Borders Railway progress

[Purley Oaks]

I know quite a few people in Stow work in Edinburgh - if the fare structure is right they could be persuaded to give up their cars, certainly in the winter months. Once the line is established passenger numbers from further out (Gala) should substantially increase, making it even more difficult to find a seat at Brunstane. Surely people will prefer the train to the very twisty and narrow A7?

Mal

[Iain Popplewell]

And in some cases wind turbines are replacing trees.

Still; I quite like them and at least they're better than atomic piles.

Fully agree,I wouldn't wish even ordinary piles on anyone, and as for atomic piles they sound like they must be absolutely blxxdy excruciating.

[iploffy]

Less painfull than atomic kitten though

[Iain Popplewell]

On a more serious note,this reinstated line has to be good news for Galashiels and it's surrounding area. If an area ever needed an economic stimulus it must be the former mill towns of the borders.Since the closure of the Waverley route this area has in public transport and indeed road terms become incredibly isolated.

[Bon Accord]

On a more serious note,this reinstated line has to be good news for Galashiels and it's surrounding area. If an area ever needed an economic stimulus it must be the former mill towns of the borders.Since the closure of the Waverley route this area has in public transport and indeed road terms become incredibly isolated.

 

Not forgetting just how busy the line will be on Saturdays in the rugby sevens season, or indeed any of the bigger league matches at Netherdale or the Greenyards. Rather than trek down and back by car or bus, it'll be possible to take the train and be able to enjoy a pint or two before returning northwards.

[fegguk]

Yesterday video efforts. 

 

Warning they are a bit long and contain a few typos etc. I am trying to keep up with events to keep them newsworthy as time for editing is limited, errors are all too easy 

 

Track laying

Final preparation at Stow

The ballast train returns home

[fegguk]

The first train through Stow since the last one and before the next one

 

[Aberbrothock]

The first train through Stow since the last one and before the next one

 

Great to see the progress, day after day..........

Just a thought - which direction will be regarded as the "up" line???

 

Ken M / Aberbrothock

[phil-b259]

Great to see the progress, day after day..........

Just a thought - which direction will be regarded as the "up" line???

 

Ken M / Aberbrothock

 

Given the railway is to all intents and purposes a brand new one plus the fact it is a branch, not a through route I imagine trains to Edinburgh will be Up ones and trains to Tweedbank Down ones.

[phil-b259]

Great to see the progress, day after day..........

Just a thought - which direction will be regarded as the "up" line???

 

Ken M / Aberbrothock

 

Given the railway is to all intents and purposes a brand new one plus the fact it is a branch, not a through route I imagine trains to Edinburgh will be Up ones and trains to Tweedbank Down ones.

[37175]

Forgot to mention on here that I've created maps for each day of rail laying (apart from 1-5 Dec which is the loop and repeats this week within 20 metres) and they are on a Facebook page at https://www.facebook...91125453&type=1 if anyone wants to catch up with exactly where they're up to each day or pop out to grab a few photos.

[The Stationmaster]

Given the railway is to all intents and purposes a brand new one plus the fact it is a branch, not a through route I imagine trains to Edinburgh will be Up ones and trains to Tweedbank Down ones.

Why introduce a  change of Up/Down designation - which would make it different from every other line in the vicinity?

[fozzie49]

Design shows UP to Tweedbank, DOWN to Edinburgh.

[jamie92208]

Design shows UP to Tweedbank, DOWN to Edinburgh.

Which presumably dates back to North British Days when it was a through route to London. Hopefully it will become one again.

 

Jamie

[The Stationmaster]

Which presumably dates back to North British Days when it was a through route to London. Hopefully it will become one again.

 

Jamie

It also keeps it in line with everything else at Edinburgh (which, alas, is probably the most likely reason if we're honest)

['CHARD]

One of the most heart-warming images that I've had the pleasure and privilege to see:

 

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete.php?id=49546

[phil-b259]

Why introduce a  change of Up/Down designation - which would make it different from every other line in the vicinity?

 

Because

 

(1) Even if you do take London to the final destination of UP trains, they will still have to go via Edinburgh as the borders railway is a dead end branch with - if we are remotely realistic - zero chance of it going back to Carlisle.

 

(2) Not every company used London as their principle destination for 'Up' trains, particularly when the line did not go there directly. The Midland Railway I believe used Deby as the final destination for most 'Up' trains - the extension to St Pancras came after much of the core of their network was established. The LBSCR used Brighton as the final destination for 'Up' trains from the coastway east & coastway west lines (the Cliftonville spur and the Lewes - Wivlesfield were built some years later.

 

(3) In Scotland Edinburgh is the Capital city and much as it acts as the only other hub for the historic road network outside London (i.e. A7, A8 & A9 start from there) Having it as the ultimate destination of 'Up' trains makes perfect sense.

 

(4) Its being totally funded by the Scottish Government

 

(5) The borders railway is, as has been pointed out many times a 'new' railway, built to current specification - the only bits that have been reused being the formation plus a few bridges / tunnels. As such the builders have the freedom to call the lines what they like as its not as though maintenance people, drivers, etc will be referring to historic documents - anything they will use will be freshly drawn / published from scratch.

