Transform Scotland - For Sustainable Transport

25 October 2011

Report on Recent Rail Activities

Transform Scotland board member Paul Tetlaw                        
takes a look at recent developments in key rail projects and services.

 
                                                                                       

Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link

The full service has now been in operation for 5 months with through trains from Edinburgh to Glasgow via Bathgate and Airdrie at 15 minute intervals. The new intermediate stations at Armadale, Blackridge and Caldercruix enjoy a 30  minute interval service to both Edinburgh and Glasgow - a real transformation
from the previous public transport provision in the communities.
We have yet to learn of the patronage on the new line but it is already clear that new housing developments are under construction adjacent to Armadale Station.


Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme(EGIP)

The Network Rail consultation is still ongoing focussing in particular on areas  where new infrastructure will be required outside the existing railway curtilege. We will be responding to the consultation expressing our general support but highlighting opportunities for new services and stations.


Highland Main Line and Aberdeen-Inverness Improvements

We were very disappointed to see no real committment to these schemes in the recent budget statement from the government and it appears that major road  building schemes will be taking the majority of the funds available in the next
few years.
However, Network Rail have recently launched their Initial Industry Plan (IIP) for the years 2014 to 2019 and this contains plans to tackle both of these  necessary schemes. We look to the government to support both schemes.


Borders Railway

The government have recently announced that Network Rail will take this scheme forward and that the railway will open in late 2014. We now look forward to speedy progress.


New Scotrail Franchise

We expect consultation on this to start within the next few weeks and we intend
to play our full part in the process. It is vital that the specification allows the bidders to offer significant improvements to the existing railway in Scotland and we would encourage others to participate in the consultation and put forward their ideas for the future of the railway in Scotland.


High Speed 2

Transport Minister Keith Brown set up a Scottish Partnership Group(SPG) to
examine and report upon the business case for developing high speed rail links
to Scotland. We were invited to join the group and have attended two meetings
where we have made the case for investing in new rail links to the south as a
real alternative to the car and the plane.


Edinburgh Tram

After a very difficult period of delays brought about by political bickering and
contractual disputes the project now seems to be back on track. The initial line
will now run from the airport to St.Andrew Square with key interchanges between the tram and the heavy rail network at Gogar (Edinburgh Gateway), Edinburgh Park and Haymarket. When EGIP is completed this will allow rail passengers from across Scotland direct access to the airport and many facilities to the west of the city via one change on to the tram.
Whilst this is welcome we believe that further extensions to the tram scheme are essential to allow similar connectivity to other parts of the city and to
enhance the public transport offering in the city.
On a recent visit to Nice I was able to see at first hand the very real benefits that the new trams have brought to the city both in terms of enhanced public
transport and related public realm improvements.