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Scotrail has 'no spare capacity' during Glasgow station work | Scotrail has 'no spare capacity' during Glasgow station work |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Scotrail Alliance has "no spare capacity" should their daily plan for extra rail services into Glasgow during works at Queen Street Station fail. | Scotrail Alliance has "no spare capacity" should their daily plan for extra rail services into Glasgow during works at Queen Street Station fail. |
The main tunnel serving the busy station is to be closed for 20 weeks, causing major disruption. | The main tunnel serving the busy station is to be closed for 20 weeks, causing major disruption. |
Services will divert to either Queen St low-level platforms or Glasgow Central station between 20 March and 8 August. | |
Scotrail Alliance boss Phil Verster said a single train failure could leave the daily service plan "dead". | Scotrail Alliance boss Phil Verster said a single train failure could leave the daily service plan "dead". |
Holyrood's infrastructure and capital investment committee was taking evidence about work at Queen Street Station, which includes station improvements and the electrification of train lines. | Holyrood's infrastructure and capital investment committee was taking evidence about work at Queen Street Station, which includes station improvements and the electrification of train lines. |
The managing director told MSPs there was "no spare train capacity", meaning a train failure in certain areas of the city could leave the daily service plan "dead". | The managing director told MSPs there was "no spare train capacity", meaning a train failure in certain areas of the city could leave the daily service plan "dead". |
'Huge effort' | 'Huge effort' |
He said: "To give you a sense of this, I am hiring in crews from other train operators and freight operators to help me with transferring some of the services from Aberdeen and Inverness into Glasgow Central. | He said: "To give you a sense of this, I am hiring in crews from other train operators and freight operators to help me with transferring some of the services from Aberdeen and Inverness into Glasgow Central. |
"It's all-out, and it will be for this 20 week period. It's going to be a huge effort from our side and we have to find ways to create the robustness which spare capacity could have given us. | "It's all-out, and it will be for this 20 week period. It's going to be a huge effort from our side and we have to find ways to create the robustness which spare capacity could have given us. |
"With the way I am cycling rolling stock and services through areas from Belgrove to Hyndland, if I have a train failure there, the plan is dead. The daily service plan is dead. And that's just the way the network is. | "With the way I am cycling rolling stock and services through areas from Belgrove to Hyndland, if I have a train failure there, the plan is dead. The daily service plan is dead. And that's just the way the network is. |
"We're deploying people who would typically do other duties to been there to give us a robust service on the day. | "We're deploying people who would typically do other duties to been there to give us a robust service on the day. |
"The plan is tight, and it's going to be tough." | "The plan is tight, and it's going to be tough." |
The work is part of a £60m upgrade project which will allow faster and longer trains to use Queen Street Station. | The work is part of a £60m upgrade project which will allow faster and longer trains to use Queen Street Station. |
It will involve 140 days of continuous round-the-clock work, the removal of 10,000 tonnes of existing concrete slab and the installation of 4,000m of new rails. | It will involve 140 days of continuous round-the-clock work, the removal of 10,000 tonnes of existing concrete slab and the installation of 4,000m of new rails. |
Passengers using the main Edinburgh to Glasgow route are advised to travel via Bathgate and Airdrie, with the journey taking around 70 minutes. | Passengers using the main Edinburgh to Glasgow route are advised to travel via Bathgate and Airdrie, with the journey taking around 70 minutes. |
During his evidence session, Mr Verster also defended the decision to ban taxis from Edinburgh's Waverley Station. | During his evidence session, Mr Verster also defended the decision to ban taxis from Edinburgh's Waverley Station. |
Mr Verster said the decision was taken on safety grounds following the death of a passenger who was run over. | Mr Verster said the decision was taken on safety grounds following the death of a passenger who was run over. |
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