The Railway Magazine – July 2019

A refurbished HST set returns to Haymarket depot from Dundee on May 14 for repair, with power car No. 43140

leading. The train is on the climb up from Inverkeithing to the Forth Bridge

A pair of Class 385/0s pass at Shotts on June 4. On the left, 385022 is working the 08.57 Edinburgh Waverley-

Glasgow Central, while 385019 arrives with a slightly late running 09.04 Glasgow Central-Edinburgh Waverley.

a train that is running late but Paul says it is

using the gradients to smooth out the running.

In the end it is only advice and he runs to

line limits touching 100mph before Greenhill

Upper Jct, where the Stirling line diverges, and

reaching Falkirk High in 8min 2sec at

a start-to-stop average speed of 77mph.

We are away again within 42sec but that

is a loss of 12sec on a stingy off-peak 30sec

allowance. This has not followed any apparent

‘rounding-up’ of the previous running time or
the subsequent one either, as we gain just 4sec
on the 9min section to Winchburgh Jct despite
100mph running. Viewed from the cab, it is
noticeable the maximum permissible speed
profile is not as constant as my perception
in the train. In fact there are four speed
reductions then resumptions of 100mph
authorisation in the 13miles from Falkirk High
to Winchburgh Jct.
Next comes Newbridge Jct, where the
Bathgate line joins the ‘E&G’–arecognised
operational pinch point. Our four express
trains have been joined by four trains per
hour at Polmont Jct and now by another four.
Eight trains put in a call at Edinburgh Park
station (opened 2003) which presents another
impediment to E&G right time arrival. By
the time the 42min schedule trains approach
Haymarket, pathing is in danger of becoming
a lottery as the Virgin, CrossCountry,
TransPennine Express and ScotRail trains via
Slateford have to be integrated into the pattern.
Some trains from the Newbridge Jct
direction need to shift across to the Fife lines
but this causes conflicting moves and has
to be done at low speed. Signal spacing is
by no means as close as similar installations
approaching say Stratford from Shenfield so
trains really need to get as close to signals that
are clearing as possible to make the timetable
work – but this is not the modern way of
course. A wish list might include 70mph
flashing yellow crossovers 2.2miles out from
Haymarket at the former Saughton Jct... or
even the ‘Almond Curve’.

‘Sudoku puzzle’

Our progress was hindered by the 09.

Queen Street-Edinburgh via Cumbernauld

running 3min late, having failed to make any

incursion on its 3min late start. As a result the

42min express arrived at Edinburgh 1½min

late. A pedant might say 104sec, but he or she

would be in pursuit of ‘absolute right time’.

The borderline between PPM accomplishment

and total right time success is a narrow one.

See Table 1.

Arrival was at a new eight-car length north

bay platform 12, the adjacent platform 11

being similarly used, with a seemingly

inevitable extra barrier line. Waverley’s platform

numbering used to resemble a Sudoku puzzle

but it is now complete from 1 to 20 clockwise

from the Up side south end to the Up side

north end, where numbers 1 and 20, like 2

and 19, are split. No, it really is easier than

it sounds!

Having thanked Paul Graham I then met

driver team manager Neil Slavin and driver

Tam Lynch for a cab ride to Glasgow Central

via Shotts in a three-car Class 385. This was

imperturbable Tam’s first electric turn over the

route; having entertained the DAS technician

on the outward route he now had further

company on the return.

There is of course no meaningful

comparison to be made between the former

Class 156s and the EMUs on this line. The

set glides sylph-like through the suburban

stations out to Midcalder Jct. Neil points out

the unusual banner-repeater on the Up side

of the tracks, which seems counter-intuitive

to the driver’s restricted view, but the process

of flashing yellow aspects down to the 70mph

turnout is a perfect example of modern

signalling for contemporary motive power.

‘Parliamentary’service

This electrification has been delivered on

time but the schedules still contain more than

a modicum of insurance with 12½min pathing.

Tam does not need to rush. In fact, leaving

Shotts, he accelerates to 30mph then lets the

unit effectively drive itself down the bank from

Benhar Summit gaining speed purely by gravity

to Uddingston Jct.

The reprieved station of Breich flashes by,

having served a mere handful of passengers

a week by a ‘parliamentary’ service, but now

benefiting from a £2.5million make-over and

an hourly train to both of Scotland’s major

cities, honouring a political pledge not to close

any Scottish railway stations – presumably

whatever the cost. We await the inevitable press

release proclaiming a huge percentage increase

in use. There is a conflicting move at Newton

East Jct for the 2½min late 12.11 Milngavie-

Motherwell to enter Newton station but we

wend our way gently towards Glasgow Central

1min late.

During the afternoon I sampled the

Cumbernauld route to Edinburgh and renewed

my acquaintance via the Bathgate route. On

the outward leg No. 385113 was often early

and never more than ½min late until the

Polmont to Edinburgh Park section when

punctuality slipped back to 2min late, checking

the following 15.30 from Queen Street E&G

train. The Cumbernauld train was 33sec late

at Waverley.

My Bathgate return trip was on a pair

of the earlier and equally competent Class

July 2019 •The Railway Magazine•

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