adrock1976
Established Member
Having read the Campaign for North East Rail website regarding plans to reopen the ex Formartine & Buchan Railway and the Deeside Railway (see the PDF document at https://www.campaignfornortheastrail.org/_files/ugd/e902b3_a20ffbff317245a4af476197d5211563.pdf - the file is too large to post as an attachment), I have tried to design an Aberdeen Crossrail taktplan.
Being as the present day Montrose - Inverurie is the first stage of the Aberdeen Crossrail project, and as there is a desire for the Inverness - Aberdeen to run every 60 minutes with short Inverness - Elgin workings, I have designed it around those services owing to various single track sections. Furthermore, Transport Scotland also desire for the end to end journey time Inverness - Aberdeen to be 2 hours, which I did have an attempt at (and failed, as it knackered other trains at both ends and at Elgin - see later paragraph as to what I had tried and the end result).
Regarding the CNER document, I have based the taktplan on stations at Bankhead, Woodside Don Street (for Aberdeen Uni - not to be confused with Don Street in Old Aberdeen), Cove Bay, and Newtonhill reopening. Also, for the ex F&BR, the route to Peterhead is via the former Boddam Branch (with the former Peterhead Prison Railway the option I have based on from north of Cruden Bay - see Page 36), and having a straight alignment between Dyce and Newmachar, deviating to Pitmedden (for Oldmeldrum) before rejoining the original alignment (see pages 31-35). I have also used the straighter alignment proposals, and for illustrative purposes, I have included both the original alignment through Hatton and the straighter route that omits Hatton.
For the Deeside Railway, I have based this on the deviations from the original alignment (see Pages 45 - 50), with a passing loop at Peterculter (for timetable robustness if a Banchory train is delayed) as it will be built on a new site being as this is one of the deviations from the original alignment. Furthermore, there is a dynamic loop in the Drumoak area as well, with this also being on a deviation from the original alignment.
For extra capacity at Aberdeen station, I have took into consideration of reopening Platform 8 as a through platform (see Page 53 Option C), and double track from Platforms 6 - 8 through Schoolhill Tunnel, leaving Hutcheon Street Tunnel as single track (see Page 41). Together, I believe this would allow flexibility to hold a freight train to avoid blocking one of the running lines, and for terminating trains from the Dyce direction as well for example. Also, it would reduce the amount of headway and the margins between trains passing in opposite directions.
For the Inverness - Aberdeen section (which I have sent to Stonehaven out of the way, and also providing a 30 minute frequency at Cove Bay, Portlethen, and Newtonhill), the below is what I had attempted with mixed results:
1) Inverurie - Elgin linespeed upgraded from a mix of 60 - 65mph to 75 mph. Although this gave a 2 hour journey time, this meant that there would either be a lengthy layover at Elgin (around 40 minutes) as it would interwork with the Inverness - Elgin shorts, or unidirectional working at the Aberdeen end with Inverness - Stonehaven - Inverurie (45 minute layover) - Montrose - Inverness, or continue the Inverness train to Montrose and work back to Inverurie (again with a 45 minute layover). The Elgin shorts would have been separate workings in this second part of the unidirectional workings. Double track required Kennethmont - Huntley and the diveunder beyond Millburn Junction - Dalcross (maybe too close to the coast? I am unsure of coastal erosion situation in that area).
2) Inverness - Elgin at 90mph linespeed, with Elgin - Inverurie at 75mph. Although the journey time was less than 2 hours, this resulted in a 15 minute layover at Elgin, and would interwork with the Elgin shorts, which gave a near 40 minute layover at Elgin. Also, double track would be required for most of the route Inverness - Elgin.
3) Inverness - Elgin at 90mph linespeed, Elgin - Keith at 75mph. Similar to above.
4) Inverness - Inverurie at existing linespeed and based on existing timings. Although not possible to get the journey time to 2 hours without double track between the diveunder beyond Millburn Junction to Keith. The Inverness - Stonehaven, Inverness - Elgin shorts, and Inverurie - Montrose trains would all be working separately on their own routes. Double track would be required Dalcross - Nairn, and Insch - Inverurie. This is the option that I went with as my final result.
Furthermore, for both the ex Deeside and the ex Formartine & Buchan, I have based the timings on 75mph running. I have also included a freight path in each direction with not much difficulty. However, there was one freight working I had a problem pathing from Montrose to Craiginches in that direction which was the stone train from Oxwellmains. Another problem is that when it passes through Montrose and Stonehaven, it is not at the beginning of the day nor the end. Perhaps there could be a break in the Inverurie local if the northbound stone train cannot be retimed to either the beginning or end of the day?
