This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Green light for new freight railway
13/08/2003
A new light railway in East Ayrshire has been given the
green light, it was announced today.
A Freight Facilities Grant award of £3.9 million has
been made to Kier Minerals by the Scottish Executive to
build a rail link to a new open cast coal mine. Kier
Minerals intend to build the 3.5km line on the site of a
dismantled railway from the mine at Greenburn, near New
Cumnock, which will link in with the existing rail
network.
The company can then transport their coal by rail rather
than road to Longannet power station and various power
stations in England.
Visiting the Greenburn site today Mr Stephen said:
"The rail line to Greenburn marks a first for Scotland.
It is the first opportunity for Scottish Ministers to
authorise a line's construction through a Light Railways
Order. We are considering how this could be used in other
projects to improve Scotland's rail system.
"I am pleased to have been able to offer the award of
£3.9 million to Kier Minerals. This investment will remove
800,000 lorry miles from Scotland's roads each year.
Encouraging the transfer of freight from roads to rail is a
central plank of Scottish transport policy
"The Scottish Executive is pleased to have worked with
Kier Minerals, East Ayrshire Council and the rail industry
to make this happen. I understand that the rail link is
expected to be completed in early 2004."
Since July 1999, 18 previous Freight Facilities Grant
awards have been made for Scottish projects representing a
total grant award of over £57 million (including five
awards in conjunction with the Department for
Transport).
The published target to make awards of FFG by March 2003
which will remove 21 million lorry miles each year from
Scotland's roads has been achieved, with the target rising
to 23 million by March 2004.
Railways that remain for their entirety within Scotland
can be promoted under the Private Legislation Act 1936 or
the Light Railways Act 1896. Under the second of these
acts, Scottish Ministers may make a Light Railways Order -
a Statutory Instrument - setting out the specifications
under which a railway may be built and operated.
A Light Railway Order sets out - among other things -
what may be carried on the line and its speed restrictions.
The resulting rail link is termed a 'light railway'. This
is different to the expression "light rail", which is often
used to describe trams etc.
The Greenburn Light Railway Order came into force on 11
July 2003.
The Minister was undertaking a visit to the West of
Scotland where he also visited Lochwinnoch to view the
completed National Cycle Network and made an announcement
about a new cycling body for Scotland.