Infrastructure Investment Plan 2015: progress report 2018-2019

Transport

Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty
The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/ Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project fully opened to traffic on 19 February 2019. The AWPR/B-T will provide substantial benefits across the whole of the north east and will provide a boost to the economy; increase business and tourism opportunities; improve safety; cut congestion as well as increasing opportunities for improvements in public transport facilities.

A90/A96 Haudagain Improvements
The A90/A96 Haudagain Improvements project contract was awarded to Farrans Construction on 8 January 2019 and is progressing to programme. Advance work at Haudagain began during the summer 2018, which involved ground investigations, advance utility work and the demolition of 130 properties. Completion of the AWPR/B-T takes traffic away from the streets of Aberdeen and improves air-quality to some 75,000 houses. That, coupled with the removal of the bottleneck roundabout at Haudagain will bring much needed relief for road users and communities in the north east.

A737 Dalry Bypass
The £31.2 million Design and Build contract for the A737 Dalry Bypass project was awarded to Farrans Roadbridge Joint Venture on 26 May 2017. Farrans Roadbridge Joint Venture are making good progress on the project with work visible along the entire length of the route and the project remains on programme with construction expected to be complete by the end of 2019.

A77 Maybole Bypass
On the A77 Maybole Bypass, the procurement process was launched in August 2017 upon publication of the Contract Notice and the project remains on programme with the commencement of the works anticipated in the coming months, with construction expected to be complete by spring 2021.

A9 Dualling Perth to Inverness
Work is continuing across the route with road users already benefiting from the new dualled stretch between Kincraig and Dalraddy, which opened in September 2017.

The contract to design and construct the next section of the A9 Dualling, Luncarty to Pass of Birnam project, was awarded to Balfour Beatty in September 2018. Construction is now under way and it is anticipated that this project will be fully operational by spring 2021.

Design work on the remaining nine schemes is progressing at pace with draft Orders now published for eight of them, meaning that we have published draft Orders for 95 per cent of the dualling programme.

The remaining scheme at the Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing was subject to a co-creative process to identify a community preferred option. Since the community's option was announced in July last year, Transport Scotland has been undertaking scoping works and this will help inform the route options assessment with a view to announcing a preferred route option later this year.

A96 Dualling Inverness to Aberdeen
Design work is well underway on the dualling programme with draft Orders published on Inverness to Nairn (including Nairn Bypass) in November 2016. A Public Local Inquiry was held in October and November 2018 to consider objections received and not withdrawn. The Public Local Inquiry Reporters are now considering all representations made at the inquiry before submitting their report to Scottish Ministers for consideration.

Route options assessment work on the Western Section between Hardmuir and Fochabers has been completed with a preferred option announced in December last year. Route options assessment work is also well underway on the Eastern Section between east of Huntly and Aberdeen with a preferred option expected to be identified later this year.

A82 Tarbet to Inverarnan Improvement
Detailed development and assessment of the preferred option to upgrade the 17 kilometres stretch of the A82 between Tarbet and Inverarnan is progressing at pace to support publication of draft Orders for the scheme later this year for formal comment.

Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvement Project
Phased programme of improvements to the railway infrastructure in the North east of Scotland over the period 2014–2030. Works at the west end of the route (Forres and Elgin) were concluded in October 2017 and works at the east end (Aberdeen to Inverurie and Insch) progressing during the early part of 2019. This phase of the project is scheduled for completion by September 2019 and authorised for passenger and freight use in December 2019. Future phases of the project will help support an hourly service between Aberdeen and Inverness, with an average journey time of around 2 hours.

Faster journey times, the introduction of high-speed trains and increased service provision will deliver a 75 per cent increase in capacity and enhanced connectivity over the whole of the route.

Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme
The Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) has successfully delivered the electrification of the Glasgow–Cumbernauld route, the redeveloped Haymarket Station and the new tram/train interchange at Edinburgh Gateway Station. First electric services commenced on the Edinburgh-Glasgow via Falkirk High route using existing Class 380 trains, on 10 December 2017. ScotRail is working closely with Hitachi on the ongoing delivery programme for the new Class 385 train. The first new trains entered service in July 2018. The 42 minute fastest journey time was delivered in the December 2018 timetable, which has seen all services on the route operated by new Class 385 electric trains. Additional services are planned to meet the 42 minute fastest journey time in the May 2019 and December 2019 timetable changes. Seating capacity on the route increased by 26% following the introduction of 7-car trains, which will increase further to 44% more seats when 8 car trains are introduced. 8-car trains will commence in December 2019 following completion of platform extension works at Queen Street station. The full redevelopment of the station is scheduled to complete March 2020.

Highland Main Line
By March 2019, the second phase of the project aims to complete the infrastructure programme, which will facilitate the introduction of enhanced services during 2019 to include:

• An hourly passenger service in both directions between Inverness and Perth extended to either Glasgow or Edinburgh;
• The introduction of High Speed Trains;
• An average end-to-end journey time reduction of around 10 minutes in both directions; and
• More efficient freight operations that better respond to the demand from freight customers.

Shotts Electrification
The electrification of 74 kilometres of single-track line (approximately 46 miles) on the Glasgow Central to Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts route to provide the fourth electrified line between Scotland's two largest cities was successfully completed in December 2018. Work is ongoing for full completion of the remaining station enhancements by the end of March 2019. Additional accessibility enhancements are also being delivered at 3 stations with the installation of footbridges and lifts. Project completion will facilitate the introduction of electric rolling stock and reduced journey times during 2019, which will improve connectivity, increase capacity and efficiency and enhance the passenger experience.

Stirling Dunblane Alloa Electrification
The project involved the electrification of 100 kilometres of single-track line from Dunblane through Stirling and Alloa connecting to the electrified Edinburgh-Glasgow via Falkirk High route at Larbert. The electrification works were completed in December 2018 and enabled the introduction of new electric services on 9 December 2018. As the project has only been recently completed, further benefits will be in due course.