Re-opening the railway to Grangemouth emerged as a popular issue from the recent 2024 travel survey by Falkirk Council. Successful restoration of train services to Leven and the Borders confirms rail as a catalyst for economic regeneration. This is badly needed in Grangemouth. The Scottish and UK Governments have announced an investment plan for Grangemouth following the decision to close the oil refinery. A rail link would soften the impact on the town by giving better access to employment and education in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
An initial review by the Scottish Association for Public Transport (SAPT) has concluded that restoring passenger rail services to Grangemouth should be easier and much cheaper than recent railway and station re-openings due to the following advantageous circumstances:
- The railway to Grangemouth has remained in use for freight
- The line is electrified as far as the Malcolm Rail logistics terminal in Fouldubs
- Hourly trains from Glasgow to Falkirk Grahamston (FKG) terminate on the branch.
- The Glasgow-FKG timetable leaves enough time to extend the trains 2 miles to Grangemouth
- The former Grangemouth station site is still partially vacant just beyond the limit of electrification of the Grangemouth branch. There is vacant ground nearby for a Park+Ride car park.
Grangemouth Junction
Glasgow in 50 minutes:
The Grangemouth branch has a west-pointing junction with the Edinburgh-Falkirk Grahamston-Glasgow line. The hourly FKG-Glasgow Queen Street service takes around 43 minutes. From Grangemouth trains should take 6 minutes to FKG and 50 minutes to Glasgow. In the current timetable trains have a turn-round of around 35 minutes so the service should be extendable to Grangemouth without needing extra resources.
Edinburgh in 50 minutes: By changing at FKG to Dunblane-Edinburgh trains, Grangemouth passengers could reach Edinburgh Park in 40 minutes and Edinburgh in 50 minutes. Minor timetable adjustments would be needed to ensure reliable connections every hour.
Next Steps: A rail service would need a new Grangemouth station consisting of a basic single platform with disabled access and car parking. Any track and signalling changes woulddepend on future plans for the two existing freight lines. A short extension of overhead electrification would be needed.
Grangemouth Rail Opening Wanted.
Decommissioning the Grangemouth refinery has a short timescale. Fast-tracking STAG (Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance) appraisal and station construction could see trains restored by 2027, boosting access to job opportunities for the people of Grangemouth.
The Scottish Association for Public Transport is contacting MSPs, local councillors, Transport Scotland, Network Rail and ScotRail to advocate urgent progress with this project.
