Railway electrification in Scotland has proceeded in a different fashion than the rest of the UK especially in the 21st Century. There is political commitment[1] to a substantial rolling programme of railway electrification from the Scottish government where transport is devolved.[1][2] Transport Scotland and others have said "In Scotland, decarbonisation is spelt E-L-E-C-T-R-I-F-Y".[3] All parties in Scotland are vigorously campaigning for electrification. As of January 2022, there are 2776 kilometres of track in Scotland, and 711 kilometres are electrified representing 25.3%.[4][5] To meet these needs, the plan is to electrify on average 130 single track kilometres (STK) per year until 2035.[6][7][8]

Twentieth century history

Much of the Glasgow suburban network was electrified by 1960 with the introduction of blue trains.[9] Electrified power lines began to appear at Glasgow Central station high-level platforms at the start of 1960s under British Railways. Firstly came 6.25 kV AC overhead power lines from the Cathcart Circle Line electrification scheme, which started on 29 May 1962.[10] The Ayr, Ardrossan and Largs lines were completed in 1986-1987.[11] This was followed by the 25 kV AC overhead-power-lines electrification of the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway and the Inverclyde Line to Gourock and Wemyss Bay, completed in 1967.[10] The WCML electrification scheme from Weaver Junction to Glasgow was discussed in 1968 and a report issued,[12] and was completed in 1974 with squadron service starting on 6 May 1974.[13][14] Progressive upgrading of the Cathcart Circle to 25 kV AC supply was started in 1974 and the whole of the route was upgraded later. The East Coast Main Line (ECML) was electrified in stages and reached Edinburgh in 1991. The branch to North Berwick was done at the same time.[15] In this timeframe the Glasgow–Edinburgh via Carstairs line was also electrified although it had been examined in 1978.[16]

Twenty first century history

In Scotland, where transport is devolved to the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland has extended and continues to expand electrification.[17][18] The Airdrie–Bathgate rail link and the Whifflet Line were completed in November 2014.[19] This is part of a larger plan that has seen many major routes in central Scotland electrified, including the main Edinburgh Waverley–Glasgow Queen Street route.[20] They have pursued electrification with multiple schemes in the Central Belt. All these have been 25 kV AC, as in England and Wales. In September 2019, Transport Scotland announced the goal of having Scottish transport net carbon neutral by the year 2035.[21][22][23] This would be achieved by a rolling programme of electrification; where that is not feasible, using battery and other emerging technology such as hydrogen. Electrification to Stirling, Alloa and Dunblane was originally part of Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP). Electrification was completed by 2019; it was carried out under the rolling programme of electrification, rather than as part of the EGIP programme. EGIP was an initiative funded by Transport Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government[24] to increase capacity on the main railway line between Edinburgh and Glasgow, with new, longer electric trains running by 2017 and scheduled for full completion in 2019.[25] It was expected to cost £742 million and delivered by Network Rail.

The Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition government announced this in 2006.[26] It was completed in October 2021 with the Glasgow Queen Street station modernisation.[27][28] On 28 July 2020, Scottish Transport Secretary Michael Matheson announced plans to phase out fossil fuel use on the railway network by 2035.[29] The plan would see most lines electrified, but suggests that intermittent electrification in difficult places may be implemented.[30] Alternative traction will be implemented rather than electrification for some lightly-used lines. These are the Far North Line, Kyle of Lochalsh Line, West Highland Line, and the southern portion of the Stranraer Line.[31] Other Scottish political parties support a rolling programme and indeed want it accelerating. Transport Scotland has also published a list prioritising the projects and divided them into the categories of 1) in delivery, 2) in development, 3) under active consideration.[32] On 1 July 2022, Network Rail confirmed investment and planning for the electrical grid feeders to power the schemes.[33][34][35] Scotland electrification is using innovation to achieve its aims. Resiliency of the power supply is considered key and discontinuous electrification with Battery EMUs being used to achieve intermediate goals.[36][37]

The HLOS- High Level Output Statement for Scotland for CP7 reaffirmed commitment to a rolling programme of electrification and other upgrades.[38] An invitation to tender was sent out on November 29 2023 for electrification and associated works.[39]

Individual schemes

East Kilbride scheme

In early 2021 a start was made on the electrification scheme to East Kilbride and Barrhead.[47] The first electric train ran to Barrhead on November 7 2023.[48]

Fife Circle Line

In June 2022 work commenced on the partial electrification of the Fife Circle Line. [49] This will involve extending the existing Edinburgh area electrification to Dalmeny, and an isolated area of electrification between Kirkcaldy, Lochgelly and Ladybank. This will allow the Fife Circle services to be operated by battery electric multiple units whilst minimising capital expenditure on infrastructure, in particular avoiding the major expense of electrifying the Forth Bridge. Complete electrification would be possible at some future date. The partial electrification is due to be completed in December 2025.[50] Timeline as follows:[51]

  • June 2022 Haymarket to Dalmeny electrification work started
  • December 2024 Haymarket to Dalmeny electrification work complete
  • December 2025 Partial electrification of Fife Circle Line

Under active consideration

Future phases of Decarbonisation Action Plan[46]

