SCOTLAND IS ON THE CUSP OF BENEFITING FROM INVESTMENT IN THE NETWORK, REPORTS JAMES ABBOTT
Wires have been energised at 25kV between Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley via Croy and Falkirk. This milestone in the Edinburgh – Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), passed on 2 September, sets the stage for an improvement in service in the Scottish central belt in coming months and years. Network Rail was expected to pass the electrified wires for operations in early October, after which operator ScotRail can commence testing EMUs on the new infrastructure.
By the end of August, ScotRail had taken delivery of four of the 70 Class 385 EMUs it has ordered from Hitachi to work on the expanded electrified network, with driver training starting on already-electrified lines in the Glasgow suburban area. The aim is to introduce an electric timetable for passengers with the December 2017 timetable – roundly one year behind schedule, following difficulties Network Rail encountered in electrifying the line.
The Class 385s are still in the process of delivery. ‘We’ll be starting an electric service in December, but initially the service could be run by a mixture of Class 385s, 380s and 170s’ says Alex Hynes,…
