SCOTLAND SPECIAL ■ THE RACE TO DELIVER ■ NEW CLASS 385: LONGER, ELECTRIFICATION ON TIME FASTER AND GREENER ■ RAIL‘S SIGNIFICANT ROLE ■ FORECASTING THE DEMAND IN THE SCOTTISH ECONOMY FOR NEW SCOTTISH LINES PAUL BIGLAND: RAIL. SPECIAL REPORT A PROMOTION Project timeline Key successes Start: September 2013 ■ Intense delivery programme: Phase 1 commissioned: September 2014 The main section of the route was Phase 2 commissioned: April 2015 completed within just 12 months, THE RACE FOR Overall completion: March 2016 allowing driver training and rolling stock commissioning in time for the first passengers 15 months after the electrified as part of the Edinburgh-Glasgow start of electrification. SCOTTISH SUCCESS Improvement Programme (EGIP). ■ Delivery achievements: An It has also been a very Scottish project, intensive and accelerated project delivered by the Scots, for the Scots. Most of was delivered on time, safely, and to the people involved in RACE permanently budget. Up against a tight deadline, lived in Scotland’s Central Belt - the most ■ Benefits: The work has achieved densely populated area - which also kept what was envisaged, with a new Carillion delivered electrification people movement costs to a minimum. range of destinations provided for Local plant hire companies were used to communities along the line, a Sunday of the Whifflet Line on time, on strengthen the supply chain, and some service now operating, more capacity suppliers were given assistance to gain at Glasgow Central High Level station, budget and with its trademark accreditation in the rail industry, opening much improved network resilience, up more opportunities for the future. At and new routes for freight operators flair for innovation and high the design stage of the project, Hyder to benefit economic development in Consulting and Siemens were involved, both the region. principles. STEFANIE BROWNE working from their Glasgow offices. ■ Local delivery: Carillion and the The project even provides wider benefits design team were all Scottish-based, finds out how it was achieved beyond Scotland. Skills gained by people with a locally sourced supply chain. new to the industry during the RACE ■ Skills improvement: New entrants project have qualified them to work on other to the rail industry were employed projects around the UK. All this training and locally trained, creating an was completed using the recently developed enhanced future resource for the OLEC electrification qualifications and extensive planned electrification Carillion’s depot at Shettleston, which is investment in the UK rail industry. close to the RACE sites. ■ Sustainability: Redundant It is important to Carillion in all its projects equipment was sourced from around that the work is sustainable, and RACE was the UK and reused on the project. no exception. The project complied with Innovative equipment was used to all the required environmental constraints, achieve a variety of sustainable Final installation and while Carillion went the extra mile by benefits and a reduction in future registration on the RACE volunteering innovative solutions during the maintenance requirements. project. CARILLION. course of its work. Key to this principled approach was the reuse of equipment recovered from caused by Pendolinos, was moved from mbitious plans to electrify a Despite the accelerated timescale, scheme which also took on-board the And the upgrades go beyond network other projects on the network. For Bourne End (allowing the line to be used as number of key routes in Scotland the benefits from the scheme were not issues of Interoperability, Common Safety improvements. Because of the option for example, two track section cabins due a diversionary route for Pendolinos). are part of a strategy to provide compromised and the project has had Method(CSM) and compliant installation freight customers to serve terminals west to be decommissioned in Glasgow were The work itself included several Asignificant economic, social a transformational effect on this part of of OLE to the Electricity at Work Act, the of Glasgow via an electrified route, the recovered and reused; 12 redundant booster innovations to enhance the long-term and environmental benefits for future Scotland. Electric passenger trains running first electrification scheme in the UK to do economic possibilities for the region are transformers were relocated from Rugby; environmental benefits, as well as making generations. While several parts of the over the Whifflet Line can now utilise the so using Series 2 equipment,” says Carillion significant. And this will only improve, and a harmonic damper that counteracts the construction aspect easier and reducing scheme will stretch into 2019 and beyond, Argyle Line, giving passengers access to new Engineering Services Director Andy Stocks. once the Grangemouth branch has been interferences in the OLE supply pattern, the maintenance required. portions of the work are already complete service destinations. There is now a Sunday “This meant that the whole team of All the hard work paid off in a short space and