29.10.15
First cables go up for Edinburgh-Glasgow electrification
The first 1.5km stretch of cables have gone up on the main Edinburgh-Glasgow route, marking a major milestone for the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).
The £742m EGIP, funded by the Scottish Government, will see more than 250km of cables installed between the two cities over the coming months.
Wiring work began earlier this month and is being delivered using conventional mobile elevated platform methods before a new wiring train arrives in January of next year.
Along with the wiring works, engineers are also working to complete the last of more than 60 clearance projects required by the programme.
Work to deliver the 2,366 stanchions and masts needed to support the OLE is also underway, with 320 already having been erected.
Rodger Querns, EGIP programme director, said: “Installing the first overhead power lines is a significant step on the way to completing this vital project and we remain on course to deliver faster, greener services for passengers by the end of 2016 as planned.”
EGIP expects to electrify the main route between Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley via Falkirk High by December 2016.
Most of the electrification is set to be undertaken at night, with some late evening alterations in place to maximise the time engineers have to complete the job.