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Edinburgh Reporter
a day ago
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Plans for Winchburgh station to be ‘lodged imminently'
Plans for the new Winchburgh Railway station will come before West Lothian councillors within months. The business case for development of the station is near completion and designs are ready to go to planning consent. A report to councillors, set to go before a meeting of West Lothian's Executive on Tuesday, says: 'It is anticipated that a planning application (likely to be an application for matters specified in conditions) is expected to be submitted to the council as planning authority imminently.' That means the principle of the station has already been accepted; only details have to be agreed. The station could be operational by the end of the decade. The report said: 'On 6 May the First Minister set out the Scottish Government's Programme for Government for 2025-26. The programme makes specific reference to a railway station at Winchburgh in the section on A Safe Sustainable Transport System for Scotland.' That says funding should be considered for the new station. Network Rail is set to lodge the planning application. The station cost is estimated at between £20.5 million and £22 million. The report details: 'An additional stop at Winchburgh has already been incorporated within the timetable for the Edinburgh – Dunblane service and this has no timetabling impacts on the Edinburgh- Falkirk High – Glasgow timetable.' The design will incorporate an initial 100 space car park with room for expansion. The reports adds: 'Modelling of the station forecasts around 625 passengers boarding per day at Winchburgh in 2030, increasing to 768 in 2045. 'In the morning peak hour there will be around 80 passengers travelling towards Edinburgh and an estimated 50 towards Stirling. This will equate to an increase of around 10% in rail usage on the Stirling to Edinburgh rail service. 'Winchburgh passenger demand is forecast to grow by around 20% between 2030-45. There is likely to be a 20-25% reduction in bus patronage when the station opens but this loss will be recovered as the housing development is built out.' As a comparison passenger usage at nearby railway stations shows Linlithgow has 1,400 passengers a day and Uphall with 650. Only Falkirk High, with 1,100 passengers comes close to Linlithgow, with passenger numbers in the hundreds at Polmost and Falkirk Grahamston. A steering group, which includes the lead developer, Winchburgh Developments, Transport Scotland, Network Rail, SEStran, ScotRail, the City Region Deal and the council, has been meeting monthly for around a year now and 'good progress is being made'. The steering group reports to a stakeholder group comprising MSPs and elected members from the council together with members of the steering group. The next meeting of the stakeholder group has been confirmed for later this month. With the business case complete and designs ready funding has to be secured. Current costs are based on 2027 estimates. By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Live
a day ago
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
New West Lothian railway station plans 'imminent' amid hope it could open by 2030
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Plans for the new Winchburgh railway station will come before West Lothian councillors within months. The business case for development of the station is near completion and designs are ready to go to planning consent. A report to councillors, set to go before a meeting of West Lothian's Executive on Tuesday, says: 'It is anticipated that a planning application (likely to be an application for matters specified in conditions) is expected to be submitted to the council as planning authority imminently.' That means the principle of the station has already been accepted; only details have to be agreed. The station could be operational by the end of the decade. The report said: 'On 6 May the First Minister set out the Scottish Government's Programme for Government for 2025-26. The programme makes specific reference to a railway station at Winchburgh in the section on A Safe Sustainable Transport System for Scotland.' That says funding should be considered for the new station. Network Rail is set to lodge the planning application. The station cost is estimated at between £20.5 million and £22 million. The report details: 'An additional stop at Winchburgh has already been incorporated within the timetable for the Edinburgh – Dunblane service and this has no timetabling impacts on the Edinburgh- Falkirk High – Glasgow timetable.' The design will incorporate an initial 100 space car park with room for expansion. The reports adds: 'Modelling of the station forecasts around 625 passengers boarding per day at Winchburgh in 2030, increasing to 768 in 2045. 'In the morning peak hour there will be around 80 passengers travelling towards Edinburgh and an estimated 50 towards Stirling. This will equate to an increase of around 10% in rail usage on the Stirling to Edinburgh rail service. 'Winchburgh passenger demand is forecast to grow by around 20% between 2030-45. There is likely to be a 20-25% reduction in bus patronage when the station opens but this loss will be recovered as the housing development is built out.' As a comparison passenger usage at nearby railway stations shows Linlithgow has 1,400 passengers a day and Uphall with 650. Only Falkirk High, with 1,100 passengers comes close to Linlithgow, with passenger numbers in the hundreds at Polmost and Falkirk Grahamston. A steering group, which includes the lead developer, Winchburgh Developments, Transport Scotland, Network Rail, SEStran, ScotRail, the City Region Deal and the council, has been meeting monthly for around a year now and 'good progress is being made'. The steering group reports to a stakeholder group comprising MSPs and elected members from the council together with members of the steering group. The next meeting of the stakeholder group has been confirmed for later this month. With the business case complete and designs ready funding has to be secured. Current costs are based on 2027 estimates.
