Network Rail has announced that it will invest more than £120m of Scottish Government funding in the next three years. Quadrant Transport investigates how the funding will boost the electricity power supply in Scotland’s Railway network.
Six new feeder stations will be seen at strategic locations across Scotland’s Railway network, with a further nine sites being upgraded to increase the resilience and reliability of the infrastructure for the operation of electrically powered passenger and freight traffic.
The new connections to the national grid via the feeder statins are said to increase the overall capacity of the 25kV electrified network.
Government Funding Reflects Scotland’s Commitment To Decarbonisation
As part of efforts to make Scotland’s Railway greener in line with the Scottish Government’s commitment to decarbonising the passenger rail network by 2023, the removal of diesel passenger trains from the network will see the accommodation of future passengers and freight growth and the reduction of the railway’s carbon footprint.
Scottish Government Transport Minister, Jenny Gilruth, said: “Increasing power supply into the Scottish Railway network is critical to enabling our ambitions to run cleaner and greener electric trains.
“Upgrading the power supply network will enable the introduction of electric trains on services to East Kilbride and Barrhead, on the Borders line and across Fife but will also support increased traffic on existing routes such as the East Coast Mainline.
“This investment further demonstrates this Government’s commitment to creating a railway for Scotland that is fit for the future, for the benefit of employees and passengers.”
We want a rail infrastructure for Scotland that helps to cut emissions, to provide sustainable travel options for people and for freight, and which provides fair work and highly skilled employment opportunities.
Introducing Greener Electric Trains Is Needed To See Growth In The Network
In addition to seeing the railway network become more sustainable, the investment will also increase resilience and boost the power supply for further greener passenger and freight trains in Scotland.
Managing Director of Scotland’s Railway said: “In tandem with the Scottish Government’s ambitions to increase the number of electric trains running on Scotland’s Railway, there comes an increase in the demand for power to operate these services.
“Investing in the power supply infrastructure will not only make the current electric network more resilient, it also delivers the significant growth in capacity needed as we continue to electrify our railway.”
Introducing quieter, quicker and greener electric trains on more routes across the country will enable both passengers and lineside communities to experience all the benefits that electrification of the rail network brings.
Work delivered will include a mix of feeder stations (FS), the interface between the railway and the national grid, and track sectioning cabinets (TSC) which regulate the power supply between various sections of the electrified rail network. Network Rail has said that the upgrades to the power supply network are now underway and will be ongoing until 2026.