Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link

The Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link is a proposed railway development in Central Scotland.

Instigated as part of a round of transport improvement projects proposed by the Scottish Executive in 2003, the plan is intended to open up a fourth direct railway link between the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. It is anticipated that the project will be completed by December 2010, at an estimated cost of £300 million. The rail link received the final approval of the Scottish Parliament on 28 March 2007, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6504201.stm BBC News article - Major rail link project approved] ] and gained Royal Assent on 9 May 2007. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6641725.stm BBC News article - Rail link scheme gets green light] ]

Background

In line with plans to complete the missing part of the M8 motorway, the Executive stipulated that public transport links between Scotland's two largest cities must also improve.

The new line will join the North Clyde Line of the Glasgow suburban railway network, which currently links the North Lanarkshire town of Airdrie to Queen Street station in Glasgow, with the Edinburgh to Bathgate Line, which connects with the West Coast and East Coast Main Lines at Haymarket. By reinstating the derelict Bathgate and Coatbridge Railway between Airdrie and Bathgate that was closed in 1956 to passengers and 1982 to freight, it will be possible to travel from Edinburgh Waverley station to Glasgow Queen Street Low Level in around 74 minutes. However, the Executive has stressed that it will complement, rather than partially replace the existing "Shuttle" service between Queen Street High Level and Edinburgh via Falkirk, which will remain the primary railway link between the two cities and can be travelled in 50 minutes. The link will however, negate the need for passengers in the commuter towns - such as Airdrie - to travel to Glasgow for onward travel to Edinburgh.

Benefits and infrastructure improvements

The line will bring significant benefits to the West Lothian area, which will be better connected to the Greater Glasgow conurbation. New stations will serve the towns of Caldercruix and Armadale, while the new town of Livingston will have an additional direct rail link to Glasgow. The possibility of stations at Plains and Blackridge is also being investigated by the Scottish Executive, though they do not form part of the Bill's proposal.

In order to deliver the required frequency of trains (4 per hour in each direction), the following improvements to the existing line will be made.

* The entire line will be double track. This entails doubling of single-track portions of existing lines (between Airdrie and Drumgelloch, and between Bathgate and Cawburn Junction, east of Uphall) and upgrading of Newbridge Junction (where the railways from Bathgate and Falkirk to Edinburgh join).

* Drumgelloch and Bathgate stations will both be demolished and rebuilt in new locations.

* Electrification of the section of line between Drumgelloch and Haymarket, meaning that the existing DMU operations on the Edinburgh-Bathgate section can be withdrawn.

Although the initial plans do not mention rolling stock upgrades, they do mention that the new line will be rated for 80 mph running (100 mph running is too costly to be worthwhile). However, the Class 320 rolling stock which currently provides the majority of services on the existing North Clyde route has a maximum speed of 75 mph. It is anticipated that the line will be served by Class 334 and possibly Class 318 EMUs once they have been released from the Ayrshire and Inverclyde routes following the introduction of new Class 380 stock in 2010.

Progress and current status

* The start of work was officially signalled with a sod cutting ceremony at Livingston North station in June 2007. [cite web | url = http://www.westlothian.com/Home/media_centre/newsarchive/1687783 | title = West Lothian Business Portal - Work starts on Airdrie to Bathgate rail link |accessdate=2008-07-11 |work = |publisher = [http://www.westlothian.com/Home/about_us westlothian.com] |date = 2008-06-21]
* Contracts worth £300M for design, installation and commissioning of signalling and telecommunications have been awarded as of July 2008. [cite web | url = http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view/article/2008/07/8633/world_infrastructure_market_july_2008.html | title = World infrastructure market July 2008 | accessdate = 2008-07-11 |work= |publisher = Railway Gazette International | date = 2008-07-11 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.airdriebathgateraillink.co.uk Official site for the Airdrie-Bathgate railway link]
*cite news
title = Costs going like a runaway train
publisher = The Scotsman
url = http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1524652007
accessdate = 2007-10-02