b'CONTRACT NEWSGlasgow SubwayGlasgow Subway is in the middle of a major upgrade, only the third in its history, that will see the introduction of a new fleet of driverless trains.Inside Track recently published an editorialfirst in the 1930s, when the cars were convertedTheSubwaysuniquedimensionsmeanthat, featuring Kelly Rails work on the Glasgowtoelectrictractionvehicles,andasecondwhile the new trains are the same length and size Subway system on behalf of Hitachi Rail.between 1977 and 1980 that saw the networkas the existing rolling stock, passengers will be Please read below: enhancedwithnewstations,tunnelrepairs,able to walk the length of the train and enjoy an First opened in 1896, Glasgows Subway systemtrackbeds and rail replacements.open view of the tunnels from the front of the is the third oldest underground metro system inUpgrades in Progress cars. the world, after London and Budapest. Oncecompleted,theupgradedsystemwill Originally, it had no rail connection to the surfaceIn2010,anew290millionmodernisationinclude new half height platform screen doors, of the city, meaning cars were lowered into theprogrammewasannouncedbyStrathclydeto preserve as much space and openness within tunnels from the depot above. In those days, aPartnershipforTransport(SPT),backedbythe stations as possible while still maintaining continuous cable in the trackbed operated thethe Scottish Government, which set out planspassenger safety and security.system,withtrainsmovedbyagripperthatfor driverless train operation and 15 upgradedUpgrades have also seen essential work to the closed around the moving cable, similar to manystations.Glasgow Subways tunnel linings, delivered by cable car systems still in operation today. Freyssinet for SPT. This work was both a huge A joint venture of Stadler Bussnang and Ansaldologistical and technical task that involved 150 The Subway consists of one oval loop, 6.5 milesSTS (now Hitachi Rail STS) was awarded a 200peopleworkingtostrengthenandmodernise (10.5km) long, that runs under the Clyde andmillion contract to supply new trains, signallingthe networks original Victorian tunnels, using has eight stations north of the river and sevenandequipmentin2016.Thislatestmajormore than 175,000 bags of grout materials in to the south. Due to the original cable-drivemodernisation project involves a comprehensivethe process.system,theSubwaywasbuiltwithtwolines,programme of infrastructure works and rollout the outer one running clockwise and the innerofthefirsttrainstooperateintheUKwithSPT said that, over the past two years, engineers anti-clockwise, running in separate tunnels. TheUnattended Train Operation (UTO), reducinghave cleaned and inspected 14,600 metres of system has the unusual track gauge of four feetthenormalfour-minuteheadwaytoaslittletunnel and 14,000 metres of trackbed. They (1,219mm) and its tunnels are smaller even thanas90secondsandofferingafaster,morehave also checked and upgraded 2,800 square those of Londons deep tube, being 11 feet (3.4streamlined service to passengers travelling onmetresofdrainagechannelandcarriedout metres) in diameter as opposed to Londons 11the Subway. 3,000 square metres of grouting.8 bore (3.56 metres).The upgrades will also see the networks 17 newTheworkhasbothimprovedthestructural Now carrying more than 13 million passengers atrains run in a four-car formation, as opposed tointegrity of the tunnel lining and reduced the year, Glasgow Subway has been subject to twothe existing three-car sets.amount of water ingress into the Subway system.modernisationprogrammesinitshistory;the 14 .The Networker Spring 2022'