EXTENDING ELECTRIFICATION from Dunblane to Perth is among projects being considered for investment by the Scottish Government in Control Period 6 (2019-24).
Electrification to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa was completed in time for passenger services to start in December. In a bulletin on Scotland’s Railway in CP6, Transport Scotland says targeted improvements to the railway between Perth and Glasgow potentially include ‘extending electrification from Dunblane to Perth seeking faster overall rail journeys from Aberdeen and Inverness to Glasgow’. The project also considers improvements at Perth station and where best to stable and maintain trains in the area. However, the document cautions that there is no commitment to fund projects, with such choices now being made through a pipeline process with set investment decision stages.
Other schemes highlighted in the document include: n provision of a new electricity feeder station at Currie to ensure a resilient power supply to central Scotland and enable additional services on the Shotts line; n improvements to Portobello Junction east of Edinburgh to improve the reliability of passenger services to the Scottish Borders, North Berwick, Dunbar and cross-border destinations; n new stations at Reston and East Linton on the East Coast main line; and n improvements to how the network operates west of Edinburgh’s Haymarket station.
Further phases are also planned for the Highland main line and Aberdeen to Inverness improvements. On the East Kilbride and Barrhead services in suburban Glasgow, improvements ‘to enable more passengers to use the railway and create a greener commute’ are suggested, with neither route currently electrified. Transport Scotland has also highlighted a 21% increase in expenditure on the day-to-day running of Scotland’s rail network in CP6.