delivering benefits to the Scottish service, giving passengers greater freedom Network Rail, Carillion and Designer staff of time. It has enabled electric haulage network. One of those was delivered rather and flexibility. ScotRail has also benefited had to work together to achieve the correct of existing passenger services, provided earlier than anticipated… from improved network resilience, with a technical and compliant outcome. This more seats on trains, new destinations In May 2013, Scottish Ministers diversionary route for West Coast Main Line was achieved and is a credit to all those for communities along the route, the announced that electrification of the traffic, which has already come in handy for involved.” opportunity to divert passenger and empty Whifflet Line (Rutherglen-Coatbridge) Caledonian Sleeper services during WCML stock, and allowed freight operators to would be commissioned sooner and blockades. switch to electric operation. All-in-all, it’s delivered ahead of schedule. Originally “The RaCE Project was a ‘fast tracked’ a better, more efficient and more flexible planned for completion in 2018/19, the new railway as a result. deadline would be in 2016. The RACE project has Says Stocks : “The RACE project has With a value of £28 million, the project set the benchmark for efficient delivery linked the West Coast Main Line in the set the benchmark for of electrification schemes, including Rutherglen area with the Scottish Central the upgrades required to the railway Line in the Coatbridge area, involving efficient delivery of infrastructure associated with electrifying design and installation of 26 single-track Final installation and an existing railway line. The rest of the kilometres of 25kV overhead line equipment. registration on the RACE UK railway industry, in an era when the electrification schemes. Aptly named the RACE project, it really did project. The final view from affordability of electrification is being become a race to the finish line for principal Andy Stocks, Carmyle station. CARILLION. questioned, would do well to take time to contractor Carillion. Engineering Services Director, Carillion learn why RACE was a success.” ■ 38 39 SCOTLAND SPECIAL EDINBURGH IMPROVEMENTS Delivering a plan of action Source: Rail Delivery Group. trains into Glasgow from the North East. of the station is a short-term possibility, Across at Glasgow Central, trains from East through timetable improvements and capacity On September 13, ScotRail 314213 (second Kilbride and North Ayrshire will also be investment, but longer-term major work is RICHARD CLINNICK analyses a left) leaves Glasgow Central with a train for overcrowded. required, it says. Neilston. Also in the station are (from left): SR In the east, commuter trains from the Electrifying the busy routes to East Kilbride Rail Delivery Group document 314204, 314205, 380104 and 158728. This is Lothians into Edinburgh are forecast to and North Ayrshire is one option, while the Scotland’s busiest station, and capacity exceed seating capacity in the morning industry will try to make the best use of the discussing how the railway can enhancements are needed to enable the city peak, although it is hoped that the planned capacity available at the station. Longer-term to develop the change in economy in the support the Scottish economy West of Scotland. STEWART ARMSTRONG. introduction of longer trains in two years’ the station will also be the access point for time will help to alleviate that. HS2, and the RDG notes that this must also Scotland’s busiest station is Glasgow be considered. orth of the Border, the Rail an updated High Level Output Specification “The market for rail in Scotland has grown RDG believes that the best way to improve Central. The West of Scotland’s economy Across the Central Belt, there are Delivery Group (RDG) believes (HLOS) and an updated National Transport significantly. Passenger rail demand in is to make the best use of existing and future is adjusting to a long-term decline in suggested plans to improve capacity at that the railway can play a Strategy, this will be used to inform how Scotland has doubled over the last 20 years capacity, and to clearly determine which manufacturing and primary industries, and Edinburgh through significant infrastructure Nsignificant role in the broader transport can help deliver the Government’s and although there is uncertainty about options best support these ideals. to a more city centre and service-orientated improvements. economic, social and environmental vision. future demand, current forecasts reinforce There are anticipated capacity changes. economy. The city must be able to tap into While the western end of Edinburgh objectives planned for Scotland. Writing in the RDG document’s foreword, the need for continued investment.” The Scotland Market Study highlighted this labour market, and that needs support Waverley was remodelled in 2008 ready for This means that despite the new trains Jo Kaye, Chairman, Planning Oversight Kaye also highlights rail freight, that by 2018-19 seating capacity will be from rail.