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
No trains on line between Dingwall and Wick for most of June
Rail passengers have been urged to plan ahead as train services on the Far North Line will stop for most of June. Network Rail is carrying out an £11.5m improvement project on the line, which connects Inverness with Wick and work will be undertaken, with some parts of the line trains are scheduled to operate north of Dingwall from Sunday June 8 until Monday June 30, with replacement bus services to be put in place. The railway company said the project will help to improve the long-term reliability of rail services in the north of Scotland."This essential investment will breathe new life into one of Scotland's most scenic and historic routes," Ross Moran, Network Rail's Scotland route director said. "By replacing and refurbishing infrastructure - some of it nearly a century old - we'll help provide safer, smoother, and more reliable journeys." As part of work, a five-mile (8km) stretch between Brora and Helmsdale will be refurbished, with almost nine miles (15km) of track between Invergordon and Fearn said it is committed to keeping customers moving throughout the between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh will not be affected.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Man reunited with wedding ring after Lichfield railway drop
A man has spoke of his relief after being reunited with his wedding ring after losing it on the railway, a week before his first wedding Harris was walking through Lichfield over the late May bank holiday with his wife, Daisy, their 11-month old son George, and getting covered in greenfly from nearby bushes, Mr Harris said he was taking off his jumper as he walked over the Sturgeons Hill footbridge near Lichfield City station when the wedding ring came said he watched in horror as it dropped "in slow motion" on to the railway below. The ring disappeared into the vegetation at the side of the tracks and Mr Harris was convinced the ring, given to him by his wife Daisy on their wedding day just under a year ago, was lost forever.A Network Rail team came to the rescue and after searching through the undergrowth they found the ring and returned it to Mr Harris less than 24 hours was spotted Mark Samson, who was himself just days away from celebrating his 32nd wedding anniversary. Mr Harris said: "I could not believe what happened, it was as if the ring was dropping in slow motion into the nettles below. "I thought it was lost forever and I was absolutely gutted - especially as it was so close to our first wedding anniversary."My wife would have killed me if it had been lost forever so Mark has saved my life! I definitely owe him a beer or two." Mr Samson, a Walsall-based mobile operations manager with Network Rail's Central route, said it was "like looking for a needle in a haystack" and did not expect it to be found. He added that Mr Harris had done the right thing in not trying to recover it himself, but reporting it to Network is the second lost wedding ring that has been found on the railway in the West Midlands area after Eileen Lawrence lost hers at Bloxwich North station in 2018 as she moisturised her hands while waiting for a train. It was found by an eagle-eyed track worker after a search of the tracks the following day. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Get your career on track as rail firms offer 2,000 apprenticeships in industry jobs boom
HELP Britain keep on the move with a new career on our railways. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the modern railway and it's one of the few sectors that can still offer a solid job for life. 3 However, as the network modernises and embraces new tech, it also needs pioneering talent to keep trains rolling into the next century and beyond. To celebrate the bicentenary and attract new staff, the nation's rail firms have launched the Railway 200 campaign. Championing railway careers, it is offering 2,000 apprenticeships this year and a further 8,000 by the end of the decade. Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, said: 'Apprenticeships provide a fantastic opportunity for people to start their careers in a variety of roles in rail. 'The rail industry plays a vital role in connecting communities and supporting the economy, and we need a diverse range of skills and perspectives to create the workforce of the future. 