Railway link set to deliver 130 new jobs
A TOTAL of 130 new jobs are to be created with the launch of the new £300 million Bathgate-Airdrie rail link, which is expected to open on 12 December.
Of the new posts, 74 will be based at Bathgate, with salaries totalling 1.3m.
ScotRail will also recruit 56 more people across the new route, raising the overall wage bill to around 2.5m.
The Bathgate station jobs will range from train drivers and train presentation staff to station and on-train staff, including 11 train drivers at the new maintenance depot at Bathgate and 31 on-board ticket examiners who will also be based in the county town.
Recruitment is now under way as the Bathgate station is due to open next month.
Steve Montgomery, ScotRail's managing director, said: "The new line is great news – creating jobs and travel opportunities. It also demonstrates the commitment and strength of industry partnerships in achieving significant improvements to the railway in Scotland. I am confident it will be a great success."
When the electrified line opens it will carry four trains an hour between Edinburgh and Glasgow, which politicians say will bring enormous economic benefits to West Lothian.
Scotland's Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "Recent trends showing increasing passenger numbers on our rail network are encouraging, but if we want that to continue, then the delivery of projects like the Airdrie-Bathgate line is crucial.
"Tens of thousands of passengers across Scotland will have access to a high level of services."
The laying of the train tracks has also been completed after Network Rail said its 200-tonne track laying machine completed a full two-hour journey of the 15-mile line last Friday.
The rail link includes three new stations at Calderdruix, Blackridge and Armadale as well as two relocated stations in Drumgelloch and Bathgate, with services running as far west as Helensburgh and Milngavie.
Network Rail Scotland director Ron McAulay added: "We still have a significant amount of work to do, but we're confident that we will deliver on schedule."
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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