Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements

Stirling / Alloa / Kincardine

Railway re-opening and associated infrastructure works

Design and build with early contractor involvement

New Engineering Contract Engineering and Construction Contract Option C: Target cost with activity schedule

Clackmannanshire Council / Jacobs Babtie / First Nuttall Joint Venture

Award of design and build contract 7 June 2004; construction due to start on 26 September 2005; completion due Spring/Summer 2007. 

Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill first introduced in the Scottish Parliament in March 2003 and enacted to become the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Act 2004 in August 2004. Final approval to proceed given by Clackmannanshire Council on 18 August 2005 following the Scottish Executive’s announcement of additional funding, also on 18 August 2005.

Approximately £50m - £60m, excluding VAT.

The Stirling - Alloa - Kincardine route re-opening project is one of the most important railway infrastructure projects Scotland has seen in decades. The project seeks to re-open approximately 21 km of existing, out of use, disused and abandoned railway lines between Stirling Station and Longannet Power station in Kincardine. It will deliver major economic, social and environment benefits to the communities directly concerned and also to the wider Scottish economy.

We aim to build a new railway station in Alloa town centre, allowing direct hourly passenger services to operate between Alloa, Stirling and Glasgow Queen Street stations. Services between Alloa and Edinburgh Waverley stations will also be available by changing train at Stirling station.

As well as re-introducing passenger services between Alloa and Stirling, the revamped line will also carry coal from the West of Scotland to Longannet Power Station in Fife and possibly freight services to other customers along the line and in Fife.

Benefits of this will include a reduction of road congestion as more freight is transferred from road to rail, a reduction in rail congestion on the Forth Bridge and an increase in Alloa’s accessibility and attractiveness to potential investors.

A Private Bill containing new legislation required to re-open the route was introduced in to the Scottish Parliament in 2003.

The project is being directed by a project delivery team and is being taken forward as a design and build contract with early contractor involvement.

Key performance indicators

Integrated team approach to delivery via incentivised target cost contract.

Private Bills are more time consuming and costly than expected. Network Rail’s restructuring has generated previously unknown project risks which require mitigation and significant extra costs. Costs due to inflation continue to mount even when no work is underway! ECI is expensive up front, and clients need constant reassurance that money spent at this stage is money saved in the longer term.

Completion of Phase 1, design development and agreement of price, by mid-September 2005; completion of Phase 2, design and build by Spring/Summer 2007; open to revenue earning traffic in Spring/Summer 2007.

Clackmannanshire Council, Scottish Executive, Strategic Rail Authority, Scottish Enterprise, Stirling Council, Fife Council, tie Limited, Network Rail, Jacobs Babtie, First Nuttall Joint Venture et al.

Tara Whitworth (Technical Director, Jacobs Babtie): +44 (0)141 271 9831 or +44 (0)1259 217 774.

www.sakrailway.co.uk