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Tuesday 24 Apr 2018

First section of Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa electrification set to go live

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Network Rail engineers will soon complete the first phase in the project to electrify the railway lines linking Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa to the main Glasgow-Edinburgh route.

The public is being warned that overhead power lines on the railway between Greenhill Junction, Polmont Junction and Grangemouth Junction up to Larbert Junction will be live from Tuesday, May 1.

The first section to be electrified as part of the Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa electrification project covers 26 single track kilometres and includes Falkirk Grahamston and Camelon stations.

With the overhead power wires carrying 25,000 volts of electricity, a campaign is now underway to highlight the new dangers an electrified railway poses to those who trespass on the tracks or accidentally make contact with overhead lines.

Paul Reilly, Network Rail programme manager, said: “The first stage in electrification of the Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa programme marks a significant achievement for the project, but also a major change to the railway environment for those living or working near the newly electrified routes.

“It is critical that we make people aware of this change and encourage them to stay safe.  The message we want to get across is - electrified lines are always on, so always stay off. With 25,000 volts of electricity powering the lines, this is enough to kill anyone who comes into contact with the overhead equipment.

“With the first section electrified, validation and testing works will follow over the next few months, with the remaining elements of the route set to be energised later in the year.”

Over 30,000 safety leaflets are being delivered to lineside communities and Network Rail is also working with industry partners and the BTP in schools, and through local groups, to take the safety message into the classroom. 

Network Rail has a range of resources is available to highlight the changes in an electrified railway including Rail Life; an initiative aimed at young people which provides teachers and parents with a range of resources on rail safety issues. Further information can be found at Rail Safety Resources

Once complete, in 2019, the Scottish Government-funded electrification of Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa will mean:

• Many services operated by electric class 385 trains, which will offer a better experience and reduce some journey times from Stirling to Glasgow and Edinburgh.
• More seats on services between Alloa, Dunblane, Bridge of Allan, Stirling and Edinburgh.
• Less noise and better air quality for those who live and work near the railway.

For further information on the SDA programme, visit www.egip.info Follow us on twitter @NetworkRailEGIP or search #SDA