Latest Rail News

12.01.17

Network Rail awards Carillion £49m Shotts electrification contract

Network Rail has agreed a contract with Carillion Powerlines Ltd to deliver the electrification of the Shotts Line between Holytown Junction and Midcalder Junction.

The £49m contract will see the delivery of 74km of electrified railway as part of the Scottish government’s wider £169m investment in the line between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

It is expected that electric services will be introduced on the line in 2019, thereby making services more reliable for passengers.

The Scottish transport minister Humza Yousaf said: “The Scottish government’s funding of the electrification of the Shotts Line, and our overall £5bn package of investment in our railway, demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the Scottish rail network.”

“This contract award is a major step forward in the delivery of the electrification programme and rail passengers across North Lanarkshire and West Lothian will feel the benefits for many years to come with an improved service on the line.”

Network Rail’s contract with Carillion covers the physical delivery and installation of all elements required to electrify the line such as the erection of stanchions, vegetation clearance, and stringing the overhead powerlines.

This will be carried out alongside Network Rail’s ongoing route clearance programme on a range of bridges to ensure the power cables can run under structures on the line. Just this past weekend Network Rail demolished two railway bridges in Shotts and West Calder to reconstruct them as part of the programme, which is due to be completed in 16 weeks.

Iain McFarlane, head of programme management for Network Rail, called the contract with Carillion “a significant milestone” in the delivery of the Shotts electrification project.

“Throughout this project we will work closely with contractors, train operators and other stakeholders to deliver in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible while minimising disruption for both lineside communities and passengers,” he said.

Martin C Smith, managing director of Carillon Powerlines also expressed his pleasure at the contract, as he said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract to electrify the Shotts Line across central Scotland and we look forward to working with the project team to enhance the railway network.”

“This award reflects the depth of experience we can demonstrate in delivering infrastructure enhancements in a railway environment and will further enhance the relationship we have developed with Network Rail.”

As part of the overall plan for the Shotts Line, work will also see two new station footbridges, three platform extensions at intermediate stations and the complete redevelopment of Livingston South station.

(Image c. Network Rail)

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Comments

Andrew Gwilt   13/01/2017 at 21:03

Once the newly electrified line between Glasgow Queens Street and Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts is completed once the AC 25kv Overhead wires are live. Hitachi's Class 385 EMU trains will provide better journeys and possibly more electrification projects could happen elsewhere in Scotland (except north of Scotland where there will be more HST and DMU trains being used).

Andrew JG   14/01/2017 at 22:11

I find that new overhead structures & equipment that have been designed differently is the future for railway electrification for the future including Crossrail project (electrification track maintenance and tunnelling works), GWML electrification, GOBLIN (Gospel Oak-Barking) line electrification (as well extension to Barking Riverside), proposed Midland Mainline electrification (if it does get the go ahead) and other electrification projects/schemes that are taking place with new overhead equipment & structures and overhead wires installed and erected. As well as new EMU trains being built and current/older EMU trains operating on the newly electrified and current electrified railway lines across parts of Wales, most areas in England (including railway lines in Greater London) and parts of Scotland that already have electrified railways.

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