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Monday 2 Nov 2015

Scotland’s railways get ready for winter

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Transport Minister Derek Mackay visited Glasgow Central station today (Monday, November 2) to help launch the ScotRail Alliance’s winter roadshow for passengers and view a specialist snow clearing train.

Mr Mackay arrived into the station aboard the specialist engineering train – which is used to melt snow and ice as it builds up on key sections of track – before visiting the ScotRail Alliance winter roadshow stand in the station.

Over November, the roadshow will tour stations across Scotland offering passengers information and advice on how the ScotRail Alliance is preparing for winter and the plans in place to help keep services on the move.

Passengers visiting the roadshow stand will be able to view films and display stands showing how the railway reacts to severe weather and collect free giveaways including ice scrapers and lip balms.

The roadshow will visit Glasgow Central, Inverness, Aberdeen, Haymarket and Glasgow Buchanan Street (for Queen Street passengers) between November 2 and 18.

Minister for Transport and Islands, Derek Mackay said: “We never know what the winter will bring and we have been planning extensively with the ScotRail Alliance over recent months to deliver improvements in operational response, customer services and travel advice that will ensure that rail passengers are able to plan and undertake their journeys wherever possible.

“I am confident that this year our rail network is more prepared than ever, with additional winter maintenance equipment at depots, and deployment of the snow and ice treatment train will keep our rail network moving during periods of extremely cold weather.

“In the event of a spell of bad weather I would encourage passengers to check the ScotRail website before travelling, where they will be able to see service updates in their area."

David Dickson, infrastructure director for the ScotRail Alliance, added: “We are working closely with the government to make sure we deliver as robust a service as possible this winter.

“We have invested heavily in recent years in new equipment to keep our infrastructure open during periods of prolonged cold and have also developed a range of facilities to help keep trains running in freezing conditions.

“We are confident that the Scottish rail network will be as well prepared as possible for another severe winter.”

As well as the specialist snow train – which can defrost key junctions during prolonged sub-zero temperatures and transport engineers quickly around the rail network when roads are closed – the ScotRail Alliance’s fleet of 10 Scottish-based snow ploughs will also be in full operation throughout the winter.

The Alliance will also be using helicopters to thermal image the network to identify spots where severe weather could take hold and more off-road vehicles are being made available to engineers.

Teams of engineers will work around-the-clock through any severe weather to man key pieces of infrastructure and help prevent them from freezing up, while additional staff will be available to clear platforms and car parks for customers.

Improved weather forecasting technology will also be used to identify areas where severe weather is likely and to alert passengers to the impact on localised services.