Billions set to be invested into improving railway

BILLIONS of pounds are set to be invested into improving Scotland’s railway.

Network Rail has announced the start of its five- year investment plan to deliver a safe, green, and reliable railway for passengers, freight customers, and taxpayers across the country.

From April 2024 until March 2029, £ 4.9 billion will be invested to improve punctuality, reduce delays, and make Scotland’s railway more ‘ resilient’ in the face of changing weather conditions. The plan includes:

More than £ 2bn of investment in renewing key infrastructure More than £ 1bn of investment in maintaining Scotland’s Railway Increased investment in drainage systems and more drainage engineers Continued investment in new technology to help monitor the impact of extreme weather Installation of more remote monitoring equipment to give early warning of potential issues Dedicated plans for taking climate action and reducing the railway’s carbon footprint Ambitious plans to reduce costs across Scotland’s Railway by adopting new ways of working.

Alex Hynes, managing director of Scotland’s Railway, said: “The plan we have announced today will help us deliver a safe and reliable railway for our customers and one which supports the social and economic growth of the communities we serve.

“Over the next five years, we will continue to invest in renewing and maintaining our infrastructure while also making it more resilient to Scotland’s changing weather.

“We will also work closely with our industry partners and government to ensure we deliver a value for money railway for the taxpayers who fund us while improving the service we offer to passengers and freight customers.”