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Friday 13 Jul 2018

£100m transformation of key Glasgow rail junction enters final phase

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Network Rail is today warning train passengers to expect disruption on all routes through Rutherglen to Glasgow Central between 14 and 31 July ahead of the final phase of major re-signalling and renewals work on Rutherglen East Junction.

The Polmadie and Rutherglen Renewals (PARR) project is a £100m investment that will enhance the signalling system between Glasgow Central and Rutherglen which will benefit routes south and east and across Lanarkshire. The project will also renew and upgrade the track and overhead line equipment systems within the Rutherglen East Junction area and on the strategically important West Coast Mainline.   

Ongoing since December 2016, PARR will improve reliability and flexibility and add resilience, increase line speeds and improve the efficiency of train movements on one of the busiest rail corridors on the network.

In addition to enhancing the signalling and overhead electrification systems, it has also renewed track, modernised the telecoms network and other supporting infrastructure to transform the way the junction is operated and maintained in the future.

Due to the complex nature of the work over the coming weeks, there are amended timetables for weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Some routes may only be affected on weekdays, or only at the weekends. Some journeys will be diverted and buses will replace trains for all or part of some journeys so customers should check with their train operators in advance and plan their journey.

David Dickson, Network Rail’s infrastructure director, said: “I’m sorry for the short-term disruption that this work will cause, but the long-term improvements which will be delivered will be hugely significant for services across a range of routes which will benefit thousands of passengers every day.

“We are working closely with the various train operators to ensure passengers are able to get to where they need to be during this period but It is really important that you plan ahead checking your journey details over the coming weeks to ensure you get the right information.

“While some inconvenience is unavoidable, we have scheduled the work at the quietest times of the year to minimise disruption, however we are grateful for passengers’ patience while we deliver this work.”

The PARR project will be complete by September 2018.