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Wednesday 21 Feb 2007

GLASGOW CENTRAL PASSENGERS TO BENEFIT FROM £85M TRACK IMPROVEMENTS

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Rail passengers using Glasgow's Central station are to benefit from improved reliability and performance following major engineering works during March and April 2007. The activity is part of a £85million investment in the station and will include major signalling works, the creation of a new engineering access point from Commerce Street and the refurbishment of a signalling gantry located above the line. Two weekends have been set aside to carry out the work: 10-11 March and 7-8 April (Easter weekend). David Simpson, Route Director said: "The upgrades are essential to improve the reliability and performance of all trains arriving and departing from Glasgow Central. They will provide a welcome modernisation of the station infrastructure, and improve the long-term performance of rail travel in Scotland." "We have carefully planned this work over the past year, and our engineers will work round the clock to carry out these improvements." Steve Montgomery, First ScotRail's Operations and Safety Director, said: "These works will involve a high number of replacement buses, and it will be a major exercise to manage passengers to and from their services. "We are confident the planning on travel alterations will keep inconvenience to a minimum. Clearly, some journeys will take longer than normal and passengers should allow more time for travel." The engineering work will mean that many services departing from and arriving into Glasgow Central station's high level (platforms 1 to 13) will be replaced by buses for all or part of the route. The first weekend (10 to 11 March) will see two platforms remain open for Ayrshire services with the remainder of trains replaced by buses and connecting train services. The second weekend (7 to 8 April) will see all services replaced by buses and connecting train services. Virgin Trains and GNER services will also be affected as a result of the engineering work at Glasgow Central. Low-level (Argyle line) services travelling from and to Glasgow Central will not be affected by these works. Between Friday 6 and Tuesday 10 April, engineering works will also affect the Low Level services to and from Queen Street station. The works will include track renewal on some stretches of line and maintenance work to an under-bridge near Airdrie. In addition, Saturday 7 until Monday 9 April: services between Edinburgh-Perth, Edinburgh-Dundee and Edinburgh-Inverness will be diverted because of work at Inverkeithing, with replacement buses running between Inverkeithing and Perth/Dundee.
First ScotRail will implement the following timetable changes as a result of the engineering works at Glasgow Central:

Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 March -

• Most train services will be replaced by buses for part of the journey into and out of Glasgow Central, with connecting train services for the remainder of the journey.
  
  Glasgow-Largs, Ayr, Ardrossan, Paisley Canal and Stranraer
• Services will run as advertised, with minor retimings
  
  Glasgow-Wemyss Bay and Gourock
• Services will run as advertised, with minor retimings
  
  Glasgow-Whifflet
• Bus services between Whifflet and Dalmarnock, train services Dalmarnock - Glasgow Central Low Level (no Sunday service)
  
  Glasgow-Shotts-Edinburgh
• Services will run between Edinburgh and Motherwell, change for services Motherwell, Bellshill, Uddingston and Glasgow Central Low Level (no Sunday service)
  
  Glasgow-Cathcart Circle
• No service Saturday or Sunday
  
  Glasgow-Newton
• Bus services between Glasgow and Pollokshields West, train services Pollokshields West - Newton
  
  Glasgow-Neilston
• Bus services between Glasgow and Pollokshields East, train services Pollokshields East - Neilston
  
  Glasgow-East Kilbride, Barrhead, Kilmarnock, Stranraer, Carlisle
• Bus services between Glasgow and Crossmyloof, then train services Crossmyloof to all points
  
  Glasgow-Dumfries/Carlisle
• Bus services between Glasgow and Crossmyloof, train services Crossmyloof - Dumfries, then bus services between Dumfries and Carlisle
  
  Caledonian Sleepers Glasgow - London
• Sleepers will run to and from Motherwell. Passengers use Low Level services between Glasgow Central and Motherwell
  
  Virgin Trains
• Road coaches from and to Glasgow Central will connect with Virgin Trains at Motherwell or Carlisle.
  
  GNER
• Advises passengers travelling to/from Glasgow to use First ScotRail services and a replacement coach service will serve Motherwell passengers

Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 April

• All train services will be replaced by buses for part of the journey into and out of Glasgow Central, with connecting train services for the remainder of the journey.
  
