An old smile from me on this great pride in Glasgow-Edinburgh rail services that are

[rjhowie]

Some time ago on the forums I mentioned in passing the outstanding rail links between Glasgow and Edinburgh passenger services. No-one bothered too much at the time and as I am in a cheering mood for my birthday this month going to go back to the subject! My main thinking is that there are few places if any in the world with such a background.

1. There is the recently electrified Glasgow Queen Street (high level) to Edinburgh.
2. Under that in Queen Street Low level a second DMU line running east/west and also goes to Edinburgh a different way.
3. Glasgow Central to Edinburgh on a third line via Shotts.

 

[wholbr]

Hi Robbie and everybody.
Well Robbie, can i be the first to wish you a very happy birthday and it is very good to hear of the excellent developments in Scotland's railways in this thread and the alternative thread you started in regard to Glasgow's number two station. However, I do wish that those of us south of the border had similar expansion and development plans to portray, but sadly that is not the case. In the south of England all we have are the crazy misguided plans for HS2 which are still being put forward by the government while at the same time they announce huge cuts to the existing rail infrastructure expenditure.

By example, here in the West Country the cost of upgrading the Portishead to Bristol rail line to enable it to take passenger services has risen from £58 million to an estimate of between £145 million to £175 million. Network Rail have also informed North Somerset district council that they will have to pickup the entire cost of the project as network rail do not have sufficient funds to contribute in any part of the cost. The foregoing immediately brought forward an announcement of the cancellation of the upgrade for the immediate future, and review is to be carried out as to the viability of the whole project going forward.

In the above, like many here in North Somerset I fale to see how it can cost 175 million to upgrade a rail line which is already used for freight on a daily basis. Further to the foregoing, had Network Rail not wasted £3 billion on the electrification of the Great Western Mainline (which will never now be completed), then perhaps the expenditure on the Portishead line would have been available.

So, south of the border Robbie things are most definitely not looking good for rail upgrades into the future. I feel that in England too much time and expenditure is spent looking at the railways past history, with too little time on planning and cost control being given over to the present on which the future of our railways rely.

With the railways in England in such chaos, I cannot wait for first driverless cars to be placed on the market as I am determined (like many I suspect) that I will have one of the first. Once I have that vehicle, the government, Network Rail, the striking drivers, the striking guards and the whole rail system can "go to hell" as I will be able to work as I travel with the car taking the strain instead of the train taking the strain.

As stated, I believe there are many thinking similar to me, certainly not good for the railways going forward (LOL)


Bill

 

[rjhowie]

Hi Bill,

Pity you have not been as fortunate as those of us in the north of the kingdom, eh?! I( just came across by chance another interesting possibility of another re-opening here. The passenger service from Stirling to Aloa was brought back after years of freight only. On looking at the line on Google Earth and Bing however I noticed that the track still goes well beyond Alloa station. Beyond there had been freight only for ages but the track although empty is still connected to the passenger main line running through Dunfermline n the Fife Circle line. Seems the Scottish government has given information to an appropriate corner to look that that single line on the possibility of being a passenger service again.

We have had 4 lines brought back including that of course famous Borders one at over 30 miles! The fact that Scotland's two biggest cities have 3 totally separate rail routes is amazing. That line that runs through Glasgow Queen Street Low level used to terminate out at just beyond Airdrie but had originally went all the way to Edinburgh as an alternative but became a regular part of the Greater Glasgow suburban system (and electrified). Then track was brought back from Edinburgh in the east as far as Bathgate. Later still and nearer now track was brought back beyond Airdrie to Bathgate giving a complete connection.

The Glasgow Central to Edinburgh route is an enjoyable country trail in a sense and when I went on it several years ago i got a funny response. It tends to curve south through Shoots, etc and pleasant countryside and when the conductor came along to check my ticket he gawped at it and said "You're going to Edinburgh? I smiled and said that was what the ticket said and he mentioned that irt was a longer route and unusual for people not to use the express main line from Glasgow upper to the capital. I did laugh and he did too. Takes a lot longer on that country trip but enjoyable to me.

Another potential addition is that the Scottish Government is thinking of a train/tram link to Glasgow Airport from Glasgow Central Station. I did find that one odd as the previous coalition government had pushed for that and spent money but when the present corner became government they stopped the idea and money wasted. Now the same corner who stopped it are all for it. Politicians, eh? (!). It is unfortunate that you have not been as fortunate down there as we have been up here and our re-openings have been found progressive and worthwhile.
Yours,

Mad Glaswegian

 

[rjhowie]

Bet a lot of envy out there that we have 3 separate lines eh?!

 

[wholbr]

Bet a lot of envy out there that we have 3 separate lines eh?!

Yes...... You bet their is Robbie, with the biggest envy coming from me. Now.....Back to work I'm up to my eyeballs in it here in the office this morning. So DO NOT DISTURB unless you want to come down on that great rail service of yours and give a hand.

Only looked in while having a cup of coffee.
Bill

 

[rjhowie]

Well you made me thirsty but couldn't decide on a cup of tea or a glass of (diet version) Irn Bru........