Landslip on the Maryhill line in Glasgow (04/04)

[ld0595]

Glasgow landslip causes week-long rail disruption

ScotRail is warning that a landslip in Glasgow will lead to week-long disruption on some rail services.

It follows the partial collapse of a railway embankment between Ashfield and Gilshochill.

The rail operator said tonnes of mud and stone had washed onto the track at Lambhill, weakening a footbridge over the track.

Services from Glasgow Queen Street to Anniesland and Crianlarich have been cancelled for seven days as a result.

ScotRail said work was under way to stabilise the slope and assess the damage to the footbridge, which will need to be temporarily removed and reconstructed before the line can be reopened.

The company said a full bus replacement service would be in place for the half hourly service to Anniesland until 12 April, but warned commuters that the journey was likely to take longer.

A bus service will also operate from Glasgow Queen Street to Crianlarich.
Rail services for the West Highland line will begin at Crianlarich and continue to all intermediate stations for Oban, Fort William and Mallaig.

The rail operator said the plan would be under daily review and could change.
A ScotRail Alliance spokesman said: "Our team has been on site since Tuesday morning assessing the damage and making plans to repair the line.

"We will be working around the clock to get the railway open as soon as possible, but extensive structural repairs will be needed to fix the significant damage caused to the footbridge."

Customers affected by the disruption can use ScotRail's Delay Repay compensation scheme, which applies to services that are delayed for 30 minutes or longer.

The cause of the landslip is currently under investigation.

Thankfully this won't affect many services, but still not good. I'm surprised the West Highland services are starting in Crianlarich rather than Helensburgh or Dumbarton but I'm sure they have a good reason for it.

Hope it gets sorted soon!

[edit: I realised I put this on UK rail discussion rather than Infrastructure. Mods feel free to move.]

 

[Mag_seven]

Can't they run GLQ High Level, Springburn, GLQ Low Level, Dalmuir thence onto the WHL?

 

[PHILIPE]

Can't they run GLQ High Level, Springburn, GLQ Low Level, Dalmuir thence onto the WHL?

There were diversions today but I don't know which route they took

 

[47271]

I agree that a bus all the way to Crianlarich is a feeble solution when the incident has happened only a couple of miles from Queen Street. Maybe they do have good reasons, but they surely could do better than this?

You'd almost think that they were short of trains or something.

 

[Railsigns]

Can't they run GLQ High Level, Springburn, GLQ Low Level, Dalmuir thence onto the WHL?

Oh, but that's complicated. Hiring buses is easy.

 

[PHILIPE]

Reference to buses tomorrow not now appearing on NRE apart from Anniesland. West Highland trains now being mentioned as diverted

 

[PHILIPE]

Understand from another Forum the route quoted above is the diversionary route for the West Highland.

 

[cf111]

Can't they run GLQ High Level, Springburn, GLQ Low Level, Dalmuir thence onto the WHL?

When the High Level was closed for works last year, I'm sure the WHL services started/terminated at the Low Level station, so if that's still an option it would be quicker.

 

[2HAP]

It follows the partial collapse of a railway embankment between Ashfield and Gilshochill.

The rail operator said tonnes of mud and stone had washed onto the track at Lambhill, weakening a footbridge over the track.

How on earth do you get a footbridge over the track when said track is on an embankment? :roll:

 

[Chris M]

How on earth do you get a footbridge over the track when said track is on an embankment? :roll:

How, by building one, it's not normally going to be too complicated.
Why, is probably the better question. Perhaps it was easier/cheaper than tunnelling through the embankment? I'm not familiar with this part of the country, but it's not unique. For example at Nailsea and Backwell the railway is on an embankment, and the station platforms pass above a road bridge. There are entrances on both sides of the station, and also a footbridge...

 

[MadCommuter]

I think the confusion here is the reporting. The railway is in a cutting here, with a footbridge over the railway. It is part of the 'embankment' that forms the cutting which has collapsed.

 

[edwin_m]

I think the confusion here is the reporting. The railway is in a cutting here, with a footbridge over the railway. It is part of the 'embankment' that forms the cutting which has collapsed.

Sloppy language as usual. An embankment is where extra material has been added, a cutting is where it has been dug out, so the side of a cutting shouldn't be described as an embankment.

 

[me123]

When the High Level was closed for works last year, I'm sure the WHL services started/terminated at the Low Level station, so if that's still an option it would be quicker.

That's definitely the obvious solution. Queen Street Low Level would be an ideal starting point, which was used during the closure. A really simple route would be to leave Eastfield Depot at the right time, run ECS through Springburn and into GLQ LL on time for departure. Might need a bit of tweaking, but I'd have thought there'd be enough capacity for a handful of trains a day?

Although I wonder if staff training is an issue? Do the DMU drivers sign the route via the Low Level? But even then, surely the trains can start at Dumbarton Central (or even Dalmuir) with connections from there into the City Centre on the EMUs?

 

[PHILIPE]

It seems that passengers are being bused to and from Crianlarich today. The NRE site quotes as what can be described as an either/or situation.

 

[Altnabreac]

Sloppy language as usual. An embankment is where extra material has been added, a cutting is where it has been dug out, so the side of a cutting shouldn't be described as an embankment.

I'm not sure that in this case they are completely wrong. Looking at the picture I think the location of the issue may be where a footbridge crosses the line at the point where it was previously crossed by the Lanarkshire and Dumbarton Railway route from Maryhill Central to Stobhill.

This railway was built on an embankment here and it looks like perhaps it is the disused railway embankment that has had a landslip into the current railway cutting.

