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Data Label: Public Development and Transport Policy Development & Scrutiny Panel Rail Developments in West Lothian Report By

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Data Label: Public Development and Transport Policy Development & Scrutiny Panel Rail Developments in West Lothian Report By DATA LABEL: PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORT POLICY DEVELOPMENT & SCRUTINY PANEL RAIL DEVELOPMENTS IN WEST LOTHIAN REPORT BY HEAD OF OPERATION SERVICES A. PURPOSE OF REPORT The purpose of this report is to advise the Panel of future railway developments in West Lothian and beyond including a new Winchburgh Station, the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Project (EGIP) and High Speed Rail. B. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that Panel notes the: - 1) rephasing of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Project to defer some of the previously announced interventions until later in Network Rail’s Control Period Five (2014 – 2019); 2) progress made towards developing a business case for a new Winchburgh station; and 3) opportunities that future High Speed Rail developments may provide for new services and connections in West Lothian. C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS I Council Values Focusing on our customers' needs; Making best use of our resources; and Working in partnership. II Policy and Legal (including Strategic Environmental Assessment, Equality None Issues, Health or Risk Assessment) III Implications for Scheme of None Delegations to Officers IV Impact on performance and None performance Indicators V Relevance to Single We make West Lothian an attractive place for Outcome Agreement doing business. 1 DATA LABEL: PUBLIC We realise our full economic potential with more and better employment. VI Resources - (Financial, None Staffing and Property) VII Consideration at PDSP Not applicable VIII Other consultations Consultation has taken place with Economic Development, Planning Services and SEStran D. TERMS OF REPORT Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Project (EGIP) The EGIP project was designed by Transport Scotland to increase capacity, reduce journey times and reduce the carbon footprint on the flagship Edinburgh – Glasgow via Falkirk High route. As originally announced in 2008 the scheme consisted of: x Electrification of the Edinburgh – Glasgow – Dunblane triangle as well as diversionary routes via Cumbernauld. x Rebuilt station at Croy with turnback facilities. x New grade separated junction at Greenhill, west of Falkirk, to increase line capacity. x New “Dalmeny Chord” to allow some trains to be diverted between Linlithgow and Haymarket to both serve a new Edinburgh Gateway station connecting with trams to the airport and increase capacity in the busy Winchburgh and Newbridge areas. x Other minor improvements including new depots and junction improvements. This would allow an increase in Edinburgh – Glasgow services from four trains per hour (tph) to six tph as well as two tph new local services between Glasgow and Croy. By late 2011 total estimated costs for the project were in the region of £950M. In Spring 2012, Transport Scotland commissioned consultants Jacobs to review the scope of the project and identify potential cost savings while continuing to deliver the key scheme benefits. The consultants’ key suggestion was to increase capacity through lengthening of trains from six coaches to eight coaches while maintaining the current service frequency of four tph. The key to achieving this increase in train length is a major rebuilding of Glasgow Queen Street station to allow longer trains to call by extending the concourse towards George Square. Journey time improvements through electrification would be achieved but without additional non-stop services between Edinburgh and Glasgow these are not as marked as in the previous plan. The re-scoped project saved money by postponing delivery of several projects from EGIP including: x Croy station turnback x Greenhill separated junction x Dalmeny chord The revised scheme was costed at £650M, a £300M saving. 2 DATA LABEL: PUBLIC It also postponed the electrification north of Falkirk to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa until later in Network Rail’s Control Period Five (2014 – 2019). Transport Scotland have emphasised that all the individual projects from the earlier EGIP programme may be delivered in future to increase capacity if train lengthening fails to create sufficient extra capacity. In West Lothian the major works taking place as part of the revised EGIP programme will be electrification of the line from Newbridge junction to Linlithgow and Falkirk. To facilitate the new eight coach trains it will also be necessary to extend both platforms at Linlithgow station. It is proposed that the platforms would be extended at the west (Polmont) end of the platforms by 35m and 65m. Some work is also proposed to improve existing platform width and headroom while these works take place. New Winchburgh Station The Winchburgh Core Development Area delivers 3,450 houses and 40 hectares of industrial and commercial development land. A key part of the proposed development is improved transport