Rail network upgrade plans unveiled

Jan 8 2013

Network Rail has unveiled its plans for the next five years, including a £4 billion investment to improve rail infrastructure.

Key developments for Scotland include the electrification of the Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street route which is expected to shorten journey times and increase capacity.

The completion of the Borders Rail Link will see 30 miles of track reopened between towns in the Borders with Edinburgh at a cost of £360 million.

Additionally, the route between Aberdeen and Inverness will be improved to deliver better commuter services as well as new stations at Kintore and Dalcross.

The projects are part of a £37.5 billion plan to run and expand the UK railways for 2014-2019.

If approved by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), the UK plan will provide 170,000 extra commuter seats at peak times by 2019, by which time the railways could be carrying as many as 225 million more passengers than at present.

As well as the big investment plans, Network Rail also envisages an overall improvement in train punctuality.

A figure of 92.5% punctuality was set for the period 2009-2014 - a target which the company expects to meet in Scotland.

In its business plan, Network Rail said it expects to achieve a trains-on-time figure of 92.5% "by the end" of the period 2014-2019 for elsewhere in the UK.

The plans come at a time of passenger anger at the above-inflation 4.2% season ticket average fare rises this month.