.

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(Link is to Google Street View of rusty bridge)

 

[Southsider]

Thanks. I have had a look and will edit the info into #1826 some time soon. There are some curiosities concerning the dates.



Oh, I dunno. It looks as though it needs it.

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(Link is to Google Street View of rusty bridge)

They all need replacing, they over 150 years old! My point was more that an under bridge doesn’t affect electrification. A bit more clearance for road traffic won’t go amiss though, First have to use lower vehicles to get under it. It may suggest that the local authority are putting some cash in for road improvements, that would be good news if the Clarkston Road bridge and approaches were realigned.

 

[snowball]

They all need replacing, they over 150 years old!

The line doesn't seem to have many bridges over roads. There's a brick arch over Sutherland Drive that probably has a good many years left in it. Arched masonry bridges can last for centuries.

I doubt the Busby station bridge will have a local authority contribution. It's probably a new deck on the old abutments with no road or footway improvement. The deck under the track seems quite thin already. Lowering the road would be a big job. I have dim memories from the 1960s of the rebuild of the bridges over Station Road at Cheadle Hulme, which seemed to continue for many years.

For Clarkston Road my hopes for a realignment of the road are dimming.

 

[gingertom]

The line doesn't seem to have many bridges over roads. There's a brick arch over Sutherland Drive that probably has a good many years left in it. Arched masonry bridges can last for centuries.

I doubt the Busby station bridge will have a local authority contribution. It's probably a new deck on the old abutments with no road or footway improvement.

For Clarkston Road my hopes for a realignment of the road are dimming.

suspect it would end up being like the replacement bridge at Causewayhead, Stirling.

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[snowball]

Thanks to Southsider for drawing my attention to the Roadworks Scotland website. Some bridges have plausible info that has probably been fairly recently updated, others seem to have only a temporary holding item giving a 4-5 year work period and an earliest start date of 2020. I wonder if they've been there ever since then?

I've now added virtually all of it to #1826.

 

[Southsider]

Complaints about noise on the local Facebook page, I guess piling has restarted.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Complaints about noise on the local Facebook page, I guess piling has restarted.

Fantastic

 

[snowball]

Complaints about noise on the local Facebook page, I guess piling has restarted.

Presumably this is the 11 months' piling between Busby and Thornliebank mentioned in the circular in #1809 - actually happening this time.

Meanwhile there are some items on the Scotland's Railway website that are new since I last looked there:

East Kilbride Enhancements

East Kilbride Enhancements

scotlandsrailway.com

Oct 2023 to end of Jan 2024 - Probing works across four miles of the railway corridor.

03 Jan to 08 Feb 2024 - Mobilising and setting up site compound at the new Hairmyres station location near Redwood Road ahead of earthworks starting.

05 Feb to 12 Feb 2024 - Mobilising and setting up site compound at East Kilbride station ahead of platform extension works starting.

13 Jan to Dec 2024 - 11 months programme of piling and steelwork installation between Busby and Thornliebank stations. [as discussed above]

March to Dec 2024 - 9 months programme of piling and steelwork installation between East Kilbride and Thorntonhall.

The piling works are being delivered in several phases, which means we won’t be working in the vicinity of any one property for the full duration - it would be over several nights within the timeframes.

Each pile takes between 20 and 60 minutes to complete

A pile will be installed, on average, every 50 metres

Mast height varies from 6.5 to 7.5 metres depending on the geography of the area

Once complete, work will move along the track to the next location

For a demonstration of what this work will look like please vist: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/living-by-the-railway/electrification/piling/

 

[Southsider]

Presumably this is the 11 months' piling between Busby and Thornliebank mentioned in the circular in #1809 - actually happening this time.

Meanwhile there are some items on the Scotland's Railway website that are new since I last looked there:

East Kilbride Enhancements

East Kilbride Enhancements

scotlandsrailway.com

points 4 and 5 suggest a gap in piling between Thorntonhall and Busby. Perhaps 2025 activity or human error.

 

[snowball]

points 4 and 5 suggest a gap in piling between Thorntonhall and Busby. Perhaps 2025 activity or human error.

I would have thought obviously 2025 activity. Presumably piling is to spread through much of the contract period. I can't immediately remember when it was completed on the Barrhead line but probably well into 2023.

--------------------------------------
automerge

Press release - start of works at EK station

Network Rail begins major enhancement work at East Kilbride station

Network Rail will shortly begin construction of the new East Kilbride station building.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Network Rail will shortly begin construction of the new East Kilbride station building.