'As we celebrate the railway's rich heritage, we're looking to the future, investing in our people to help us deliver the high-quality, innovative service that passengers expect.' The apprenticeships on offer range from one to four-year schemes and are open to people from all backgrounds and ages, whether entering the workplace for the first time or looking to retrain in a career move. There are positions with employers nationwide and across the rail industry, including Network Rail, train and freight operators, manufacturers and the rail supply chain. The jobs span engineering to finance, train driving to sustainability, and IT to human resources, customer service and operations. Bosses are seeking to recruit more women, people from ethnic minorities and those with neurodiversity. How train driver skipped uni to earn £50,000 Neil Robertson, chief executive of the National Skills Academy for Rail added: 'These are good apprenticeships, mostly in skills-shortage disciplines, that are recognised all around the world. 'We are looking for committed people from a wide range of backgrounds to fill them.' For more, see TRACK TO THE FUTURE HOLLY Hardy Johnson spent 20 years as a zookeeper, looking after penguins and other birds and lecturing at a specialist college, before joining the rail industry as a learning and development trainer with Avanti West Coast. The 40-year-old from Nantwich, Cheshire, recently completed a Level 5 operation management leadership apprenticeship. She said: 'I've always had a passion for lifelong learning and joining the railway appealed to me as a career move – despite feeling scary. "I was able to transfer the knowledge and experience I gained as a lecturer teaching young people and adults to train new staff joining the railway. 'Now, I specialise in sustainability, inclusion, first-aid and safeguarding. 'My focus on delivering quality and project management means I have had the opportunity to work with organisations across the industry, including the British Transport Police and Network Rail. 'We strive to give the best training to our people, which in turn means we can help our customers and the planet.' BE STEP AHEAD OF JOB SHED 3 ONE in four employers plan to make redundancies in the next three months, so if you fear your job may be at risk it makes sense to prepare now. As CEO of training and careers support specialist Mona Mourshed has supported thousands of people to switch careers. Here she shares her expert advice to become redundancy ready. 1. Invest in your network. Think about who you already know working in the sectors you have your eye on and build those relationships – even when there isn't a job on the table. Don't know anyone in the space you want to work? Find events or online communities that can expand your network. 2. Know your priorities, flex on the rest. Make a list of everything you want then hone it down to only the most important things. In a tough job market, you need to be willing to flex on your nice-to-haves. 3. Think in terms of career stepping-stones. Your next role might not be your dream job but perhaps it can get you one step closer to it. You need to be thoughtful about how you can gain the skills and experiences that will move you closer to your long-term goals. 4. Do more than expected. Standing out is hard in a crowded field but, with the fast pace of change in the current labour market, there are opportunities for you to demonstrate your ambition. Raise your hand for new projects, bolster your skills through training and master new tools. 5. Stay the course. In a tough market, you'll need to apply to many more jobs than you would otherwise. Even though this process can be discouraging, put in the work and find ways to keep your spirits up until your efforts pay off. 6. Colleagues are as important as the role. Your new work colleagues and your manager will play a substantial part in making the job a positive working and learning experience – or not! Select your new role based on both the people you will be working with on a daily basis and on the job opportunity itself. CVs STRAIGHT IN BIN ONE in two job applications get thrown out immediately, a new study has revealed. With recruiters receiving an average of 22 applications for every vacancy, 11 are screened out immediately. A further six then fail at a phone-call stage, leaving just five to land an interview proper, research from employment search site Totaljobs reports. The most common reason to reject an applicant at first base was a lack of relevant skills, followed by no work experience. But a third of employers had seen enough after applications were poorly presented. Spokeswoman Natalie Matalon said: 'Candidates greatly improve their chances by ensuring skills and experience align with the role. Detail matters.' SO HOT TO TROT 3 MORE than half of office workers admit leaving work earlier during the summer months. Friday is the most popular day for pulling the so-called summer sneak, with a third of employees confessing to bunking off before time without telling their boss. Two in five have called in sick to attend social events at this time of year, while 45 per cent lengthen lunch hours to take advantage of the warmer weather, a report from human-resources platform Dayforce reveals. A spokesman suggests: 'For organisations looking to minimise summertime sneaking, create a culture where people feel empowered to take the time off they need.'
