Network Rail

Update from Network Rail

I was in touch with Network Rail today following concerns about youths getting onto the rail track yesterday near the rail bridge, just before 6pm.   This resulted in trains being halted and I asked Network Rail to thoroughly investigate any possible insecurity in the boundary fencing at the rail track in the area.
 
My office was updated late this afternoon as follows :
 
“The British Transport Police and Network Rail’s Track Services have been aware of this incident since yesterday and have been patrolling the area and searching for a hole in the fence since then.     They eventually found a hole in the fence at the Scottish Water compound and the Network Rail maintenance team were due there at 4.30pm today to repair the fence.  Network Rail advised that it was two youths that had got in.”
 
I am grateful to both Network Rail and British Transport Police for their prompt and efficient attention to this.

Network Rail donation to Dundee Museum of Transport @DMofT

This morning, I was delighted to take part in a presentation by Network Rail to Dundee Museum of Transport of a historic rail station sign that originally sat (from the 1950s) on the rail platform of Tay Bridge Station and latterly on the south wall of the station on Riverside Drive.
 
It is another great addition to the museum and many thanks go to Network Rail for donating it.
Today’s presentation
Previous site of the sign on the side of the station

Campaigning for the West End and across Dundee

Today, I had the pleasure of campaigning with North East Scotland MSP Alison McInnes across the West End, starting with a visit to Dundee rail station, at which Alison and I welcomed potential improvements that would see station refurbishment to the tune of £14 million – see right.

A report to the City Council’s Policy and Resources Committee next week identifies that £11.68m of the funding has been secured with the remaining £2.23m being sought from Network Rail.   It is vital that remaining funding is achieved and I will be seeking assurances to achieve that.

After visiting the rail station, Alison and I had an enjoyable time in the West End and she thereafter campaigned in Broughty Ferry, where my colleague Craig Duncan is running a superb local election campaign on behalf of Broughty Ferry residents.

An end in sight for lane restriction on Riverside Drive

Following concerns expressed by constituents that a coned-off lane restriction on the busy Riverside Drive at the site of the Tay Rail Bridge has been in place since late last year, I raised the matter with Dundee City Council to find out when the coned off area will be back to normal traffic.   The cones were put in place during November 2011 following a vehicle hitting the bridge.

The City Council’s Head of Transportation advised me :

“This is a deliberate section of temporary traffic management to ensure that no further vehicle strikes occur.  The City Engineer’s Structural engineers have undertaken a survey and we (City Engineer / Transportation and Planning) are considering a permanent layout that will prevent any further bridge strikes in the future.”

I have now been advised by the City Engineer :

“The works have now been designed which involves some kerb realignment in the central reserve to ensure that minimum headroom to the bridge is achieved above the carriageway.
Network Rail have just recently completed repairs to the damaged plate girder utilising the traffic management measures in place. 
The kerb realignment works have still to be fully programmed but will start sometime in April for a period of approximately 2 weeks.”

I am pleased that there is an end in sight to the coned-off traffic management at the rail bridge on Riverside Drive.   Its an extremely busy section of road with a large traffic volume so the removal of the coned area and safety works will be welcomed.