Sunday Herald publish stats from Network Rail.
205 to 304 micrograms of nitrous dioxide versus limit of 40.
Just confirms what many knew already with their own lungs. Despite electrification too many trains are still diesel.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Waverley Station air quality breaches EU limit x 7
(17 posts)-
Posted 13 years ago #
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Good god. So are they going to put in an emergency ban on all diesel trains in Waverley? Bet I know the answer to that one.
Also, well done Scottish govt for gutting the central belt rail electrification programme, another far-sighted decision there.
Edit: here's the article
Posted 13 years ago # -
Waverley, situated in a low, glass-roofed hollow in the centre of the capital, is one of the busiest stations in the UK outside London. It seems it may also be one of the most polluted.
It is the only British mainline railway station that still allows vehicles, including taxis, private cars and delivery trucks, to drive right inside it. It is also three-quarters of the way through a four-year, £100 million revamp, which means almost constant cutting, drilling and pounding, confining passengers under scaffolding and awnings.
Were they not planning to do something about motor vehicles? Except that the EEN and taxi drivers kicked up a stink, Hinds was "concerned", and Network Rail backed down. Seems an easy and quick way to cut pollution though.
The bit of EGIP that affects Waverley is still going ahead, so that's at least 4 trains per hour that won't be belching diesel fumes...
Posted 13 years ago # -
"
Were they not planning to do something about motor vehicles? Except that the EEN and taxi drivers kicked up a stink, Hinds was "concerned", and Network Rail backed down. Seems an easy and quick way to cut pollution though."
Yes, but -
That wasn't about pollution it was about 'terrorism'.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Got a train home last week and got to the platform 20mins early. The four carrage train was running when I arrived. I can understand trains running through but this train had been left on a deadend platform running until it was due to leave.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I'm now wondering if this study and its "leak" have both been carefully fashioned to create support for a taxi ban in the station.
Posted 13 years ago # -
The best way to cut pollution would be for the trains to turn their engines off when not moving, but that doesnt seem on the agenda
Posted 13 years ago # -
I was ambivalent about the taxi ban until the last 2 occasions I was cycling out of the station and had taxis attempt to overtake me out the station in the 5 (or 10?) mph zone on the exit ramp.
Now I'm more than happy for them to sit in a low-roofed glass box all day long with their diesel engines on idle and their windows open...
Posted 13 years ago # -
I remember some discussion about this in Ayr station years ago. Apparently it's not a simple thing starting a diesel train so it's better to leave them on.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Starting a diesel train is as easy as turning a key and pressing a button, as long as the batteries are good (and generally they are)
After 15 minutes of the key being removed (i.e when the driver leaves it) the train engines shut down automatically.
Leaving the engines running keeps the air con running and internal lighting on, it also keeps the air pressure up for the brake system, and the oil pressure for the system that runs the transmission.
It wouldn't be good to ask passengers board and sit on a cold (or warm) dark train, trying to find a bike space in the dark could be a tricky one too.
On start up it may be necessary to wait until the air pressure and other system come back on, possibly delaying the train's departure, very inconvenient and costly.
On some trains the reservation and computer systems only run when the engines are up and running, and nothing at all causes stooshies on trains like when the reservations fail to work.
If a train is not scheduled to leave for a long time the staff are instructed to close the doors, turn off the internal lights and close down the engines. But very very few trains are scheduled to sit in the station for any length of time. Some stations have a "spare train" siting to cover breakdowns e.g Glasgow Central.
A train sitting doing nothing earns no money and has to pay "parking" charges to Network Rail, and is also wasting money burning diesel, something no company is aiming to do...
Bit train spottery I know :-)
Posted 13 years ago # -
There was something recently in the Evening Chipwrapper about Craigentinny residents complaining of trains being parked up in the sidings overnight with their engines idling. Seems that Network Rail didn't want to cough up to install jumper leads so they could have power overnight when cleaning and maintenance was being performed.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I don't know Craigentinny Depot at all, but I suppose if you buy a house right beside a railway maintenance dept you shouldn't really be surprised if you find that railway maintenance takes place.....
Posted 13 years ago # -
Here it is, complete with subtle headline and all;
Train fumes ‘killing’ Portobello residents
And apologies to Network Rail, it's East Coast at fault here.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Well I suppose that means the complaints are somewhat time limited lol
Posted 13 years ago # -
I would have thought there'd be a lot more sustained pollution coming from the nearby A199. That said, it is deeply unpleasant when one of the old 125 engines revs up: the diesel fumes are appalling. On idle it doesn't seem so bad, but all night.....luckily there seem to be only half a dozen houses on the street affected.
Posted 13 years ago # -
@crowriver much to the chagrin of many a trainspotter, all the Class 43 / 125s have had the old Paxman Valentas replaced with more modern - and more anonymous, less tuneful and significantly less smoky - prime movers. So you can no longer stand at the edge of the platform and be deafened (twice) by the supersonic whine of the Napier superchargers. For good reason they were known as "screamers".
Posted 13 years ago # -
the supersonic whine of the Napier superchargers
That's a shame, they did sound awesome
Posted 13 years ago #
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