{"id":440578,"date":"2026-05-28T20:53:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T10:53:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railuk.com\/?p=193927"},"modified":"2026-05-28T20:53:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T10:53:24","slug":"major-20m-upgrade-for-scotlands-original-electrified-railway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=440578","title":{"rendered":"Major \u00a320m upgrade for Scotland\u2019s original electrified railway"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A \u00a320m project is underway to upgrade the overhead power lines on Scotland\u2019s original electrified railway. <\/p>\n

The work will focus on sections of the North Clyde lines, which run from Helensburgh, Balloch and Milngavie through Glasgow\u2019s west end and low\u2011level stations. It\u2019s the busiest suburban network outside London and one of the most critical parts of Scotland\u2019s railway. <\/p>\n

Switched on in 1960, the electrification of the North Clyde marked the beginning of modern rail travel in Scotland. Decades later, it continues to shape the network today, with electric services running on routes such as East Kilbride and Barrhead, and further expansion underway in Fife and the Scottish Borders. <\/p>\n

Much of the original equipment in and around the North Clyde area is now more than 65 years-old and nearing the end of its working life, meaning renewal is essential to keep trains running safely and reliably. <\/p>\n

Preparatory work has already begun, including refurbishing the equipment that holds the overhead wires in place, such as the cantilevers and other supporting components.  <\/p>\n

More intensive engineering work to replace the wires themselves is scheduled over the Christmas and New Year period for the next three years, when passenger numbers are lower and the line can be closed with less travel impacts. <\/p>\n

Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail Scotland, said<\/strong>: \u201cThis stretch of railway was where electrification began in Scotland and marked a real turning point. It changed how people travelled around Glasgow and helped shape the network we use today. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe know how vital this area is to the railway as a whole. A single issue on the North Clyde can quickly affect services well beyond Glasgow, which is why this work is being planned now rather than waiting for more serious failures and wider disruption later. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis project is about looking after the railway that people rely on every day. By renewing it now, we are helping to make sure it continues to serve passengers and communities long into the future.\u201d <\/p>\n

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Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: <\/strong>\u201cThe North Clyde routes are a vital part of Scotland\u2019s Railway, connecting communities from Argyll and Bute right through to West Lothian, supporting thousands of journeys every day.  <\/p>\n

\u201cThis investment by Network Rail will help improve the long-term reliability of the infrastructure that keeps our electric trains moving.  <\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that some journeys will look a little different when the main body of work takes place later this year, which is why we\u2019ll be working closely with Network Rail to keep customers updated, and make sure they have the information they need to plan ahead and travel with confidence.\u201d <\/p>\n

Image credit: Network Rail<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A\u00a0\u00a320m\u00a0project is underway to upgrade the overhead power lines on Scotland\u2019s original electrified railway.\u00a0 The work will focus on\u00a0sections\u00a0of the North Clyde lines, which run from Helensburgh, Balloch and Milngavie through Glasgow\u2019s west end and\u00a0low\u2011level\u00a0stations.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0the busiest suburban network outside London and one of the most critical parts of Scotland\u2019s railway.\u00a0 Switched on\u00a0in 1960, the\u00a0electrification of [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16013,16017,343,47,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-440578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-interest","category-industry-news","category-infrastructure","category-rail-news","category-uk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=440578"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":440579,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440578\/revisions\/440579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=440578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=440578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=440578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}