Network Rail has delivered £7m (US$9.4m) of rail improvements to one of Scotland’s most critical freight corridors in North Lanarkshire.
Mossend is an important hub for moving goods around the country, being home to three major freight depots and handling more than 80% of Scotland’s rail freight.
Upgrading the Scottish freight network
During a planned nine-day closure over the festive period, multiple upgrades were delivered aimed at improving reliability and performance for freight services. These included replacing aging track, renewing seven connections, installing new drainage, and upgrading signaling and overhead lines. The work was completed on January 3.
Gerry McQuade, capital delivery director at Network Rail, said, “Every freight train can replace up to 120 lorry journeys, making rail a cleaner, greener way to move goods. That means fewer emissions, less congestion on our roads and support for Scotland’s economy.
“Across Scotland’s Railway, we’re investing heavily in infrastructure to make rail the first choice for freight,” he added. “This upgrade at Mossend strengthens a key section of the network that underpins the country’s freight operations.”
In addition to the £7m infrastructure upgrade, Network Rail invested £250,000 (US$340,000) from its Targeted Performance Fund to boost efficiency at Mossend. Trains can now reportedly enter and depart the freight depots at 15mph (three times faster than before) allowing them to clear the area more quickly and improve overall performance on this key section of the network.
The project was delivered in collaboration with freight operators including DB Cargo, GB Railfreight, Freightliner, Colas Rail and Direct Rail Services.
In related news, the UK government has awarded £1.1m to support freight innovation across the country