Track laying complete on Scots line  30 | 08 | 2010

A NEW 15-mile stretch of railway track has been laid on the new Airdrie-Bathgate line which will be used by trains running between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The section, the longest domestic passenger railway with new stations to be built in Britain for a century, is due to open in December and the line will carry four trains an hour in each direction.

"The completion of track laying is a major milestone for us," Ron McAulay, director of Network Rail in Scotland, said, "and keeps us firmly on track to begin driver-training by mid-October and to open for passengers by December." The completion was also welcomed by Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson.

"I'm delighted we have reached this milestone," he said, "and it's a clear indicator that this work is moving apace towards final delivery. Once complete, this new route will offer travellers a real alternative to the car and enable people to make better use of public transport networks."