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Monday 10 Dec 2012

New all-electric Paisley Canal line arrives on time for passengers

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

A fully electrified service is running on the Paisley Canal line from today (Monday, December 10) after Network Rail and ScotRail completed a £12m upgrade of the route on time and to budget.

The award-winning project, which only started on-site in August, has been delivered in just four months and at less than half of the £28m the upgrade was originally expected to cost.

The electrification of the line is the first major project to have been delivered under a landmark new alliance between Network Rail and ScotRail, with both organisations working closely to identify time and cost savings for the project.

Passengers will now benefit from a more comfortable and reliable train service and an increase in seats on services. The electric trains operating on the route will also be quieter and more eco-friendly and at peak times will include the newest trains in ScotRail’s fleet, the air-conditioned class 380s.

David Simpson, Network Rail route managing director for Scotland, said: “The successful on-time completion of this scheme demonstrates how, by working closely together, the rail industry can enhance the service it provides the public while cutting the cost of projects.

“Delivering a project of this size in just four months is a significant achievement for all involved and one that will have real benefits for those using the line and those living alongside it.”

Steve Montgomery, managing director of ScotRail, said: “Paisley Canal is the new benchmark for collaborative railway projects. We need this flexibility and commitment to become the norm to ensure that we continue to offer the best combination of services, facilities and value for money for customers.”

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “The Paisley Canal Electrification is the first major project to be delivered under this kind of alliancing arrangement and Network Rail and ScotRail have done a fantastic job in showing how industry partners can work together to bring these schemes in within set timescales and budgets.

“Passengers will now directly see the benefits of this scheme with better reliability, reduced emissions and more seats. I am incredibly proud to be involved as the first services get underway.”

The project involved electrifying five miles of the route from Corkerhill to Paisley Canal station, as well as rebuilding the platform at Hawkhead and lowering sections of track along the route to allow the new overhead power cables to run beneath bridges on the line.

Significant cost saving were made on the scheme by adopting an innovative approach to how the line was electrified. The use of extended ‘neutral’ sections when passing under overhead structures has meant no bridges needed to be raised as part of the works, reducing costs by millions.

Savings were also achieved as a result of ScotRail waiving its right to disruption compensation payments from Network Rail during engineering works and by both organisations working to maximise the time engineers had available at evenings, weekends and during a nine-day closure of the line in mid-October.