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Tuesday 28 Apr 2009

NETWORK RAIL AWARDS £100m RAIL LINK CONTRACTS

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Network Rail has awarded three contracts worth a combined £100m as major construction work begins on the new Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link.

• Carillion has been awarded an £80m contract to build new stations at Caldercruix, Armadale and Drumgelloch and a range of other new structures and earthworks. The company will also carry out ground treatment and filling operations.

• BAM Nuttall will deliver the new station at Bathgate, the new platform at Airdrie and a range of bridge works and earthworks in a £14m contract.

• C Spencer has been awarded a £6m contract to build the new light maintenance depot in Bathgate.

The three companies will begin work this spring and all works will be completed by autumn 2010 ahead of the reopening of the railway in December 2010.

Funded by Transport Scotland, the £300m rail link will provide an additional passenger route through the central belt between Edinburgh and Glasgow, with four trains each hour in each direction.

The electrified railway will also connect communities not currently served by rail to the country’s two main cities and improve access to employment, education, health and leisure opportunities as well as promoting a sustainable alternative to the car.

Ron McAulay, Network Rail director Scotland, said: “Strategically and economically, the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Project is vital for the continuing development of Scotland’s public transport network, providing enhanced accessibility and mobility to a growing population in the Central Belt and creating an additional rail link between the country’s two largest cities.

“The awarding of these contracts marks a major step in the delivery of this project and we look forward to working with Carillion, BAM Nuttall and C Spencer to create a first-class route and facilities for the travelling public.”

Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said: “These contracts will be a real boost to the construction industry and will deliver major rail improvements for Scotland. I am delighted to see the progress today - a key element of our transport investment programme.

“We’ll see new stations, new platforms, maintenance depots and structural work - all part of a total investment of £300 million to deliver the new Airdrie-Bathgate Rail link.”