I have attached my workings below both as .xlsx and .pdf file formats.
Being as the present day Montrose - Inverurie is the first stage of the Aberdeen Crossrail project, and as there is a desire for the Inverness - Aberdeen to run every 60 minutes with short Inverness - Elgin workings, I have designed it around those services owing to various single track sections. Furthermore, Transport Scotland also desire for the end to end journey time Inverness - Aberdeen to be 2 hours, which I did have an attempt at (and failed, as it knackered other trains at both ends and at Elgin - see later paragraph as to what I had tried and the end result).
Regarding the CNER document, I have based the taktplan on stations at Bankhead, Woodside Don Street (for Aberdeen Uni - not to be confused with Don Street in Old Aberdeen), Cove Bay, and Newtonhill reopening. Also, for the ex F&BR, the route to Peterhead is via the former Boddam Branch (with the former Peterhead Prison Railway the option I have based on from north of Cruden Bay - see Page 36), and having a straight alignment between Dyce and Newmachar, deviating to Pitmedden (for Oldmeldrum) before rejoining the original alignment (see pages 31-35). I have also used the straighter alignment proposals, and for illustrative purposes, I have included both the original alignment through Hatton and the straighter route that omits Hatton.
For the Deeside Railway, I have based this on the deviations from the original alignment (see Pages 45 - 50), with a passing loop at Peterculter (for timetable robustness if a Banchory train is delayed) as it will be built on a new site being as this is one of the deviations from the original alignment. Furthermore, there is a dynamic loop in the Drumoak area as well, with this also being on a deviation from the original alignment.
For extra capacity at Aberdeen station, I have took into consideration of reopening Platform 8 as a through platform (see Page 53 Option C), and double track from Platforms 6 - 8 through Schoolhill Tunnel, leaving Hutcheon Street Tunnel as single track (see Page 41). Together, I believe this would allow flexibility to hold a freight train to avoid blocking one of the running lines, and for terminating trains from the Dyce direction as well for example. Also, it would reduce the amount of headway and the margins between trains passing in opposite directions.
For the Inverness - Aberdeen section (which I have sent to Stonehaven out of the way, and also providing a 30 minute frequency at Cove Bay, Portlethen, and Newtonhill), the below is what I had attempted with mixed results:
1) Inverurie - Elgin linespeed upgraded from a mix of 60 - 65mph to 75 mph. Although this gave a 2 hour journey time, this meant that there would either be a lengthy layover at Elgin (around 40 minutes) as it would interwork with the Inverness - Elgin shorts, or unidirectional working at the Aberdeen end with Inverness - Stonehaven - Inverurie (45 minute layover) - Montrose - Inverness, or continue the Inverness train to Montrose and work back to Inverurie (again with a 45 minute layover). The Elgin shorts would have been separate workings in this second part of the unidirectional workings. Double track required Kennethmont - Huntley and the diveunder beyond Millburn Junction - Dalcross (maybe too close to the coast? I am unsure of coastal erosion situation in that area).
2) Inverness - Elgin at 90mph linespeed, with Elgin - Inverurie at 75mph. Although the journey time was less than 2 hours, this resulted in a 15 minute layover at Elgin, and would interwork with the Elgin shorts, which gave a near 40 minute layover at Elgin. Also, double track would be required for most of the route Inverness - Elgin.
3) Inverness - Elgin at 90mph linespeed, Elgin - Keith at 75mph. Similar to above.
4) Inverness - Inverurie at existing linespeed and based on existing timings. Although not possible to get the journey time to 2 hours without double track between the diveunder beyond Millburn Junction to Keith. The Inverness - Stonehaven, Inverness - Elgin shorts, and Inverurie - Montrose trains would all be working separately on their own routes. Double track would be required Dalcross - Nairn, and Insch - Inverurie. This is the option that I went with as my final result.
Furthermore, for both the ex Deeside and the ex Formartine & Buchan, I have based the timings on 75mph running. I have also included a freight path in each direction with not much difficulty. However, there was one freight working I had a problem pathing from Montrose to Craiginches in that direction which was the stone train from Oxwellmains. Another problem is that when it passes through Montrose and Stonehaven, it is not at the beginning of the day nor the end. Perhaps there could be a break in the Inverurie local if the northbound stone train cannot be retimed to either the beginning or end of the day?
I have attached my workings below both as .xlsx and .pdf file formats.