[phil-b259]

It also keeps it in line with everything else at Edinburgh (which, alas, is probably the most likely reason if we're honest)

 

I guess that because the borders railway leaves the ECML, carying on with the convention is logical. Mind you 'Up' trains becoming 'Down' ones etc is hardly an unusual situation on the rest of the rail network.

[phil-b259]

Which presumably dates back to North British Days when it was a through route to London. Hopefully it will become one again.

 

Jamie

 

I was under the impression that the North British used Edinburgh as there 'hub' (with the possible exception of the ECML to Berwick)

[The Stationmaster]

I guess that because the borders railway leaves the ECML, carying on with the convention is logical. Mind you 'Up' trains becoming 'Down' ones etc is hardly an unusual situation on the rest of the rail network.

Yes, where it is unavoidable - why inject complication where you don't need t?.  Like reading the Sectional Appendix one way from Waverley to the junction then find that it starts from the other end on the rest of the route and reads in the opposite direction - not much help when it comes to training is it?u

 

There's a fairly good basic principle somewhere in a lot of real railway work (and equally valid in modern safety procedures which really are about safety instead of b*m covering) - it's called the KISS principle and introducing complexity for the sake of complexity or because it looks good or sounds better isn't part of it isn't part of it.

[phil-b259]

Yes, where it is unavoidable - why inject complication where you don't need t?.  Like reading the Sectional Appendix one way from Waverley to the junction then find that it starts from the other end on the rest of the route and reads in the opposite direction - not much help when it comes to training is it?u

 

There's a fairly good basic principle somewhere in a lot of real railway work (and equally valid in modern safety procedures which really are about safety instead of b*m covering) - it's called the KISS principle and introducing complexity for the sake of complexity or because it looks good or sounds better isn't part of it isn't part of it.

 

It may be a good principle - but I remain to be convinced that the railway - particularly todays one truly embraces the KISS principle as much as it could do (be it the latest rule book, the SWOPS system, some of the latest signalling kit, or even the people in charge of the Reading redevelopment - there allways seems to be some aspect of a 'new' system / process / equipment that is overly complicated for no reason).

 

However, as you say, when it comes to the Borders Railway the decision to stick with ECML convention is undoubtedly the right one.

[Hawick_1987]

Because

 

(1) Even if you do take London to the final destination of UP trains, they will still have to go via Edinburgh as the borders railway is a dead end branch with - if we are remotely realistic - zero chance of it going back to Carlisle.

 

 

Ever the optimist, i'd have to disagree and say there is a decent chance of the line being extended at some point - possibly long after we've shuffled off this mortal coil!

[phil-b259]

Ever the optimist, i'd have to disagree and say there is a decent chance of the line being extended at some point - possibly long after we've shuffled off this mortal coil!

Accepted that scenario could happen - but we generally don't do stuff on the basis of "it might be needed in 100 years time" or whatever because when that "time occurs" other events will have overtaken it. After all how times have the doom mongrels predicted we will run short of oil* despite new techniques and reserves still being found?

 

* (an event that will surely happen one day and could require a step change in transport so as to protect stocks for uses where there is no substitute - I'm thinking plastics and electrical insulation here)

 

As things stand though critical analysis of all current and predicted needs, current trends both inside and outside the industry, plus reasoned predictions of how these will pan out well into foreseeable future shows that going back to Carlisle will NOT represent good value for money however much you dress it up and as such won't be happening (though a further extension to Hawick might just get through).

 

However as has been pointed out to me by Stationmaster, sticking with 'Up' to Tweedbank and thus perpetuating the ECML convention is a good move - and one which neatly fits should miracles happen and extending back to Carlisle becomes viable 50 or 100 years on.

['CHARD]

- the only bits that have been reused being the formation plus a few bridges / tunnels.

 

My bold.

 

Phil, I am loath to correct this after your magnanimous last post, but I can't let it stay out there unchallenged as though by repeating it enough times it will somehow become true.

 

 

One definition of a few is: "not many, hardly any, scarcely any; a small number of, a small amount of, a small quantity of, one or two, a handful of, a sprinkling."

 

This cannot be said of the re-used structures on the reopened Waverley route.  I won't bother to list them by painted number from the asset register, but the lion's share of structures that still serve their original design brief and function have been inspected, refurbished and re-used.  On the northern section the majority of the original structures had survived.  Relatively few new structures have been required, fewer still surviving structures have been replaced.

 

Incidentally there are only three tunnels on the whole of the reopened railway (four if you include the new A7 box crossing).  All have been re-used.

[clogger]

Over the last couple of years my wife and I have driven down that way, always following the works with interest. The last time was July this year commenting how much progress they have made. Following the updates today, they appear to be coming on in leaps and bounds. One of my ambitions is to travel on the line when it is open. Thanks for the updates , they are fantastic and can't wait to see how much progress they have made when we return to that arena next year.