Published on:
27
March 2008
Between Friday 21 March and the morning of Tuesday 25 March, a team of more than 100 engineers worked almost 5,500 hours to upgrade the track and signaling in the Stirling Station area. This work now allows trains to run from the existing operational railway onto the new Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway. These works complete one of the final milestones in the project in order to allow full passenger services commence in the summer. The railway should be regarded as fully operational from 25 March. The next major phase will start on 31 March when a period of driver training will begin. From this date trains will be running on the line on a regular basis to allow drivers to familarise themselves with the route and level crossings will be fully operational.
Scott Prentice, Transport Scotland's Senior Project Manager said:"The project team is delighted at the huge effort put in by our engineers over the Easter weekend to successfully complete the complex signaling works required to connect the existing railway to the new route. When driver training begins there will be regular trains running on the line and passing through the level crossings on a daily basis; all level crossing signals must be obeyed. The railway is now operational from this point and I would urge the public to heed all warning notices and keep outwith the railway boundary."
A number of safety initiatives will be undertaken before the railway opens and full services commence. Network Rail will be returning to the area with their highly successful No Messin' campaign and will be working with the British Transport Police to deliver a comprehensive safety programme to local schools and youth organisations.
Also, in addition to the safety information that has been distributed to the local communities surrounding the levels crossings along the route, community engagement will be taking place in conjunction with Network Rail to ensure that residents are fully informed about how to use these crossings safely.
For more information on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link please visit: www.sakrailway.co.uk Alternatively, call the community hotline on 0141 229 7648 or email info@s-a-k.co.uk
The Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine route reopening is one of the most important railway infrastructure projects Scotland has seen in decades. The project will reopen approximately 21km of existing, disused and abandoned railway line between Stirling Station and Longannet Power Station in Kincardine. The new railway station in Alloa town centre will allow direct hourly passenger services between Alloa, Stirling and Glasgow Queen Street stations. Passengers can change at Stirling for further services to Edinburgh. The line will also carry coal from the West of Scotland to Longannet Power Station in Fife and potentially provide freight services to other customers along the line.