Press Release

RIA Scotland welcomes rail decarbonisation progress

8 June 2022

RIA Scotland, the voice of the Scottish rail supply community, has welcomed progress on Scotland's rail decarbonisation plan.

This follows approval from the Scottish Government last week to start construction on electrification of the route between between Haymarket and Dalmeny, and comes as Network Rail is set to begin piling work on the project.

Meirion Thomas, Chair of RIA Scotland, commented:

"We are pleased to see the green light to start construction on electrifying the Fife route. This is an important step forward in delivering the Decarbonisation Strategy and Scotland’s ambitions to reach net zero, and will create skilled jobs and support economic growth. It is really encouraging to see this investment coming forward and underlines the confidence in rail and the role it has in driving forward the Scottish Government’s agenda.

“RIA Scotland and our supply chain members are committed to supporting Scotland Railways’ decarbonisation journey, and delivering both innovative and cost-effective solutions that benefit passengers, freight and taxpayers. We hope to see railway decarbonisation accelerated even further in the months and years to come to ensure we meet our target of net zero passenger services by 2035.”

Notes to Editors

  1. See confirmation from Transport Scotland here and an update from Network Rail on the project here.

  2. About RIA Scotland: RIA Scotland is the voice of the Scottish rail supply community, representing RIA members across the nation. Rail in Scotland supports £3.1bn in economic growth (GVA), 56,000 jobs and £1bn in tax revenue and is an essential industry in delivering the Scottish Government's economic growth and decarbonisation agendas. www.riagb.org.uk/scotland