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Dunbar Railway Station could get second platform in three years

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Dunbar Railway Station could get a second platform in 2019

A second railway platform and a bridge linking could be in place at Dunbar Railway Station by the middle of 2019.

Network Rail is already looking at the possibility of creating the second platform for the station, which would be to the south of the railway line.

Preliminary works were carried out at the site last October, with a spokesman for Network Rail then stressing works were in ^the early stages^.

However, the idea looks set to move forward over the coming months.

Ward councillor Norman Hampshire, chairman of the local authority^s planning applications committee, confirmed there were discussions between Network Rail and East Lothian Council ahead of plans being drawn up.

He said: ^There are no detailed drawings or anything yet, but it is in the investment programme for Network Rail, which runs unto 2019. That means it has got to be designed, built and constructed before that ^ so it is not a lot of time.^

The town^s station is a listed building and Mr Hampshire, who lives on nearby Salisbury Walk, said that the design for any bridge and platform would need to take that into account.

Similarly, it would need to be built in a manner that was sympathetic to neighbouring properties.

A spokesman for Network Rail confirmed that work was ongoing, with a view to the idea moving forward in the second half of the year.

A new platform would also increase the capacity at the town^s railway station, with a view to running more trains and improving journey times.

Probably a daft question, but does it have two tracks?

Yes it does it's a ECML station .

Looks to be a parallel situation to we used to have at Swindon, with the station off to one side of the running tracks and trains that are making a call being diverted across;  at Swindon (thank goodness) we now have platform 4 as well.

However, I wonder what other services are intended. The idea that "A new platform would also increase the capacity at the town^s railway station, with a view to running more trains and improving journey times." is hard to credit. The current layout is hardly saturated, with about one train per hour each way (irregularly spaced).

These are almost all long-distance trains stopping next at Berwick or Edinburgh, so the idea that they could be faster because of a second platform is - er - unlikely. The stopping trains go to North Berwick instead, so any new service for local journeys would need to stop more, not less (Drem at least). The first priority for the railway would surely be to run at least one more commuter train to Edinburgh, in the gap between the current 7:42 and 8:56.

Perhaps half an eye is looking towards potentially stopping the TPE the Liverpool to Newcastle services when they get extended through to Edinburgh in a few years?  Obviously a second platform would be useful in terms of providing more trains and more sensible intervals without those heading north having to cross over the up line using 40mph crossovers located almost half a mile either side of the platform to stop at the station - that must hinder pathing quite badly?

Planned/possible new services are:


- Virgin KX - Edinburgh half hourly
- TPE hourly extension Newcastle to Edinburgh
- Open access applications for express KX -Edinburgh
- Transport Scotland has aspirations for regular local services with new intermediate stations.

With an hourly freight path as well, it sounds as though it could soon be like similar to the Swindon of old.

What would that do to the availability of paths for stopping trains, though? And where would you want to put a new station, especially between Dunbar and Berwick? The only village of any size is Eyemouth, and the railway studiously avoids the place.

Reston (and East Linton) are the names of the two proposed mainline station reopenings between Drem and Berwick that appear to crop up in articles about a Scotrail operated stopping service.

Paul

Network Rail was given permission for the station by East Lothian Council in September last year.

When complete, it will be the first time the village has had a railway station since 1964.

Campaigners have been calling for a station to return for more than two decades.

Plans are now on the right track, with hopes the station, which will be part of the East Coast Main Line, could open by March 2024.

The new station will feature parking for more than 125 vehicles, including 18 electric vehicle charging spaces.

Pedestrian access is also available from the eastern side of the line.

Reston (and East Linton) are the names of the two proposed mainline station reopenings between Drem and Berwick that appear to crop up in articles about a Scotrail operated stopping service.

Today will see the official opening of Reston Station in the Scottish Borders, originally built in 1846, with a ribbon being cut to mark the station's return.

A £20 million pound investment by Scotland's Government has meant trains are now able to call for the first time since 1964.

Councillors hope getting the train station up and running again will mean young people from the area will be able to stay home and commute into cities, rather than moving away entirely.

Reston station is being serviced by eight trains each day during the week; predominantly running between Edinburgh and Newcastle.

The majority of services are being run by TransPennine Express, with a smaller number also provided by London North Eastern Railways.

East Linton under way / coming soon

A Scottish village has been reconnected to the nation's rail network for the first time in almost six decades years.

Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop formally opened the new East Linton station in East Lothian on Wednesday, 59 years after the original station closed back in 1964.

The MSP for Linlithgow was joined on the platform by guests including representatives from the rail industry, East Lothian Council, RAGES (Rail Action Group East of Scotland) and members of the local community to unveil a plaque to mark the opening of the new station.

Around 130,000 journeys are expected to be made to and from the £15 million station in the first year of its operation.

Commuters will be able to connect to Edinburgh Waverley, with direct access to the East Coast Main Line also available for services to Dunbar and Newcastle.

Services at the station will be provided by both ScotRail and TransPennine Express, with 22 services each weekday calling at East Linton - which has an average train journey time to Edinburgh of 22 minutes.

Weekend services are 23 trains on a Saturday and nine on a Sunday.

Interesting that Scotland are opening new stations, some of whom have underwhelming business cases, on the ECML where stations are sparse, but there’s no immediate likelihood that the GWML is likely to follow suit with IMHO much more suitable settlements (Grove/Wantage, Wootton Bassett, Corsham etc.)