links via a new M9 motorway junction with Park & Ride and a new station at Winchburgh. As part of the development planning process a developer contribution to cover the platforms, shelters, access routes and parking has been secured through a section 75 agreement subject to securing Transport Scotland approval for the station. The station is supported in the West Lothian Local Plan, the Edinburgh & Lothians Structure Plan, the South East Scotland Strategic Development Plan and its importance to the local, regional and national economy has been recognised by Scottish ministers. The difficulty is in timetabling additional stops in services on what is already a very busy section of line. If the Dalmeny Chord had gone ahead as part of the EGIP project it would have increased capacity through Winchburgh making the business case for a new station much more secure. As the new stops at Winchburgh are likely to be in the two tph Edinburgh – Dunblane service the decision to postpone electrification to Stirling and Dunblane is unhelpful as electric trains have better acceleration performance than diesel units making additional station stops easier to path in the timetable. Given that the Dalmeny Chord is unlikely to be included in any medium term plans by Transport Scotland it is likely that a positive business case will need to made to insert stops in current services in order for the station plans to proceed. It may not be possible to achieve a positive business case until the electrification has been extended to Dunblane in Control Period 5 (2014 – 2019). Within Transport Scotland’s letter (Appendix 1), they positively offer to look at improving access between the two platforms at Uphall Station. High Speed Rail The UK government announced detailed plans for extending the proposed High Speed 2 (HS2) rail link north from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds on 28 January 2013. 3 DATA LABEL: PUBLIC As part of the route announcement an updated business case and proposed service specification was also released. The full HS2 scheme to Manchester and Leeds is anticipated to open in 2032 with all fast intercity services to Scotland routed via the West Coast Mainline (WCML). The current indicative business case indicates that Scottish destinations will be served by two 400m long (16 coach) fast trains per hour from London to Wigan on HS2 continuing on the existing WCML to Carstairs in South Lanarkshire, where the trains will stop to divide into two portions serving Edinburgh and Glasgow. There would also be an hourly fast service from Birmingham to Scotland serving Edinburgh and Glasgow in alternate hours. This indicative plan is however subject to change and is not a guaranteed service specification. A Carstairs high speed rail hub would mean West Lothian residents having access to a high speed rail service located only 20 miles and 30 minutes drive from Livingston with half hourly fast services to London taking under 3 hours. The development of Carstairs as a major rail hub is likely to require a number of new transport initiatives including new bus routes, road and parking improvements and new rail services. Currently the Edinburgh – Glasgow via Carstairs route is served by hourly services comprising a mixture of Cross Country services which call only at Motherwell and Scotrail services that call at Motherwell, Wishaw, Carluke and Carstairs. The only current station in West Lothian that these services could call at is Kirknewton, however only three Carstairs services per day currently call in Kirknewton. The HS2 business case proposes withdrawing the Cross Country trains on this route so it is likely an hourly Scotrail service would be provided and a stop at Kirknewton each hour would be a minimum requirement for West Lothian rail access to the high speed rail hub at Carstairs. The West Lothian Local Plan safeguards a site for a new Livingston Parkway station to be located 1km west of the existing Kirknewton station, south of East Calder and with direct road access from the A71. The business case for this station would be greatly improved by the provision of an hourly service to Carstairs and Motherwell as well as the existing two tph service to Glasgow via Shotts that would call there. In addition if the station were developed as a major regional facility with 200m platforms it could be possible to make a business case for calls in some of the intercity services. It is extremely unlikely that the direct London – Edinburgh HS2 services would call in West Lothian but a case could be proposed for calls in either the 2 hourly HS2 service to Birmingham or a proposed hourly legacy WCML service from Edinburgh that will serve Manchester, London Euston and Birmingham in alternate hours. The Scottish Government has also announced consultation on new high speed rail routes within Scotland in advance of HS2. An improved Edinburgh – Glasgow service taking around 30 minutes combined with improving links to the English element of high speed rail have been mooted. It is possible that any route would travel through the southern section of West Lothian following the existing Kirknewton – Carstairs rail corridor although plans are very unclear at present. 4 DATA LABEL: PUBLIC E.
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