OHLE works at Portobello

[Hagbard Celine]

Does anyone know what is happening here? Are the sidings on the north side of the ECML being wired up, or is this a prelude to re-aligning Portobello Junction?



Photo is a rather poor shot grabbed from a Borders bound 170 about to leave the Up ECML at Portobello Junction. A new portal structure is being built to span the single track leading towards the up loops / sidings, redundant freightliner crane etc, and which also looks like it may span the ECML itself.

 

[68000]

The junction remodelling job was cancelled a few years ago. There are two live projects in the area, renewing the signalling interlocking and a new traction feeder station beside the S&T depot (in your picture). It seems very likely that the OHL works are associated with the traction feeder station project, I think there is a new neutral section going in as well.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The junction remodelling job was cancelled a few years ago. There are two live projects in the area, renewing the signalling interlocking and a new traction feeder station beside the S&T depot (in your picture). It seems very likely that the OHL works are associated with the traction feeder station project, I think there is a new neutral section going in as well.

Thanks for this. I did not realize this and so it is new information to me.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

A couple of grab shots from the other side of a Borders bound 170 today



This is the other end of the new portal structure shown in my earlier photo. Unlike the existing installation it also spans the line into the maintenance shed and its support column is further to the south so does not obstruct a potential additional track in front of the shed.



This is a new structure which has appeared on the south side of the track at Niddrie North Junction, about 60m after the line has left the ECML at Portobello Junction. Is this part of the new traction feeder?

 

[Zomboid]

The new troughing suggests that it's where the supply from the new substation will connect to the OLE.

 

[59CosG95]

A couple of grab shots from the other side of a Borders bound 170 today

View attachment 178744

This is the other end of the new portal structure shown in my earlier photo. Unlike the existing installation it also spans the line into the maintenance shed and its support column is further to the south so does not obstruct a potential additional track in front of the shed.



View attachment 178745 This is a new structure which has appeared on the south side of the track at Niddrie North Junction, about 60m after the line has left the ECML at Portobello Junction. Is this part of the new traction feeder?

I'd say that the two structures there are definitely linked. The massive "Portobello Portal" (as I'm now dubbing it) is likely to be used as an Over Track Crossing (OTX) for the power/switching cables from the new feeder station cabinet.
These cables run south, over the portal, before turning east to head to the mast in your second picture, so it can feed the Borders Railway as well as the ECML.

A new feeder portal, two-track, has appeared east of all this on the ECML. Like above, there's a trough route, although this one is on the north side of the line.