SCOTTISH Transport Secretary Michael Matheson has approved a £15million preliminary project to prepare for the construction of a new chord to the Dalmeny to Winchburgh Junction line, west of Edinburgh.
The scheme will enable Transport Scotland and Network Rail to develop three options for the Edinburgh Waverley Western Approaches (EWWA) project, which is designed to relieve the congested Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High route.
Monthly Subscription: Enjoy more Railway Magazine reading each month with free delivery to you door, and access to over 100 years in the archive, all for just £5.35 per month.
Click here to subscribe & save
The scheme is costed at between £150million and £250m, and will involve a new south-to-west connection between Saughton (Almond Junction), on the Edinburgh to Dalmeny line and the Dalmeny to Winchburgh Junction line.
The three options involve flat junctions at both ends, a grade-separated Almond Junction and flat junction at Winchburgh, and grade-separated junction at both ends of the upgraded line.
Detailed modelling of the options will now take place, and a business case for the preferred option will be developed.
The chord was previously proposed as part of the £858m Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme, which upgraded and electrified the main route between Scotland’s two largest cities, but was dropped on cost grounds in 2012.
The western approach to Edinburgh Waverley is a critical location on the Scottish rail network and one of the country’s busiest.
Late-running trains can cause significant delays to other services and often a knock-on impact throughout the wider network. Adding the Almond Chord could provide an alternative route for east-west trains, giving extra capacity and resilience to improve performance.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “We are working closely with Transport Scotland to develop cost-effective proposals to expand the network to the west of Edinburgh – delivering increased flexibility and improved reliability for passengers and freight customers.”
Read more News and Features in the November 2019 issue of The Railway Magazine –on sale now!
