Reinstate original plan to fully electrify & double track the East Kilbride to Busby route
Reinstate original plan to fully electrify & double track the East Kilbride to Busby route
The Issue
On Friday the 8th of October I found out via Transport Scotland social media that the Scottish Government had reneged on their plan to fully electrify and double track the route from East Kilbride to Busby. Since then, it has also been confirmed by Network Rail that the timetable plan for four trains per hour will now remain as two trains per hour.
This change in plan severely disadvantages current and potential commuters to and from the Hairmyres, Thorntonhall and East Kilbride Stations. These decisions appear to have been taken without any public consultation and the funds previously promised to this project have now been reallocated to other decarbonisation projects such as the Borders electrification.
I have contacted the Minister for Transport Graeme Dey MSP for information as South Lanarkshire Council when contacted were unable to confirm if the Hairmyres Station was still going to have a double platform, how many spaces would now be provided at Hairmyres or if the intended retrofit was still going to take place at Thorntonhall. There were many other questions asked that remain unanswered.
This change in plan now means that the East Kilbride residents will continue to be serviced by a single track only to Glasgow, meaning fewer trains, with less availability for commuters. This will only serve to exacerbate the carbon footprint with more people opting to travel by car due to the current limitations of the train service.
I am asking for your help in persuading the Scottish Government to reconsider its’ decision to cast aside the “Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan” by no longer fully Electrifying and dualling the East Kilbride to Glasgow train line. MP's, MSP's and Councillors of all Parties must come together for the good of their constituents and make their voices heard.
These decisions go against the green agenda of cutting down transport emissions and is a backward step ahead of COP26 and in the face of the worsening climate emergency.
Please sign and share this petition.
Councillor Monique McAdams
1,275
The Issue
On Friday the 8th of October I found out via Transport Scotland social media that the Scottish Government had reneged on their plan to fully electrify and double track the route from East Kilbride to Busby. Since then, it has also been confirmed by Network Rail that the timetable plan for four trains per hour will now remain as two trains per hour.
This change in plan severely disadvantages current and potential commuters to and from the Hairmyres, Thorntonhall and East Kilbride Stations. These decisions appear to have been taken without any public consultation and the funds previously promised to this project have now been reallocated to other decarbonisation projects such as the Borders electrification.
I have contacted the Minister for Transport Graeme Dey MSP for information as South Lanarkshire Council when contacted were unable to confirm if the Hairmyres Station was still going to have a double platform, how many spaces would now be provided at Hairmyres or if the intended retrofit was still going to take place at Thorntonhall. There were many other questions asked that remain unanswered.
This change in plan now means that the East Kilbride residents will continue to be serviced by a single track only to Glasgow, meaning fewer trains, with less availability for commuters. This will only serve to exacerbate the carbon footprint with more people opting to travel by car due to the current limitations of the train service.
I am asking for your help in persuading the Scottish Government to reconsider its’ decision to cast aside the “Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan” by no longer fully Electrifying and dualling the East Kilbride to Glasgow train line. MP's, MSP's and Councillors of all Parties must come together for the good of their constituents and make their voices heard.
These decisions go against the green agenda of cutting down transport emissions and is a backward step ahead of COP26 and in the face of the worsening climate emergency.
Please sign and share this petition.
Councillor Monique McAdams
1,275
Petition created on 20 October 2021