Talks begin on station’s closure
Consultation gets underway on Breich Rail Station
A train station which is only used by three passengers a week could be set to shut.
Breich Station is being threatened with closure in a move that would make it the first Scottish train station to be shut in 31 years.
A 12-week consultation will open on July 10 and a public meeting was held yesterday (Wednesday.) A further meeting is planned for August 30.
Breich Station is an unmanned stop on the Edinburgh to Glasgow line via Shotts and is served by one train per day in each direction, Monday to Saturday.
The official footfall figure for the station from 2015 to 2016 was 138 passengers, an average of 2.6 passengers per week.
The Shotts route is currently being modernised as part of a programme of electrification but Network Rail estimates that a saving of £1.4m could be made if the Scottish government opted to close the station rather than modernise it.
The closest station for passengers, should Breich close, is Addiewell which is two miles from Breich while Fauldhouse station is 2.9 miles away.
David Dickson, infrastructure director for the ScotRail Alliance, which includes Network Rail, said: “The current and projected demand for rail services to and from Breich is very low. Closure of the station must be considered as an option, however, the views of the local community are vital when making a decision on its future.
“I encourage anyone with an interest in Breich Station to read through our consultation document and share their views with us. A report will be submitted to Transport Scotland in October 2017 for consideration.”
SNP councillor for Fauldhouse and Breich Valley, Pauline Clark, said she is “disappointed” that Network Rail are considering closing Breich station.
“Breich is a growing village with several new houses being completed recently and there are also several new housing developments in the pipeline,” she said.
And MSP Neil Findlay said the proposals were a “backward step for the community”.
“Whilst the use of the service is very low and only one train a day each way stops there, the village already has very poor public transport links and this will make things even worse,” he said.
“Breich is also surrounded by large swathes of land that may at some point be developed bringing new families to the area. A railway station is an important feature that could be attractive for commuters.
“It is a very short sighted action to close this station.”