This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Rail service improvement plans
02/09/2002
Development plans for the improvement of rail services
in central Scotland and the Borders are to be financed with
a total of £400,000 from the Public Transport Fund.
Transport Minister Iain Gray announced approval in
principle for £150,000 to be awarded to West Lothian
Council to carry out further development work on options
for improved services on the Shotts Line.
West Lothian Council together with Strathclyde Passenger
Transport, North Lanarkshire Council and City of Edinburgh
Council produced a report earlier in the year on ways to
improve the Edinburgh-Glasgow (via Shotts) service.
Borders Council has been awarded a further £250,000
towards the costs of additional work it has been
undertaking on the Parliamentary bill for the Central
Borders Rail Link, popularly known as the Waverley
Line.
Mr Gray said:
"West Lothian Council and its partners have been looking
at practical ways to improve train services on the Shotts
Line.
"The line already serves an important role in linking
the communities along the route with Edinburgh and Glasgow
and I am keen to find quick ways to improve the service.
The funding I have announced today will help to bring
forward better services.
"I have asked West Lothian Council to carry out further
development work to establish the best options for early
improvements to the line and to complete this work by next
Spring.
"It is for Scottish Borders Council and its partners in
the Waverley Railway Partnership to build on the Scott
Wilson study and demonstrate the business case for
re-opening the Central Borders Rail Link.
"The Executive has already committed £1.865 million to
enable them to undertake the necessary work to do that and
I am today announcing a further £250,000 to make sure they
have sufficient resources to complete the preparation of a
bill to the Scottish Parliament."