Clarification on recent press articles

All overhead line equipment (OLE) installed so far as part of EGIP is at the correct height and no wires will need to be restrung. We are, however, reworking OLE designs through some stations and under some bridges to further enhance clearances in line with current European standards. Industry guidance on these standards was issued after EGIP had begun delivery of its route clearance projects in 2012.

We remain committed to completing our enhancement programme as quickly as possible and are currently reviewing how best to do this as cost-effectively as we can for the taxpayer and passenger.

The outputs of our electrification projects remain unchanged and the delivery of the redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street and the new Edinburgh Gateway station remain on programme. A number of factors have contributed to the delay in electrifying the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line and to get things back on track we have pulled together all of Scotland’s electrification schemes under one management team to better oversee limited resources, improve productivity and iron-out procurement delays.

Electrifying the main line between our two biggest cities will allow us to run faster, longer, more reliable, greener trains and cut journey times while increasing the number of seats available. This is a huge investment in Scotland’s railway that will help transform travel on our network.