Winchburgh Railway station still planned for community

[och aye]

Sounds like the station plan is going to be kicked into the long grass for another 5 years. The cynic in me notices that is roughly the length of duration of the the current term for the current group of councillors of West Lothian Council i.e. "Let the next lot sort out the station"

Plans for new West Lothian train station still on the cards

West Lothian’s Development Management Committee has agreed to allow an extra five years for the submission of planning applications for housing and shopping centres, as well as the new railway station for Winchburgh.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

It could be 10 years before Winchburgh is fully developed as a new town for West Lothian - but plans for a railway station are still on the table.

This month’s meeting of the West Lothian’s Development Management Committee (DMC) has agreed to allow an extra five years for the submission of planning applications for housing and shopping centres, as well as the new railway station for Winchburgh.

The meeting heard there is still a “commitment” to build a railway station.

 

[Altnabreac]

The story here is that the developer is committed to spending a fixed amount on the station (can't remember the exact amount but in the region of £10m).

Transport Scotland have always been lukewarm about it at best but have publicly backed it while simultaneously raising (perfectly valid) issues about timetabling, design etc. At one point TS asked the developer to move the location onto the new Almond Chord line but now that this has been punted into the long grass, the only way to deliver the station in the next ten years is to build it on the current mainline.

Problem is after all that time, the latest costs are more like £20m so there is a £10m funding gap. Developer and West Lothian Council both feel Scottish Government and Transport Scotland could pay some or all of that gap, perhaps with City Deal money and especially considering the business case, the projected passenger numbers and the volume of private sector contribution is considerably higher at Winchburgh than at East Linton and Reston which are 90%+ funded by Scottish Government.

In the meantime West Lothian Council had to make a decision on whether to pause housing development until Scottish Government make a funding decision on the station or whether to let the development continue. This vote was to allow development to continue.

The future delivery of the station is therefore now a negotiation over funding between Winchburgh Developments, West Lothian Council, Transport Scotland and Scottish Government. Ultimately it will only now happen if Scottish Ministers get their check book out to match the commitment from WDL. Very good business case though so i suspect it will eventually be agreed.

 

[och aye]

Thanks for the helpful information and background of where things stand.

Perhaps we might see it being delivered in CP7.

 

[mcmad]

but of course the motorway junction is being completed so the lucky residents will be able to join the traffic jam into Edinburgh more quickly after December.

 

[Alanko]

but of course the motorway junction is being completed so the lucky residents will be able to join the traffic jam into Edinburgh more quickly after December.

I find this slightly maddening. They are building the sort of tract housing that perpetuates private car ownership as your single reliable method of getting anywhere. The buses in that part of the world seem to take very circuitous routes to cover every hamlet in the area.

Given the scale of development a station makes a lot of sense, but I sense that there isn't the same clout or will to build one, whereas the new junction onto the M9 is a given.

 

[numtot12345]

Would it also depend on what TS decide to do with Almond Chord/EWWA? Not seen anything mentioned on that of late, however thinking once a decision is made on that, then that would make it easier to figure out how they slot in Winchburgh?

 

[Altnabreac]

Would it also depend on what TS decide to do with Almond Chord/EWWA? Not seen anything mentioned on that of late, however thinking once a decision is made on that, then that would make it easier to figure out how they slot in Winchburgh?

My understanding is that everyone is now agreed Winchburgh station needs to proceed assuming Almond Chord never happens. So it’s making the funding and timetable work on the existing line that is now the only option.

 

[numtot12345]

Ah ok thanks for confirming that

 

[Altnabreac]

Ah ok thanks for confirming that

Which is not to say that Almond Chord will never happen but that Winchburgh needs to try and make a working business case prior to the chord opening as Almond Chord won’t be happening in the next 10-15 years.

 

[Dr Day]

Very good business case

Is there a link to this anywhere in the public domain? Either way does anyone 'in the know' know if it includes the capital costs of any infrastructure needed to be able to the station to be accommodated within the timetable, and any negative impact for passengers currently passing through who will have a slightly longer journey time?

 

[Altnabreac]

Is there a link to this anywhere in the public domain? Either way does anyone 'in the know' know if it includes the capital costs of any infrastructure needed to be able to the station to be accommodated within the timetable, and any negative impact for passengers currently passing through who will have a slightly longer journey time?

Not that I am aware of. The timetable can supposedly accept calls at Winchburgh without any additional infrastructure but my understanding is that some elements in Transport Scotland were concerned about reliability of Newbridge Junction after opening of Winchburgh