  Glasgow-Largs, Ayr, Ardrossan and Stranraer
• Bus services between Glasgow and Paisley Gilmour Street, train services Paisley Gilmour Street - Largs, Ayr, Ardrossan and Stranraer. A direct bus service will run between Glasgow Central and Ardrossan Harbour in both directions for passengers travelling to connect with ferries. Passengers travelling to intermediate stations between Glasgow Central and Ardrossan Harbour should travel by train to Paisley Gilmour Street, then by bus connection to Glasgow Central.
  
  Glasgow-Wemyss Bay and Gourock
• Bus services between Glasgow and Paisley Gilmour Street, train services Paisley Gilmour Street - Wemyss Bay and Gourock.
  
  Glasgow-Paisley Canal
• Train services cancelled. Replacement bus service will run between Glasgow Central and Paisley Canal (no Sunday service).
  
  Glasgow-Whifflet
• Bus services between Whifflet and Dalmarnock, train services Dalmarnock - Glasgow Central Low Level (no Sunday service)
  
  Glasgow-Shotts-Edinburgh
• Services will run between Edinburgh and Motherwell, changes for services Motherwell, Bellshill, Uddingston and Glasgow Central Low Level (no Sunday service)
  
  Glasgow-Cathcart Circle
• No service Saturday or Sunday
  
  Glasgow-Newton
• Bus services between Glasgow and Pollokshields West, train services Pollokshields West - Newton
  
  Glasgow-Neilston
• Bus services between Glasgow and Pollokshields East, train services Pollokshields East - Neilston
  
  Glasgow-East Kilbride, Barrhead, Kilmarnock, Stranraer, Carlisle
• Bus services between Glasgow and Crossmyloof, then train services Crossmyloof to all points
  
  Caledonian Sleepers Glasgow - London
• Sleepers will run to and from Motherwell. Passengers use Low Level services between Glasgow Central and Motherwell
  
  Virgin Trains
• Road coaches from and to Glasgow Central will connect with Virgin Trains at Motherwell or Carlisle.
  
  GNER
• Advises passengers travelling to/from Glasgow to use First ScotRail services and a replacement coach service will serve Motherwell passengers
  
• Please note that if you intend to travel to any senior football matches, and your journey is via Glasgow Central or Queen Street, you should allow more time for travel. Some journeys will take longer than normal.

April 6-10

• Network Rail is carrying out engineering work affecting services to and from Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street stations. Replacement bus services will run for all or part of the journey on a number of routes.
  
  Services to and from Airdrie
  
  Friday 6 and Saturday 7 April
• Services between Drumgelloch/Airdrie and Shettleston will be cancelled. Replacement bus services will run, calling at all stations and connecting with train services at Shettleston.
  
  Sunday 8 April
• Services between Airdrie and Partick will be cancelled. A replacement bus service will run, calling at advertised stations.
• Services normally from Helensburgh to Airdrie will be diverted after Partick to Exhibition Centre, Anderston, Glasgow
• Central, Argyle Street, and will terminate at Bridgeton.
• Services normally from Drumgelloch will start at Bridgeton, calling at Argyle Street, Glasgow Central Low Level, Anderston, Exhibition Centre then as advertised.
  
  Monday 9 April
• Services between Airdrie and Partick will be cancelled. A replacement bus service will run, calling at advertised stations.
• Services normally from Balloch to Airdrie will be diverted after Partick to Exhibition Centre, Anderston, Glasgow Central and will terminate at Argyle Street.
• Services from Helensburgh will be diverted to terminate at Milngavie. Passengers should change at Dalmuir for train services to Glasgow, and Partick for replacement bus services to Airdrie.
• Services normally from Drumgelloch to Helensburgh will start from Milngavie. Passengers from Drumgelloch onwards should travel by replacement bus to Partick, then by train to Dalmuir for forward connections.
• Services between Dalmuir and Springburn will be cancelled.
• Passengers travelling from Milngavie to Glasgow should travel on services for Motherwell / Lanark.
  
  Tuesday 10 April

Services between Drumgelloch/Airdrie and Shettleston will be cancelled. Replacement bus services will run, calling at all stations and connecting with train services at Shettleston.

Further information is available from:

www.nationalrail.co.uk www.firstscotrail.co.uk www.virgintrains.com www.gner.co.uk