Westinghouse Awarded Airdrie to Bathgate Contract

The line, which is being re-opened to passengers after over 50 years of closure, will bring considerable benefits for communities along the route by improving transport links for West Lothian and North Lanarkshire with Glasgow and Edinburgh.  Once completed, the line will be double-tracked and electrified from Edinburgh to Glasgow , providing a fourth passenger route between the two cities.

The £300 million project, funded by Transport , will also see an upgrade to the existing lines between Bathgate and Edinburgh by October 2008 and between Airdrie and Drumgelloch.

Commenting on the project, Ron McAulay, Network Rail Director, Scotland, said: “The Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link is one of the biggest transport projects currently being undertaken in Scotland and will be a major boost in meeting the transport needs of local people, providing an essential link between Scotland's two main cities. 

“The project is set in the context of ongoing, major investment in our transport infrastructure and is a demonstration of Network Rail's ambitions to grow 's railway, in partnership with the Scottish Government.

“We have worked very successfully with Westinghouse on a range of projects, most recently at Edinburgh Waverley, and we are looking forward to working closely with the team on this very significant programme.”

The key elements of WRSL’s work on the project include:

·          Modifications to the two existing Integrated Electronic Control Centres (the route will be controlled from Edinburgh Signalling Centre)

·          Signalling and alterations to support both the operation of the new double line and the new and altered stations

·          The installation of three new Solid State Interlockings (SSIs), to be controlled from one of the new IECC workstations at Edinburgh

·          The installation of full telecommunications systems for the stations

WRSL’s Regional Director in , Alistair McWhirter said: “Naturally, we’re delighted to have been awarded this contract and to be working closely with Network Rail to deliver a first class signalling and telecoms scheme. 

“Westinghouse has a great pedigree in , with a hard-earned reputation for the quality and performance of our systems and for the excellence of our project delivery.  We are now working towards the first key commissioning stage in October 2008 - for the railway between Newbridge and Bathgate.”