Electrified rail service opens after upgrade

Date: 11/12/2012

A multi-million pound upgrade on a new electrified rail service has seen trains run to Paisley Canal station for the first time.

Keith Brown, Scottish Transport Minister, said at the opening of the station, that the project had been delivered both early and under budget.

Five miles of track between Corkerhill in Glasgow and Paisley means that the route will support quieter and more environmentally friendly trains.

Having been estimated to cost £28 million, the final bill came to £12 million, mainly due to a number of changes implemented with the construction.

A collaborative effort between Network Rail and ScotRail also meant that the work was carried out quicker, helping to keep costs down.

Mr Brown said: "The Paisley Canal electrification is the first major project to be delivered under this kind of alliance 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."

He went onto say that passengers travelling on the route should see improvements in terms of reliability, reduced emissions and more seats available on their journeys.

It was decided that the focus of the electrification would be for transporting passengers and not freight, meaning that fewer bridges would need to be raised.

At the times when freight trains are required to use the route, the electricity can be turned off on neutral sections, a process generally carried out at night.

David Simpson, Route Managing Director for Scotland at Network Rail, said: "The successful on time completion of this scheme demonstrates how, by working closely, the rail industry can enhance the service it provides the public while cutting the cost of projects."

Work on the project began in August and has taken just four months to complete, creating a benchmark for collaboration within the industry.

Steve Montgomery, Managing Director of ScotRail, said: "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."

Posted by Nick Anderson

International Transport News and Sustainable Transport News