  • Aberdeen to Central Belt Electrification[52]
  • Aberdeen to Inverness Electrification
  • Dunblane-Hilton route clearance for future electrification
  • Electrification - Ayrshire and Glasgow & South West
  • Electrification - Dunfermline Queen Margaret to Longannet
  • Electrification - Fife Circle
  • Electrification - Fife to Perth and Dundee
  • Highland Mainline Electrification
  • New and enhanced grid feeders to power all the schemes[53]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Dennis, Gareth (22 May 2019). "The sparks effect: remembering how and why railway electrification works". Medium. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Electrification programme | Transport Scotland". www.transport.gov.scot. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  3. ↑ "Decarbonising Scotland's railway | Rail Media". Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  4. ↑ Man, Kevin. "Larkfield to East Kilbride Electrification Project (LEKE) - Through alignment design" (PDF). Permanent Way Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  5. ↑ "Electrification programme | Transport Scotland". www.transport.gov.scot. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  6. ↑ "Scotland sets out electrification ambitions". www.modernrailways.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "Electrification of railways is the fast track to net zero in Scotland". HeraldScotland. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "Decarbonising Scotland's railway". Rail Engineer. 23 June 2021. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "Glasgow Electric :: The Railways Archive". www.railwaysarchive.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  10. 1 2 Little, Stuart M. (December 1979). "Greater Glasgow's Railway Network". Scottish Transport. No. 33: 2–12. ISSN 0048-9808.
  11. ↑ "The Rebirth of AyrLine: Electrification to Ayr / Ardrossan / Largs - 1986/1987 :: The Railways Archive". www.railwaysarchive.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  12. ↑ "Route Improvements Weaver Junction to Glasgow" (PDF). Railway Archives. April 1968. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  13. ↑ Nock, O. S. (1974). Electric Euston to Glasgow. London: Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0530-3. OCLC 2283378. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  14. ↑ "Electric all the way: London to Glasgow" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  15. ↑ "ECML: Electrification as it used to be – Rail Engineer". 11 January 2018. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  16. ↑ Edinburgh - Carstairs electrification: project development paper. May 1978. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  17. ↑ "ScotRail targets further electrification schemes". www.railmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  18. ↑ Hewitt, Sam (6 October 2020). "Delivering a bigger, better railway for Scotland - The Railway Magazine". Archived from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  19. ↑ Heubeck, Peter (January 2023). "Resurrecting Railways: Lessons from two Scottish projects" (PDF). Permanent Way Institute Journal. 141 (1): 34–42 – via Permanent Way Institute.
  20. ↑ "High-wire act". www.railmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  21. ↑ Keane, Kevin (2 May 2019). "Scotland to set 'faster' climate change target". Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  22. ↑ "Protecting Scotland's Future: the Government's Programme for Scotland 2019-2020 - gov.scot". gov.scot. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  23. ↑ "Scotland plans to decarbonise its railways by 2035". Global Railway Review. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  24. ↑ "Strategic Transport Projects Review Edinburgh to Glasgow Rail Improvements" (PDF). Transport Scotland government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  25. ↑ "EGIP - Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme". www.egip.info. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  26. ↑ "It is surely time to jump-start electrification of our railways". HeraldScotland. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  27. ↑ "Glasgow Queen Street redevelopment". www.scotrail.co.uk. Scotrail. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  28. ↑ "First Minister marks completion of £120m Glasgow Queen Street rebuild". Scottish Construction Now. 5 October 2021. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  29. ↑ Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan : Transport Scotland. Scotland. Scottish Government, Scotland. Transport Scotland. Glasgow. 2020. ISBN 978-1-911582-92-2. OCLC 1238497205. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  30. ↑ Hooper, Paul. "What the UK electrification network may look like in 2050" (PDF). The Permanent Way Institute.
  31. ↑ "Ambitious plans to transform Scottish rail network unveiled - gov.scot". www.gov.scot. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  32. ↑ "Prioritisation of rail projects". www.transport.gov.scot. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  33. ↑ "Massive investment energises Scotland's Railway electrification ambitions". Network Rail Media Centre. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  34. ↑ "First new feeder station of green investment programme". Network Rail Media Centre. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  35. ↑ "Scotland's Railway powering on with feeder station upgrades". Network Rail Media Centre. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  36. ↑ Roden, Andy (November 2022). Sherratt (ed.). "Innovation in electrification". Modern Railways. Key Publishing. 79 (890): 73.
  37. ↑ "ENHANCEMENTS DELIVERY PLAN Scotland Milestones Schedule July 2022 update" (PDF). Network Rail. September 2022.
  38. ↑ "Scottish Ministers' High Level Output Specification (HLOS) - Control Period 7 - 2024 – 2029 | Transport Scotland". www.transport.gov.scot. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  39. ↑ "Scotland's Railway - Scotland Electrification Framework - Notice of Upcoming Procurement [PIN]". bidstats.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  40. ↑ "Whifflet line to be electrified before 2014 Games". BBC News. BBC. 30 May 2013. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  41. ↑ "Row over plans for faster Glasgow-Edinburgh rail times". BBC News. 30 May 2013. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  42. ↑ "Edinburgh-Glasgow rail programme on track | Transport Scotland". www.transport.gov.scot. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  43. ↑ Man, Kevin. "Larkfield to East Kilbride Electrification Project (LEKE) - Through alignment design" (PDF). Permanent Way Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  44. ↑ Findlay, Nicola (18 May 2022). "Anger as plans to dual East Kilbride's rail line remain in the buffers". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  45. ↑ "Scotland's Fife route electrification project secures green light". Railway Technology. 2 June 2022. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  46. 1 2 "Prioritisation of rail projects". www.transport.gov.scot. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  47. ↑ "East Kilbride Enhancements". Scotlands Railway. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  48. ↑ "Green for go with first electric train for Glasgow-Barrhead line". Network Rail Media Centre. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  49. ↑ "Piling work to get underway to electrify line to Fife". Network Rail. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  50. ↑ "Fife Electrification". Scotland's Railway. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  51. ↑ "Fife Electrification". Scotlands Railway. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  52. ↑ "Network Rail steps up works across the North East". Network Rail Media Centre. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  53. ↑ "Rail Technology Magazine August September 2022 Page 30". mag.railtechnologymagazine.com. Retrieved 24 August 2022.

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