Friday 7 Apr 2006

SMOOTH RUNNING FOR DUNBLANE PASSENGERS

Region & Route:
Scotland’s Railway: Scotland
Train passengers in the Dunblane area are set to benefit from smoother, more reliable journeys thanks to a £1.2 million investment in the railway. Network Rail is spending the cash to renew 1,762 yards of track at Kippenross from this month. The work will include replacing the rail, ballast and sleepers to ensure the long-term integrity of the track and bring more comfortable train journeys for passengers. David Simpson, Route Director, said: “Passengers will really feel the benefit when the work is complete, with smoother journeys and more reliable train services. Our experienced team will be working in shifts around the clock to keep the short-term disruption to a minimum. “This investment is part of our ongoing commitment to Scotland’s railways. It will ensure the future of the railway and reduce the need for maintenance.” The renewals will take place from the Mill O’Keir Viaduct to the Allanwater Viaduct, passing through the station at Dunblane. Preparation for the renewals will begin from Saturday 8 April. The nature of the work means the line will be closed from Friday 28 April and re-opened in time for normal services to resume on Thursday 4 May. Letters have already been sent to residents in the area to inform them of the work. Network Rail is working closely with First ScotRail, which has organised alternative transport for affected services. Passengers can contact National Rail Enquiries for the latest information on: 08457 48 49 50.

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Network Rail press office - Scotland
0141 555 4109
mediarelations@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

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