North From Thornton Junction
This Google Map shows how all the railways connect at Thornton junction.
Note.
- The village of Cameron Bridge is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The A 915 running diagonally across the map and to the East of the village of Cameron Bridge.
- In The New Cameron Bridge Station On The Levenmouth Rail Link, I showed how Cameron Bridge station was positioned to the East of the A915 and the village.
- The Levenmouth Rail Link would appear to pass to the South of the village, according to a Network Rail map in the related post.
Thornton junction is a large triangular junction in the South-West corner of the map.
- Thornton North junction is close to Thornton Golf Club, which is shown by the green marker.
- Glenrothes with Thornton station is at the Eastern point of Thornton junction.
- Trains going West from Glenrothes with Thornton station go through Dunfermline and over the Forth bridge to Edinburgh.
- Thornton South junction is South of Thornton Golf Club and leads South through Kirkcaldy station and over the Forth bridge to Edinburgh.
This second Google Map shows the main Edinburgh and Dundee rail line between Thornton Golf Club (Thornton North junction) and Markinch station, which is the next station to the North.
Note.
- The village of Cameron Bridge in the East of the map.
- Markinch station is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Thornton Golf Club (Thornton North junction) is in the South-West corner of the map.
Looking at various maps, Thornton Junction appears very complicated.
- The North-South leg of the junction is at least double-track.
- The North-East leg of the junction appears to be single-track.
- The South-East leg of the junction appears to be single-track.
- The former Levenmouth Rail Link appeared to join the main line at a single-track junction to the North of Thornton North junction
- There is lots of space.
.I’m sure Network Rail can come up with an efficient track layout, that will enable the following.
- Trains can go between Glenrothes with Thornton and Kirkcaldy stations in both directions, as they do now.
- Trains can go between Glenrothes with Thornton and Levenmouth Rail Link in both directions.
- Trains can go between Kirkcaldy station and Levenmouth Rail Link in both directions.
This would enable the service provision, that was specified in Service Provision On The Levenmouth Rail Link.
What Will Be Electrified At Thornton Junction?
This page on the Network Rail web site, says this about the trains that will run the service on the Levenmouth Rail Link.
And while the line will be electrified with overhead wires, services will be operated initially by battery electric units in order to reduce the number of diesels operating on the network as early as possible.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see full electrification between Glenrothes with Thornton and Leven stations, to make sure that the battery-electric trains had full batteries for the run South to Edinburgh.
- The other two legs of Thornton junction would also be fully electrified to give all passing trains a good charge.
- The distance between Kirkcaldy and Markinch stations is 7.3 miles and trains take about ten minutes. I suspect most of this section of the Edinburgh and Dundee line will be electrified. There looks to be about six overbridges that might need raising, but I suspect it would be nothing too terrible, with about the same degree of engineering difficulty as electrifying the Gospel Oak to Barking Line in London.
- I feel with good engineering and guile, enough electrification can be added to the route through Kirkcaldy to get the trains to the South.
- West of Glenrothes with Thornton station, the track looks to be good territory for electrification and enough wires can be added, so that by Cardenden station, there is enough power in the batteries to get the trains to the South.
I have a feeling that by intelligently using the two routes via Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline, Network Rail can increase the frequency of trains over the Forth Bridge.
- This probably partly explains, why trains to Leven go alternatively via Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline.
- 100 mph battery-electric trains help too with their sparkling acceleration.
- Who’d have thought, that at the age of one hundred and thirty, the Forth Bridge will be at the heart of an electrified local train network?
And the only new electrification is based on Thornton junction, over twenty miles to the North.
Electrification Between The Forth Bridge And Edinburgh
Without doubt, the electrification to the South of the Firth of Forth must reach as far North as possible.
Dalmeny station is the most Northerly station South of the bridge and I feel that this could be a practical place for the electrification to end.
Distances from Dalmeny to stations further North include.
- Leuchars – 41.4 miles
- Leven – via Dunfermline – 28.2 miles
- Leven – via Kirkcaldy – 27.3 miles
- Dundee – 48.8 miles
- Perth – 47.4 miles
All these destinations would be within range of Hitachi Regional Battery Trains, which are described in this Hitachi infographic.
Note that the range on battery power alone is 90 km or 56 miles.
Given that the battery-electric trains would be able to grab a battery charge as they passed through Thornton junction, I am fairly certain that Hitachi Regional Battery Trains could reach Leuchars, Dundee or Perth.
An Electric Service Between Edinburgh And Dundee
Dundee is a new station and I doubt, that it was rebuilt without provision for full electrification.
It has two through platforms for Aberdeen and Edinburgh services.
There are also two South-facing bay platforms for regional services from the South.
This picture shows the two bay platforms with an Edinburgh-bound train to the left.
Note.
- In the picture the two Class 170 diesel trains will be going to Edinburgh or Glasgow.
- Scotrail’s plans include an hourly train to both of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
If these two bay platforms were electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires, these battery-electric services will be possible.
- Edinburgh and Dundee via Haymarket, Kirkcaldy, Thornton junction and intermediate stations.
- Glasgow Queen Street and Dundee via Stirling, Dunblane, Perth, Gleneagles and intermediate stations.
I suspect other routes battery-electric will be possible.
An Electric Service Between Dundee And Aberdeen
The distance between Dundee and Aberdeen stations is 72 miles.
In Solving The Electrification Conundrum, I described techniques being developed by Hitachi Rail and Hitachi ABB Power Grids to electrify routes like Dundee and Aberdeen.
With Hitachi looking to give battery-electric trains a range of over forty miles, it could be just two hops between Dundee and Aberdeen.
I suspect Montrose could be the charging point, as it is forty miles South of Aberdeen.
Conclusion
It appears that the proposed electrification of Levenmouth Rail Link creates an electrification island at Thornton junction, that enables battery-electric trains to reach Dundee.
Coupled with plans to electrify between Stirling and Perth, this means that both Perth and Dundee will be connected to Scotland’s electrified rail network.
I suspect it is also possible to easily extend battery-electric trains all the way to Aberdeen, with only short sections of carefully positioned overhead wires.
Related Posts
The New Leven Station On The Levenmouth Rail Link
The New Cameron Bridge Station On The Levenmouth Rail Link
Service Provision On The Levenmouth Rail Link
An Inter7City Class 43 Locomotive At Dundee Station
This Inter7City Class 43 locomotive was waiting at Dundee station, when I protographed it.
I suspect it was a training run.
A Visit To The V & A At Dundee
I took these pictures on a visit to the V & A At Dundee.
It should be noted that I was taking a lazy journey between Glasgow and Edinburgh, so I went via Dundee, where the new museum and other attractions are very close to the station.
Dundee Station
Dundee station has recently been rebuilt and it is now a mixture of old and new.
The old part are the platforms, which are below street level, and are now connected to the surface by lifts and escalators.
The surface buildings are new and bring back an old Victorian idea; the station hotel. But this is not a massive five star edifice, but an affordable Sleeperz hotel.
There’s a lot to like about the station.
- The platform layout of two long platforms with two bay platforms in between, must be ideal for operators.
- The lift and escalators to the surface.
- The snack bar between the platforms.
- The convenient hotel.
- The short walks to the attractions, which will soon be joined by a branch of the V & A.
- It was designed by local architects; Nicoll Russell Studios.
And all for a total cost of £23million.
I hope we see more stations like this one.
The Anonymous Widower 