The 16-month programme will take place from 5 February 2024 until June 2025 and is a key milestone in the East Kilbride Enhancement project.

It’s all part of a wider £139.8m investment at the centre of the Scottish Government’s ongoing strategy to decarbonise Scotland’s Railway.

When complete, the new building, located within the existing station footprint between Torrance Road and West Mains Road, will be more modern and easily accessible for passengers.

From 5 February, 133 parking spaces at the station car park will be used to safely house a site compound that will be in operation until works finish in June 2025. In addition to welfare and office facilities for staff, the compound provides the necessary space for the required plant and materials to deliver the works.

Laura McWilliams, Network Rail senior programme manager for the station works, said: “The start of construction works at East Kilbride station marks an exciting phase on the electrification project, as activity ramps up over the course of this year.

“We appreciate the inconvenience to commuters and the community by using part of the station car park for our site compound and thank people for their patience. However, this allows us to deliver the works in the most efficient way by having the team and the requisite materials in close proximity to our construction site.

“When the new station building completes next year, it will further enhance the passenger experience - as too will the sustainable benefits of electrifying the railway by allowing the removal of diesel trains and introducing carbon-free journeys for communities along the East Kilbride railway corridor.”

When work to the new station building completes by summer 2025, improved passenger facilities will be in place including a new booking office, a waiting area and a small retail unit.

The station platform will also be extended by 51m metres to the Glasgow bound side to accommodate longer trains.

To find out more on the East Kilbride Enhancement project and all the works being delivered throughout 2024, two community drop-in events are being held next month.

Community Drop-in Events:

Wednesday, 07 February 2024 - Kirktonholme Hall,111 Kirktonholme Road, West Mains, East Kilbride, G74 1B, 3pm to 7pm.
Tuesday, 20 February 2024 - Duncanrig Secondary School, 72-76 Winnipeg Drive, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8ZT, 6.30pm to 9pm.

Although 152 parking spaces remain available at the station, passengers who use the car park are being advised to factor in some additional travel time should they need to utilise public car parks in East Kilbride Village (e.g. Main Street and Old Mill Road near the Co-Op) or in the Town Centre (e.g. Ballerup Hall and Andrew Street car parks next to the Police Station and Hunter Community Health Centre).

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

Members of the public can find our more on the project by calling the Network Rail helpline on 03457 11 41 41 or emailing [email protected]. For the latest information and updates as the project progresses, follow on X (Twitter) @NetworkRailScot or visit www.scotlandsrailway.com

 

[Southsider]

There was piling overnight on the embankment between Church Road and Sutherland Drive bridges.

 

[Charged up]

Bad news on the budget side of things for the much delayed, but needed, relocated Hairmyres station with enhanced passenger facilities to help free up parking at the hospital and make it easier to access the rail network at the proposed new interchange hub!

It highlights the misplaced obsession and folly of TS spending £100m+ on electrifying just 7 miles of track [plus related disruption of a 6 month closure] when less than half of that money could have delivered relocated/ upgraded stations, better cross platform accessibility and sufficient double tracking for a potential 4tph service to/from East Kilbride.

Battery EMUs for the EK route could have been added into the pedestrian procurement for new rolling stock for Fife, Borders, Maryhill & Kilmarnock/ Girvan lines and would still have resulted in passengers seeing major improvements in their rail journeys as well as removal of the wholly inadequate C156 diesels. There are still no EMUs identified for the EK services when it goes "live" in December 2025 and once again the blinkered attitude to OHL installation is proving very costly in Scotland.

Councillor calls on decision makers to keep new Hairmyres rail project on track

Councillor Watson says the lack of funding for SPT "puts in jeopardy" the £1.8 million financing of the park and ride facility at the proposed new Hairmyres station

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

EAST KILBRIDE NEWS reports -
An East Kilbride councillor is urging decision makers to get round the table to keep the multi-million pound Hairmyres Interchange project on track.

Independent councillor for East Kilbride West, David Watson, has called on the Scottish Government to find a solution to the funding gap for the new Hairmyres railway station after capital funding was withdrawn in the recent budget. He has called for urgent government talks with South Lanarkshire Council, SPT, Transport Scotland and Network Rail.

The relocation of Hairmyres station is a part of the £139million East Kilbride Enhancements Project which will see the delivery of an integrated transport interchange. But the decision to remove capital funding from SPT in the Scottish Budget means that a £1.8 million contribution towards a new car park, bus stop and interchange at Hairmyres will be withdrawn.

