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Friday 28 Feb 2025

Busby railway bridge to get £1.8m upgrade

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Network Rail will replace the railway bridge over East Kilbride Road, at Busby station, in March.

A £1.85m investment in the railway, the new bridge will be installed between Monday March 17 and Friday March 28.

The new structure will be stronger and more resilient, reducing the risk of damage to the railway if struck by high-sided vehicles using the road below.

The project, which will see the existing steel structure replaced with a steel and reinforced concrete one, has been timed to take place during the ongoing closure of the East Kilbride line.

The A727 (East Kilbride Road) at Busby station will close between the following dates/times:

17 - 21 March: Overnight 23:00 until 06:00 (contraflow in place during the day)

21 - 25 March: Fully closed

25 - 28 March: Overnight 23:00 until 06:00 (contraflow in place during the day)

Clearly signed diversionary routes for motorists will be place during the road closures.

The  contraflow will involve having temporary traffic lights in place and motorists are advised to add in some extra journey time.

With Busby station closed until 18 May, a bus replacement service is currently operating. During the bridge works (17 until 28 March) the last replacement bus to Busby departs Glasgow Central station at 21.49 and from East Kilbride station at 22.28.

During the full closure, a minibus will run between Busby and Clarkson, with an additional local minibus in Busby, to keep the community connected.

Details on rail replacement services can be found on ScotRail’s website: www.scotrail.co.uk/east-kilbride-enhancement-project.

Paul Reilly, Network Rail’s senior programme manager, said: “We know there’s never a great time to close a busy road, but replacing the bridge at Busby station alongside the current East Kilbride Enhancement project will avoid the need for a separate closure in the future. By doing this, we’ll complete the job faster and more efficiently. We thank our neighbours for their patience during the project.”

Members of the public with questions about this work can contact Network Rail’s 24-hour national helpline on 03457 11 41 41. For the latest information and progress updates, follow Network Rail Scotland on X/Twitter: @NetworkRailSCOT

The new bridge is being delivered alongside the wider East Kilbride Enhancement project – a £140m investment by the Scottish Government to electrify the line.

When work is complete in December 2025, the East Kilbride line will be fully electrified, with new stations at East Kilbride and Hairmyres, and accessibility improvements at Clarkston and Giffnock.