http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Rail latest en Mon, 05 Oct 2026 19:50:58 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=29#post-386041 Sun, 04 Oct 2026 22:11:27 +0000 chdot 386041@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Mayor eyes 2050 opening date for underground trains </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20vpx85yl1o" rel="nofollow">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20vpx85yl1o</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=29#post-386015 Fri, 02 Oct 2026 17:00:21 +0000 LaidBack 386015@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.thenational.scot/news/26603153.scotrail-lothian-buses-win-big-national-transport-awards/" rel="nofollow">https://www.thenational.scot/news/26603153.scotrail-lothian-buses-win-big-national-transport-awards/</a></p> <p>But no recognition of Ember and their quick and easy ticketing plus saturation of the M90 / A90 route to Aberdeen via airport? Also stopping at places neglected by long distance coaches previously.</p> <p>ScotRail should have got a special mention for both their attempts to produce a mobile app. Neither allow bike booking.<br /> Ember had that from start along with wheelchair booking. Limited space of two bikes per bus though. Peak rail fare removal was good of course and many of their trains run on time.<br /> Bus companies often run late due to popularity of roads. Cars do too. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=29#post-385995 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 06:58:01 +0000 chdot 385995@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“<br /> SCOTRAIL'S minimum fare scheme has led to a major fall in ticketless travel and a significant uptick in revenue, The National can reveal. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.thenational.scot/news/26591680.scotrail-minimum-fare-scheme-raises-400-000-revenue/?" rel="nofollow">https://www.thenational.scot/news/26591680.scotrail-minimum-fare-scheme-raises-400-000-revenue/?</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=29#post-385907 Sun, 20 Sep 2026 08:21:49 +0000 chdot 385907@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/20/chiltern-railways-enters-public-ownership-labour-nationalisation" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/20/chiltern-railways-enters-public-ownership-labour-nationalisation</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=29#post-385786 Wed, 09 Sep 2026 23:40:08 +0000 chdot 385786@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Jenny Young, MSP for Central Scotland and Lothians West, has asked for a meeting with Transport Secretary, Stephen Flynn, to find out whether or not The Scottish Government will provide funding for a new railway station in Winchburgh this year. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2026/09/local-msp-asks-for-meeting-with-flynn-over-winchburgh-station/" rel="nofollow">https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2026/09/local-msp-asks-for-meeting-with-flynn-over-winchburgh-station/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=29#post-385687 Tue, 01 Sep 2026 08:16:44 +0000 chdot 385687@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Sensitivities over the Union Jack-style rebranding of Britain’s rail network have been laid bare by Network Rail apologising to the chief executive of Transport Scotland after she “hit the roof” at seeing it displayed at a major Glasgow station run by Scottish government-owned ScotRail, The Scotsman has learned.</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/union-jack-style-great-british-railways-branding-at-major-glasgow-station-angers-scottish-government-officials-8951217" rel="nofollow">https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/union-jack-style-great-british-railways-branding-at-major-glasgow-station-angers-scottish-government-officials-8951217</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=29#post-385672 Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:13:12 +0000 chdot 385672@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>For two weeks in October, there will be no trains from Kirkcaldy to Inverkeithing, while Cross County and LNER services between Aberdeen and London, which stop at those stations, will also be hit.</p> <p>ScotRail has said there will be replacement buses, and some services will be diverted or cancelled as major engineering works get underway on October 10, lasting until the 23rd.</p> <p>“ </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=29#post-385632 Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:27:54 +0000 chdot 385632@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/28/britain-railways-struggling-heat-fixed-derailments-explainer" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/28/britain-railways-struggling-heat-fixed-derailments-explainer</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=29#post-385339 Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:18:02 +0000 chdot 385339@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“Pity all the rolling stock was sold to Canada.“</p> <p>“</p> <p>Thirty three partially completed "Nightstar" shells are to be scrapped in Thunder Bay, Ontario. </p> <p>These are the remainder of the 139 cars imported from Britain in 2001 for conversion into the Via "Renaissance" coaches, sleepers and lounges. After the "Nightstar" stock was converted for Via use at the Bombardier (former Canadian Car) railcar plant in Thunder Bay, the 33 surplus cars were stored at the nearby Port Authority yard. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,1733569" rel="nofollow">https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,1733569</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=29#post-385338 Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:01:47 +0000 Morningsider 385338@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The commitment was to establish a working group - which has now been established.</p> <p>Box ticked. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=29#post-385335 Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:20:04 +0000 ejstubbs 385335@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Good grief, the Nightstar rises from the grave! Pity all the rolling stock was sold to Canada.</p> <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightstar_(train)" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightstar_(train)</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-385330 Thu, 06 Aug 2026 07:18:19 +0000 chdot 385330@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Working group established to explore Caledonian Sleeper links to mainland Europe </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/working-group-established-to-explore-caledonian-sleeper-links-to-mainland-europe/" rel="nofollow">https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/working-group-established-to-explore-caledonian-sleeper-links-to-mainland-europe/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-385300 Mon, 03 Aug 2026 22:52:55 +0000 chdot 385300@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Network Rail engineers are starting £3.6 million worth of repairs at the historic Avon Viaduct near Linlithgow.</p> <p>The project, which begins on 3 August and is due to be completed by May 2027, will protect the future of the 23-span listed structure and the railway it carries across the River Avon between West Lothian and Falkirk.</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/work-begins-on-gbp-3-6m-restoration-of-historic-avon-viaduct" rel="nofollow">https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/work-begins-on-gbp-3-6m-restoration-of-historic-avon-viaduct</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-384485 Thu, 28 May 2026 14:17:59 +0000 Arellcat 384485@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Transform Scotland might have liked to be at last week's ScotRail fleet procurement strategy meeting that I attended. </p> <p>I'm surprised that they think ScotRail isn't already aware and thinking about this stuff. I'm also surprised that they don't seem to understand just how incredibly expensive trains are. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-384484 Thu, 28 May 2026 13:34:23 +0000 chdot 384484@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>What's next for Scotland's train fleet?</p> <p>ScotRail now operates the 2nd oldest fleet in Britain.</p> <p>Today we launched our new paper ‘Scotland’s Next Trains’, setting out the critical need for a national investment plan to renew our ageing network.</p> <p>Read it here -</p> <p><a href="https://shorturl.at/SSjJ2" rel="nofollow">https://shorturl.at/SSjJ2</a></p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/transform.scot/post/3mmvkcfdefk22" rel="nofollow">https://bsky.app/profile/transform.scot/post/3mmvkcfdefk22</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-384356 Tue, 19 May 2026 20:10:16 +0000 chdot 384356@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/better-journeys-ahead-governments-agree-framework-for-scotlands-rail-network-ahead-of-the-creation-of-great-british-railways" rel="nofollow">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/better-journeys-ahead-governments-agree-framework-for-scotlands-rail-network-ahead-of-the-creation-of-great-british-railways</a></p> <p> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/framework-for-a-memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-secretary-of-state-and-scottish-ministers-applying-the-railways-bill-in-scotland" rel="nofollow">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/framework-for-a-memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-secretary-of-state-and-scottish-ministers-applying-the-railways-bill-in-scotland</a></p> <p>“</p> <p>Where stations in Scotland are operated by GBR, currently Glasgow Central High Level and Edinburgh Waverley, Transport Scotland must be consulted with regards to station branding and signage to ensure that appropriate ScotRail and Scotland's Railway branding is sufficiently prominent, in particular to support passenger movements through the station, including accessibility. At those stations GBR must ensure the use of GBR advertising space in the station to advertise its services is sympathetic to other operators to ensure this does not inadvertently mislead or confuse passengers </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69bd53761263ce46c3690c32/framework-for-the-mou-between-sos-and-scottish_ministers-railways-bill.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69bd53761263ce46c3690c32/framework-for-the-mou-between-sos-and-scottish_ministers-railways-bill.pdf</a></p> <p>“</p> <p>Our delivery plan for Scotland’s Railway </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Scotland-CP7-Delivery-Plan-Year-2-update.