Councillor Watson says the lack of funding for SPT “puts in jeopardy” the £1.8 million financing of the park and ride facility at the proposed new Hairmyres station. He said: “The Scottish Government needs to show some urgency in this matter as there will be several consequences for East Kilbride if this project is not completed. “It will mean continued issues at Hairmyres Hospital regarding parking, affecting staff, patients, visitors, and residents. It will have a knock-on effect for active travel routes throughout the town and a missed opportunity to improve bus travel, with the bus interchange at the proposed park and ride. It is sheer madness that there has been no joined-up thinking from the Scottish Government. Building the new station without the appropriate park and ride facility would be up there with building an aircraft carrier with no planes.”

He added: “The residents and commuters to East Kilbride have already been let down by the Scottish Government withdrawing funding for the full dualling of the line, they should not get away with hitting East Kilbride with a double whammy by torpedoing the promised park and ride transport interchange at Hairmyres. Hopefully, politicians from all political parties will put East Kilbride first and stand up against this cut and find a solution to stop this given that it has the potential put an end to the proposed new station at Hairmyres.”

South Lanarkshire councillors have branded the Scottish Budget “farcical” and have called for the reinstatement of funds to keep the East Kilbride rail upgrade on track. The local authority, who are working with SPT and the government on the project, has said it had no prior notice that SPT’s general capital support from the Scottish Government would be reduced to zero.

Council Leader Joe Fagan said last week: “The Scottish Government stabbed our town in the back when they downgraded works on the East Kilbride line and now they’ve done it again. This is the grimmest, most utterly stupid Scottish Budget there has even been and it will eliminate vital funding for the new park and ride interchange agreed for the new Hairmyres station.”

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “Given the current financial constraints, with Scotland’s Capital budget being reduced by 10%, a decision was taken to pause SPT’s capital funding for 2024-25, with a view to keeping it under review in future years. Transport Scotland and SPT are in dialogue about the impact of this decision and maintaining their forward investment programme.”

 

[gingertom]

Battery EMUs for the EK route could have been added into the pedestrian procurement for new rolling stock for Fife, Borders, Maryhill & Kilmarnock/ Girvan lines and would still have resulted in passengers seeing major improvements in their rail journeys as well as removal of the wholly inadequate C156 diesels.

There are still no EMUs identified for the EK services when it goes "live" in Decemebr 2025 and once again the blinkered attitude to OHL installation is proving very costly in Scotland.

Cutting it fine for a new build to be ready for 2025. Is it totally out of the question for a couple more spare 321s to come north, either as 4-car sets or to go to Brodie's for conversion to 320s?Not ideal but if needs must....

 

[hwl]

Bad news on the budget side of things for the much delayed, but needed, relocated Hairmyres station with enhanced passenger facilities to help free up parking at the hospital and make it easier to access the rail network at the proposed new interchange hub!

It highlights the misplaced obsession and folly of TS spending £100m+ on electrifying just 7 miles of track [plus related disruption of a 6 month closure] when less than half of that money could have delivered relocated/ upgraded stations, better cross platform accessibility and sufficient double tracking for a potential 4tph service to/from East Kilbride.

Battery EMUs for the EK route could have been added into the pedestrian procurement for new rolling stock for Fife, Borders, Maryhill & Kilmarnock/ Girvan lines and would still have resulted in passengers seeing major improvements in their rail journeys as well as removal of the wholly inadequate C156 diesels. There are still no EMUs identified for the EK services when it goes "live" in Decemebr 2025 and once again the blinkered attitude to OHL installation is proving very costly in Scotland.

The blinkered attitude Transport Scotland, NR and Scotrail have the long term whole network decarbonisation plan in mind which needs Barrhead and beyond electrified - whether you like this plan or not doesn't matter - they have their eyes on the prize not distractions. They aren't worried about maximising local improvements (and presumably local house prices) in the short term with shiny new non-existent trains. Local councils elsewhere in the UK have self funded P&R sites for decades which is possibly why SG were surprised they were funding it.

Rail operators everywhere (GB and Europe) know they will get far better BEMUs by waiting several years, "pedestrian" leads to better outcomes over the whole asset life. (The recommendations gathering process for standards isn't complete yet let alone the standards writing process for the standards the battery and charging elements would be designed to).

 

[GRALISTAIR]

------ Transport Scotland, NR and Scotrail have the long term whole network decarbonisation plan in mind which needs Barrhead and beyond electrified - whether you like this plan or not doesn't matter - they have their eyes on the prize not distractions.

