Media centre

Wednesday 9 May 2007

AIRDRIE-BATHGATE RAILWAY REOPENING RECEIVES ROYAL SEAL OF APPROVAL

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

The Airdrie-Bathgate Railway and Linked Improvements Bill has been granted Royal Assent, providing Promoter Network Rail with the legal powers to deliver the vital new rail link between West Lothian and North Lanarkshire. Royal Assent transforms the Bill into an Act of Parliament and follows the unanimous support for the line during the Final Stage Parliamentary debate in March. Network Rail will now progress with preparatory work for the new GBP 300 million railway line, which will provide a valuable new route for West Lothian and North Lanarkshire communities including four services per hour between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Ron McAulay, Network Rail's Director, Scotland said: "Royal Assent provides us with the legal permission to proceed with construction and delivery of this immensely important addition to Scotland’s railway network. With funding from Transport Scotland and delivery by Network Rail, the line will bring enormous economic and social benefits to Scotland and transform access to public transport within the Central Belt. "Following the successful passage of the Bill through the Scottish Parliament in March, Royal Assent is the milestone we have been working towards over the last two years. Network Rail will now seek to move onto site imminently to implement the first phase of the project. Commuters in West Lothian will be the first passengers to benefit, with improved reliability on the Edinburgh-Bathgate line as early as next year." Cross-party MSPs displayed unanimous support for the general principles of the Bill at the end of November 2006 and during the Final Stage debate in March 2007. The successful passage through Parliament followed detailed consideration of the Bill and wide consultation with key stakeholders on issues relating to the project. These include: bus integration; cycle path alignment; housing developments; the code of construction practice; and the noise and vibration policy. The first phase of the project is the upgrade of the Edinburgh-Bathgate line (double-tracking) which will see commuters in West Lothian benefiting from enhanced performance on this line as early as 2008. It is anticipated that services will be running the length of the new railway in December 2010. This will bring passenger benefits including four more trains per hour in each direction between Glasgow and Edinburgh; shorter travel times; improved reliability of existing services; better access to employment, education and social opportunities; and a reduction in passenger congestion. The environmental benefits include offering a public transport alternative to travelling by car via the M8 and reducing congestion. ENDS