Network Rail has awarded Carillion Powerlines a £11.6 million contract to electrify the Shotts line between the junctions of Holytown and Midcalder.
The contract will deliver enhancements to stations to support the electrification of 74km of railway as part of a wider £160 million Scottish Government investment in the line between Edinburgh and Glasgow, which will see the route electrified by March 2019.
The activity within nine stations on the route includes platform reconstructions and renewals and enhancements to lighting, CCTV and customer information systems.
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Two stations: Livingston South and Breich, will be completely rebuilt with platforms extended at Carfin, Shotts and West Calder to enable the introduction of longer trains on the route. Work on the stations is due to be completed in autumn 2018.
The electrification of the line will enable the introduction of a new fleet of Hitachi Class 385s on services between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central via Shotts.
Scottish transport minister Humza Yousaf said: “This work contributes to the transformation of services across the central belt as part of the wider package of investment to enhance rail travel between the country’s two biggest cities, meaning passengers will see shorter journey times, increased capacity and better reliability.”
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