Improved rail services

Councillors have today received an update from the City Council's Head of Transportation regarding improved rail services for the Dundee area.    Here is the detail of this :

Members will probably have seen recent press coverage of soon to be introduced rail improvements for the Dundee area.  For your information  the improvements to rail services to be introduced in the Dundee area with effect from Monday, 12 December 2011 are as follows:

Glasgow - Dundee

An additional seven services will operate Monday to Saturday between Dundee and Glasgow (five Glasgow bound and two Dundee bound).  These services are timetabled to depart Glasgow at 08:06, 09:06, 16:11, 17:11 and 19:11. The 16:11 is scheduled to call at Invergowrie in addition to Dundee.  Two new Dundee to Glasgow services in addition to the 05:58 Dundee to Glasgow service introduced in May 2011. These services are timetabled to depart Dundee at 12:15 and 15:15. 

Broughty Ferry

In summary an additional nine services will call Monday to Saturday at Broughty Ferry giving 13 daily services as compared to the current 4 services.  The timetable for services calling at Broughty Ferry is summarised below:

These enhancements are as a result of ongoing development work on the Tay Estuary Rail Study by TACTRAN.  The TACTRAN engagement with Transport Scotland and rail industry organisations hopes to achieve a local stopping rail service for the Arbroath-Glasgow route.  The Broughty Ferry enhancement is a commercial decision by operator First ScotRail using existing Aberdeen-Glasgow/Edinburgh services.  The twelve month trial will determine if increased patronage justifies the ongoing stopping of these journeys.  

The increased Glasgow-Dundee service enhancement is as a result of pushing through existing Glasgow to Perth services to Dundee as part of the improvements achieved by the Highland Mainline Project being undertaken by Transport Scotland.  Further information can be found in the report approved by the TACTRAN Partnership Board on 20 September 2011.

Good news from rail travellers

A news release today from the City Council with good news on rail services to and from the City :

Tuesday 14 October 2008

IMPROVED RAIL SERVICES FOR DUNDEE

Fraser Macpherson, Dundee City Council Convener of Planning and Transport and Chair of Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership (TACTRAN), has welcomed a planned increase in the frequency of First ScotRail services to and from Dundee.

Due to start on 15 December 2008, the package of improvements for rail passengers on Edinburgh-Dundee-Aberdeen services will see:

* An additional Edinburgh-Dundee service stopping at the intermediate stations in Fife.

* A regular half hourly Dundee-Aberdeen service pattern.

* Reduced journey times between Dundee and Edinburgh of up to 10 minutes.

Councillor Macpherson said: "I welcome these improvements to the Edinburgh-Dundee-Aberdeen rail service which are being supported by Transport Scotland.

"Both Dundee City Council and TACTRAN have been pushing for investment in these services for some time.

"The additional Edinburgh-Dundee service represents a significant improvement with two trains per hour instead of one. This doubling of frequency will see the introduction of an hourly express service stopping only at Leuchars and an hourly service stopping throughout Fife.

"The improvements will make it more attractive for business and leisure travellers to make the switch to public transport."

Note to editors: Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership (TACTRAN) is holding a rail forum on Thursday 16 October in Dundee to discuss rail issues of importance to the TACTRAN area.