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Scotland-CP7-Delivery-Plan-Year-2-update.pdf</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-384353 Tue, 19 May 2026 15:03:31 +0000 chdot 384353@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>HS2 bill could rise to £102bn with first trains delayed until 2039, government admits</p> <p>Transport secretary Heidi Alexander blames Conservative government for ‘obscene increase in times and costs’</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/19/hs2-bill-could-rise-102bn-pounds-first-trains-delayed-until-2039-government-admits" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/19/hs2-bill-could-rise-102bn-pounds-first-trains-delayed-until-2039-government-admits</a></p> <p>And that’s only as far as Old Oak Common </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-384350 Tue, 19 May 2026 00:18:26 +0000 chdot 384350@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Ghost towns and trains to nowhere: How the £100bn HS2 line descended into farce </p> <p>Labour is set to announce a new timeline on HS2 and efforts to save money after years of delays and spiralling costs </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/ghost-towns-trains-nowhere-100bn-hs2-line-descended-farce-4423858" rel="nofollow">https://inews.co.uk/news/ghost-towns-trains-nowhere-100bn-hs2-line-descended-farce-4423858</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-384257 Wed, 13 May 2026 17:40:54 +0000 chdot 384257@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/13/eu-proposal-cross-border-europe-train-bookings" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/13/eu-proposal-cross-border-europe-train-bookings</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-384237 Wed, 13 May 2026 08:42:10 +0000 chdot 384237@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>The additional trains between Edinburgh and North Berwick come into force from next Saturday </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/26096951.new-timetable-edinburgh-east-lothian-trains/?ref=edinburghminute.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/26096951.new-timetable-edinburgh-east-lothian-trains/?ref=edinburghminute.com</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-384183 Mon, 11 May 2026 10:31:39 +0000 chdot 384183@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-scotrail-services-revised-major-33923061" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-scotrail-services-revised-major-33923061</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-384181 Mon, 11 May 2026 09:51:24 +0000 chdot 384181@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/11/delayed-cambridge-south-station-open-june-great-british-railways" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/11/delayed-cambridge-south-station-open-june-great-british-railways</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-384042 Sun, 03 May 2026 14:20:01 +0000 Tulyar 384042@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The director of rail franchising with Transport Scotland at the time of EGIP has a 1914 'bible' in Railway Economics plus a good grounding in doing this properly</p> <p>For the second time in my career I was working to reopen a railway line in 2005 when I was overseeing the ground survey core log drilling on the 16 miles of cycle route I had delivered in 1993</p> <p>With the clear access to slam down track on a railway whecih didn#t need to fit around existing services we got a second electrified route Edinburgh to Glasgow with some small extras like the connection at Anniesland from the Kelvindale route so that the tunnels and the main high level station at Glasgow Queen Street could be totally closed for 6 months and trains from EDB via FKK could loop around through GLQ low level whilst trains from the North were diverted into GLC high level</p> <p>At the same time Winchburgh Tunnel was also upgraded with the serious challenge thet the invert of the tunnel was pure mudstone which was basically gloop which was a bottomless 'pit that the railway had to float over</p> <p>One benefit of the EGIP work being done in stages has been the learning curve for the teams delivering faster &amp; cheaper with each stage, and the advance work of fitting in little details to accommodate structures and equipment with other routine maintenance</p> <p>The Paisley Canal electrification was a handy bit of practice with other little details </p> <p>EGIP is still not totally complete BUT the land and the designs to build the Almond chord are already sitting on the shelf, with the developer at Winchburgh keen to see a stations built (which hopefully they'll pay a bit for (based on the higher prices thay can get for houses with a train service to Edinburgh &amp; Glasgow. The connection to the Fife lines will be right at the location for the old airport buildings at Turnhouse, and the West flank housing developments for Edinburgh, an ideal location for an airport station right beside the long stay parking and the airfreight operations</p> <p>The Almond chord would also ease the hammering of the tunnel and viaduct built in 1842 and now carrying trains weighing 2-3 times more and travelling 2-3 times faster. A case for a major joint venture project that has a groups of stakeholders delivering the whole deal</p> <p>We're already seeing this as each element is added - to Barrhead , to East Kilbride, to Dalmeny, to Kilmarnock and so on</p> <p>Remember too that the Royal Scotsman runs to Boat of Garten using the Speyside Railway and other private railways might also offer through trains with special services that don't need to raid the public purse </p> <p>For the Borders rail the route can be secured with a cycle path plus the private railway on a section of the old route North of Newcastleton. A new alignment near Melrose could take the railway right through the Borders Hospital with a station and bus interchange delivered as a single coherent detail &amp; possibly opened as a short extension from the current Tweedbank terminus </p> <p>Lots to deliver with some canny Scots pragmatim? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-384031 Sat, 02 May 2026 21:38:50 +0000 chdot 384031@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/02/east-west-rail-oxford-milton-keynes-chiltern-railways-delays" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/02/east-west-rail-oxford-milton-keynes-chiltern-railways-delays</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-383883 Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:57:45 +0000 Arellcat 383883@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've said it many times on here before, but tunnelling through the Pentlands really would open up some convenient transport corridors. And electric trains with multiple powered axles - as in, most of them - make gradients that much easier to deal with. These days we don't need fleets of hardworking GWR pannier tanks to spend their lives banking express trains, we just pile the railway up and down the hills. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-383878 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:44:11 +0000 neddie 383878@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><blockquote>what south-west Edinburgh could really do with is a rail link from Newtongrange to Curriehill via Loanhead/Straiton, Hillend and Bonaly</blockquote></p> <p>We should include Penicuik in that loop. What would the Swiss do? Why, they would tunnel through the Pentlands... (and it would be electrified) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-383877 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:23:56 +0000 chdot 383877@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“Saving 5 minutes on those schedules could provide for something like 5 extra trains in each 2.5 hour peak time period, with a 10 minute service rather than 15.“</p> <p>Mmm as you say - “For the hell of it”</p> <p>Primary problem would be cost of rolling stock and servicing. </p> <p>Of course if you had serious road pricing that significantly disincentivised M8 (etc) travel, might be doable… </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-383876 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:15:34 +0000 chdot 383876@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“what south-west Edinburgh could really do with is a rail link from Newtongrange to Curriehill via Loanhead/Straiton, Hillend and Bonaly.“</p> <p>Yes but</p> <p>(and before) Newtongrange Eskbank Shawfair Newcraighall Asda/Fort Kinnaird Niddrie Duddingston Cameron Toll Newington Blackford Morningside Slateford Kingsknowe Wester Hailes Curriehill (and beyond)</p> <p>Would be so much easier. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-383875 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:57:19 +0000 chdot 383875@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“The problem is when it takes longer to get to the station than actually travelling on the train.“</p> <p>Yes </p> <p>And how far from stations travellers start and finish </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20759&page=28#post-383874 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:30:38 +0000 Arellcat 383874@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>‘Saving’ a few minutes is largely pointless. Until the recent electrification, E-G trains were mostly slower than 30 years before (because of extra stops).</em></p> <p>For the hell of it I had a look yesterday at the train paths for EDB/GLQ via FKK, and there are something like 40 trains running each way during peak times, out of about 90 throughout the day. Saving 5 minutes on those schedules could provide for something like 5 extra trains in each 2.5 hour peak time period, with a 10 minute service rather than 15. I think the question isn't so much 'can you squeeze those trains through the Mound tunnels?' as 'can you get people on and off fast enough at Waverley and Queen Street?' In essence, you want to turn an inter-city service into something even more intensive like the London Underground.</p> <p><em>It seems unlikely that there are many people thinking ‘I’ll take the train when it only takes 40 minutes’.</em></p> <p>The problem is when it takes longer to get <em>to</em> the station than actually travelling on the train.</p> <p>I much prefer taking the train through to Glasgow with my bike, but hang it all, it's nearly an hour to Waverley if I walk/bus/walk, or 45-50 minutes cycling (with 10 minutes contingency for ticket machines and things), and then 45 minutes on the train. I could drive from home to Glasgow, say, Great Western Road, in a little over an hour, and that includes the traffic jams on the M8 around jct 16.</p> <p>It just occurred to me that what south-west Edinburgh could really do with is a rail link from Newtongrange to Curriehill via Loanhead/Straiton, Hillend and Bonaly. </p>