THE first part of a rail electrification programme which will eventually see wires put up over the main Edinburgh to Glasgow route has been confirmed.

Network Rail said a £40 million contract with engineering firm Carillion had been signed which would see the Glasgow to Cumbernauld route electrified ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

The work has been taken forward as part of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme, which will see £650m of investment in central Scotland's rail network by 2017 and cut around 10 minutes from travel between the cities.