THE electrification of the main rail line between Glasgow and Edinburgh has taken a step forward after a £250 million contract was awarded for crucial infrastructure improvements.
UK engineering and construction group Costain and infrastructure specialists Morgan Sindall will complete route clearance works at Winchburgh Tunnel, rail infrastructure works at Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley stations and extend platforms at Croy, Falkirk High, Polmont and Linlithgow in the latest phase of the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) programme.
The electrification project is expected to cut the fastest journey time between Scotland's two largest cities from 48 minutes to 44 minutes by 2019 and 37 minutes by 2025, and will provide a 30 per cent boost in passenger capacity on the key intercity commuter route.
The funding was announced as Transport Minster Keith Brown visited overhead power engineers at the Babcock training facility in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire.
He said: "This £250m contract marks a significant milestone in the EGIP project, which will provide 20 per cent quicker journey times, 30 per cent more capacity and a complete overhaul of stations in both cities, with the new-look Haymarket station already completed on time and under budget and the planned transformation of Queen Street station into a 21st-century transport hub.
"The Scottish Government's record levels of investment in our railways is achieving even more than improved train journeys. It's providing jobs and training opportunities such as those in the Babcock Training Facility in Hamilton where we are making this announcement.
"That is, in turn, contributing to Scotland's growth and the sustainability of our engineering sector, as well as a bright future for the young people here setting out on a career path in the rail industry."
The £104m revamp of Glasgow Queen Street station is likely to receive final approval next year, with construction work due to get under way in 2016. The main concourse in Scotland's third-busiest station is due to be doubled in size and passenger facilities constructed over two levels.
Platforms will also be extended to accommodate longer trains of seven to eight carriages, and a giant glass facade will turn the station into a landmark on the corner of George Square. The station needs to expand to meet predicted growth of 28 million passengers by 2030.
The redevelopment of Queen Street will be the final stage in the EGIP project, which began in Edinburgh in 2011. It is scheduled for completion in 2019.
Network Rail will complete electrification of the Edinburgh-to-Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk High line in 2016. This will run in tandem with the construction of the new Edinburgh Gateway Interchange station at Gogar.
Piling works, to create the foundations needed for the overhead power lines, began this week and will be completed by summer 2015.
Rodger Querns, Network Rail programme director for EGIP, added: "EGIP is a unique chance to modernise and enhance our railway and transform rail services across the central belt. It is transformational in its scope and scale and will herald a step-change in the nature of our railway infrastructure, its resilience and reliability.
"The alliancing structure being used to deliver the electrification works will allow us to increase efficiency within the programme and deliver best value for money for the Government and taxpayer."
It follows the completion this year of £80m electrification of the Cumbernauld line and the £25m modernisation of Edinburgh's Haymarket station.
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