Perfectly stated.

 

[92002]

The line doesn't seem to have many bridges over roads. There's a brick arch over Sutherland Drive that probably has a good many years left in it. Arched masonry bridges can last for centuries.

I doubt the Busby station bridge will have a local authority contribution. It's probably a new deck on the old abutments with no road or footway improvement. The deck under the track seems quite thin already. Lowering the road would be a big job. I have dim memories from the 1960s of the rebuild of the bridges over Station Road at Cheadle Hulme, which seemed to continue for many years.

For Clarkston Road my hopes for a realignment of the road are dimming.

First seem to think there is now no need to use double decks on the route at Busby. So that probably means a quick shot blast and repaint. Tidying any steelwork in the process.

 

[sannox]

First seem to think there is now no need to use double decks on the route at Busby. So that probably means a quick shot blast and repaint. Tidying any steelwork in the process.

The 6 is often rammed. I think First just lack sufficient low height deckers suitable.

That said Network Rail would probably like more clearance as it often gets a clunk.

 

[92002]

The 6 is often rammed. I think First just lack sufficient low height deckers suitable.

That said Network Rail would probably like more clearance as it often gets a clunk.

Having said they don't need the low height double deckers for the 6 they got transferred to Aberdeen. Although they did keep a few.

 

[Southsider]

Looks like they may have hit a problem with the Giffnock platform works. A section of the old platform has gone. Whilst the plan to run a maximum of four car trains continues, the platform has been cordoned off and the doors are only opening on the front car.

 

[MadMac]

Looks like they may have hit a problem with the Giffnock platform works. A section of the old platform has gone. Whilst the plan to run a maximum of four car trains continues, the platform has been cordoned off and the doors are only opening on the front car.

That looks to be roughly where the old signal box was.

 

[JModulo]

Looks like they may have hit a problem with the Giffnock platform works. A section of the old platform has gone. Whilst the plan to run a maximum of four car trains continues, the platform has been cordoned off and the doors are only opening on the front car.

I believe this was always going to be the case (operating via one door). Read it on an information poster about the upgrade in Central.

 

[kaysha]

The section in the foreground looks decidedly dodgy too. (Disclaimer I'm not a qualified structural engineer)

 

[OB23Gone]

The section in the foreground looks decidedly dodgy too. (Disclaimer I'm not a qualified structural engineer)

Could this perhaps be in preparation for repositioning of a new footbridge. Think this work was factored into the upgrade as the NR blurb just before works commenced that shorter trains would at some point be used. This is from memory as can't find it to refer back to.

 

[Southsider]

That looks to be roughly where the old signal box was.

Isn’t that the other (East Kilbride bound) platform?

Could this perhaps be in preparation for repositioning of a new footbridge. Think this work was factored into the upgrade as the NR blurb just before works commenced that shorter trains would at some point be used. This is from memory as can't find it to refer back to.

I think the platform is too narrow at that point.

 

[matchmaker]

suspect it would end up being like the replacement bridge at Causewayhead, Stirling.

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If I recall correctly, that went in over a weekend.

 

[MadMac]

Isn’t that the other (East Kilbride bound) platform?

The box was on the EK platform - isn’t that the one currently being worked on? 1 is the Up (EK bound) platform as I recall.

THIS PICTURE slows the arrangement at the box. Note how the platform appears to have been reconstructed at some point. I’m wondering if the area where the wires and rodding came out was never “filled in” and that’s what they’ve uncovered?

 

[snowball]

If I recall correctly, that went in over a weekend.

Not surprising, you can compare the current photograph at Causeweayhad with a "before" one from several years ago on Google Streetview. The road is unaltered, the restricted headroom is unchanged. It's just an almost like-for-like replacement of the metal superstructure by Network Rail, doubtless on grounds of condition. I expect the one at Busby will be the same - unless anyone has evidence it's no longer proposed.

 

[Southsider]

The box was on the EK platform - isn’t that the one currently being worked on? 1 is the Up (EK bound) platform as I recall.

THIS PICTURE slows the arrangement at the box. Note how the platform appears to have been reconstructed at some point. I’m wondering if the area where the wires and rodding came out was never “filled in” and that’s what they’ve uncovered?

No, it’s Glasgow bound that’s being worked on.

 

[MadMac]

No, it’s Glasgow bound that’s being worked on.

I stand corrected, Sir.

 

[gingertom]

If I recall correctly, that went in over a weekend.

it did.