Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 third direct railway link between the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. The project was introduced in the Scottish Parliament as a private bill on 31 May 2006. It is anticipated that the project will be complete by 2010, and cost an estimated £225 million.
[edit] 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 main line 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 the 1956 to passengers and 1982 to frieght, it will be possible to travel from Edinburgh Waverley main line station to Glasgow Queen Street Low Level in around 62 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.
[edit] 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.
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 80mph running (the benefits of 100mph running are 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 75mph. This would mean that some rolling stock improvements would be inevitable, given the plans call for the existing Helensburgh/Balloch-Airdrie/Drumgelloch services be extended to Edinburgh.