Could be wrong though.

 

[QueensCurve]

Can't they run GLQ High Level, Springburn, GLQ Low Level, Dalmuir thence onto the WHL?

That route is theoretically available.

There were problems with diesels setting off the fire alarms in Queen St Low Level which required them to coast through. Someone told me this had been resolved on my last visit 9/7/16.

Buses to Crianlarich does seem like a bad show.

 

[me123]

That route is theoretically available.

There were problems with diesels setting off the fire alarms in Queen St Low Level which required them to coast through. Someone told me this had been resolved on my last visit 9/7/16.

Buses to Crianlarich does seem like a bad show.

I should hope it has been resolved - there were diesels running through the Low Level for about five months last year due to the Queen Street closure, and that's not to mention the sleeper trains to and from Fort William (running through with a 73(?) at the head twice a night.

 

[PHILIPE]

Buses for Crianlarich leaving Queen St 20 minutes before normal time

 

[Far north 37]

is the sleeper still operating assuming it can be diverted

 

[Mag_seven]

is the sleeper still operating assuming it can be diverted

The sleeper isn't booked via that route - it normally runs Queen St Low Level-Bathgate.

 

[PHILIPE]

I should hope it has been resolved - there were diesels running through the Low Level for about five months last year due to the Queen Street closure, and that's not to mention the sleeper trains to and from Fort William (running through with a 73(?) at the head twice a night.

Diesels though Queen St problem was resolved ages ago now. Not sure of the actual date.

 

[clc]

Would it have been necessary to replace the footbridge anyway ahead of electrification?

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Would it have been necessary to replace the footbridge anyway ahead of electrification?

Electrification of the line to Anniesland? Do tell us more.

 

[gsnedders]

Although I wonder if staff training is an issue? Do the DMU drivers sign the route via the Low Level? But even then, surely the trains can start at Dumbarton Central (or even Dalmuir) with connections from there into the City Centre on the EMUs?

There's some ECS movements from Queen St High Level to Eastfield via Anniesland, Queen St Low Level, and Springburn of 156s, which IIRC come off the WHL. I presume this is to keep route knowledge up as much as anything else.

 

[Altnabreac]

Electrification of the line to Anniesland? Do tell us more.

Proposed in Scotland Route Study. Main benefit is in capacity at Queen St High Level both via the better acceleration performance of electric stock and lower platform utilisation because Maryhill turns can be operated by Edinburgh - Glasgow or Glasgow - Stirling EMUs rather than by dedicated units.

Electrification of Maryhill Line

Key Points

By the end of CP5, the Maryhill line will be the only remaining diesel line in the Glasgow northern suburban network and was included in the Strategic Transport Projects Review (further electrification of the strategic rail network).

Purpose

To allow trains operating on Maryhill line from Queen Street High Level to have comparable performance characteristics and consistent train formations with other services using this terminal station. This offers opportunities to construct a more efficient timetable to further optimise platform occupancy, improve rolling stock utilisation and provide more resilient performance.

It also provides an electrified diversionary route for Glasgow Queen Street services to the low level platforms via Partick and Springburn.

Technical Description

This option proposes approximately five miles of electrification of the Maryhill line from Cowlairs Junctions to Westerton Junction including the Anniesland single line.

Indicative Costs

£60m - £100m

Strategic Links

This option contributes to making best use of Queen Street High Level Station, minimising the scope and costs of future work to improve Queen Street tunnel capacity and the number / length of platforms in the station.

 

[PHILIPE]

There's some ECS movements from Queen St High Level to Eastfield via Anniesland, Queen St Low Level, and Springburn of 156s, which IIRC come off the WHL. I presume this is to keep route knowledge up as much as anything else.

Sure to be the reason

 

[PHILIPE]

Buses for Crianlarich leaving Queen St 20 minutes before normal time

Reading NRE again, Buses are running between Dalmuir and Crianlarich. Passengers should travel between Glasgow and Dalmuir by the normal local services.

 

[QueensCurve]

Reading NRE again, Buses are running between Dalmuir and Crianlarich. Passengers should travel between Glasgow and Dalmuir by the normal local services.

I still don't understand why the West Highland services can't run through to Dalmuir - or Dumbarton - or somewhere on the North Clyde electric route. That would obviate the bus and a lot of disappointment for people hoping to take the train..

 

[PHILIPE]

I still don't understand why the West Highland services can't run through to Dalmuir - or Dumbarton - or somewhere on the North Clyde electric route. That would obviate the bus and a lot of disappointment for people hoping to take the train..

Where would they stable as all platform accomodation at Dalmuir, especially, is trains in and out one behind another all day. There is a turn back siding but that is used virtually continuosly. Even the previously rarely used platform at Dumbarton is now used twice and hour for Cumbernauld services. Or, if moved out of the way of platforms at either station where would they run to ?

 

[me123]

Where would they stable as all platform accomodation at Dalmuir, especially, is trains in and out one behind another all day. There is a turn back siding but that is used virtually continuosly. Even the previously rarely used platform at Dumbarton is now used twice and hour for Cumbernauld services. Or, if moved out of the way of platforms at either station where would they run to ?

Yoker Depot comes to mind. Not a natural home for the 156s, granted, but for a handful of moves a day I'm sure they could be accommodated. It would mean that the trains use platforms 3 and 4 instead of the usual 1 and 2 (unless you insisted on them taking the circuitous route via Garscadden, the curve to the West of Jordanhill and onto Westerton from there - which would be silly).