This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New freight railway opens
28/06/2004
A new light railway which will transport coal from a
mine by rail in East Ayrshire was officially opened
today.
A Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) award of £3.9 million
was made to Kier Minerals by the Scottish Executive to
build a rail link to a new open cast coal mine. Kier
Minerals have built the line on the site of a dismantled
railway from the mine at Greenburn, near new Cumnock. It
will remove nearly 900,000 lorry miles from Scotland's
roads each year.
The railway will link in with the existing rail network
so that coal can be transported to Longannet power station
and power stations in England. Scottish Ministers
authorised its construction through a Light Railways Order,
the first time this has happened following devolution.
Transport Minister Nicol Stephen said:
"This new light railway will bring economic and
environmental benefits to East Ayrshire. By removing
lorries from busy routes such as the A77 and other rural
roads, it will reduce congestion and pollution.
"This project demonstrates the Executive's commitment to
supporting freight transport and transferring freight from
road to rail. Our investment will remove nearly 900,000
lorry miles from Scotland's roads each year.
"This is a week of 'firsts' for Scotland's railways
after devolution. Today we are opening the first railway
constructed following a Light Railways Order by Scottish
Ministers. Later this week I hope that the Scottish
Parliament will pass it first railways bill for the
Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine line. These developments
highlight our commitment to an expanding, integrated
railway network that gets goods to market.
"We are delighted to have worked with Kier Minerals,
East Ayrshire Council and the rail industry on this
railway. It is an excellent example of sustainable
development. I would like to congratulate all those
involved for the successful delivery of this
ground-breaking project."
The 3.5km railway and terminal will move 465,000 tonnes
per year of coal by rail over the 7 year lifetime of the
project. It is estimated that it will result in
environmental benefits of over £6.6 million in
Scotland.
Philip Cave, Director of Kier Minerals Ltd said:
"Within a year of the award of the Freight Facilities
Grant from the Scottish Executive we have been able to
complete the design and construction of the new Greenburn
Rail Link safely, on-time and within budget.
"As a developer we found that having a single point of
contact with Network Rail, and early involvement with the
Strategic Rail Authority and H M Rail Inspectorate and
other key stakeholders were key factors in the success of
this scheme - a success which involved public and private
bodies working effectively together.
"We have been given a clear insight into the culture of
the rail industry through the professionalism, co-operation
and attention to detail shown by those involved, covering
both the construction and the whole life performance of the
line. We should like to thank all those involved with the
Greenburn Rail Link."
Since July 1999, 23 previous Freight Facilities Grant
awards have been made for Scottish projects representing a
total grant award of over £68 million, including five
awards either part or wholly funded by the Department for
Transport.
The published target to make awards of FFG by March 2006
which will remove 25 million lorry miles each year from
Scotland's roads. However, a new higher target is being
finalised.
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.