to accelerate, has resulted in longer journey
times. ScotRail is determined to reverse this
trend, scheduling many xx.30 departures from
Glasgow Queen Street in 42 minutes with
stops at Croy, Falkirk High and Haymarket and
the prospect of more to come.
Modernised
Queen Street station is being extensively
modernised. Unusually in the current climate
perhaps, this is taking the form of extending
the operational area rather than squeezing it for
retail development. Train lengths are limited
to seven Class 385 vehicles, but the aspiration
is four eight-car platforms impinging on the
current concourse with support buildings
edged out towards George Square.
David points out the extension has actually
been done, below the current surface and
packed with polystyrene until the opportunity
comes for it to be revealed. The original
Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme
(EGIP) has had to be scaled back in view
of economic realities. The grade separation
at Winchburgh Jct, to allow some trains to
proceed via a new ‘Almond Curve’ from the
Winchburgh to Dalmeny line to the Dalmeny
to Edinburgh direction and serve Edinburgh
Airport, has been discarded for the time being,
resulting in the aspiration becoming four
eight-car trains per hour instead of the
proposed six six-cars.
Mr Simpson introduces me to driver team
manager Paul Graham, who is to accompany
me in the cab of the 10.30 Queen Street-
Waverley, a 42-minute train. Paul started in
2002 on platform work and has risen to this
position via conductor, driver and instructor,
enabling him to drive our train.
All the Central Belt 15min interval trains
I saw were 3+4car Class 385s with the First
Class vehicle marshalled in the middle – not
as easy an achievement at depots as this might
sound. The Class 380 three-cars are more
powerful than the four-car versions but this is
equalised in the Class 385s which have
six traction motors in a three-car instead of the
eight in a four-car.Unit 385117+
Load* 7/284/
Train 10.30GlasgowQueenSt-
Edinburgh
Date May 21, 2019
Recorder/Position J Heaton 1st of 7Miles Timing Point Sch M S M P H
0.00 GLASGOW Q ST d 0 0 00 T
1.90 Cowlairs W Jct 2½ 2 36 -/rbt
3.23 Bishopbriggs 3 43 89
4.55 Cadder West End 435 97
6.23 Lenzie 5 36 100/sigs
11.46 Croy a 10 10 58
0.00 d/p 10½ 11 43 -/
5.86 Greenhill Upper Jct 4½ 4 20 98
10.29 FALKIRK HIGH a 8802
0.00 d 8½ 8 44
2.98 Polmont Jct 323989/
5.45 Bo’ness Jct 411 95
7.90 Linlithgow 5 45 90/
12.89 Winchburgh Jct 985790
16.99 Newbridge Jct 12 11 40 91/
20.63 Edinburgh Park sigs 24
23.18 Haymarket W Jct 16 17 05 67/sigs
24.25 HAYMARKET a 17½ 18 43
0.00 d 18½ 19 30 -
1.20 EDINBURGH a (½) 4½ 3 44*=Vehicles/tare/gross tonnes (½)= ½min pathing allowanceTABLE 1: GLASGOW QUEEN
STREET TO EDINBURGHJuly 2019 •The Railway Magazine•World Record Officially the world’s longest-running railway series, established in 1901