Residents worried by rail works impact

A GROUP of dismayed Croy residents say the proposed expansion of the village station will have a detrimental impact on their lives.

Network Rail are undertaking a consultation process on their Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).

If approved, part of the project will see significant works at Croy, including the construction of a third railway line, the expansion of the station platform and a complete re-build of the Constarry Road bridge.

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The theory is that these upgrades will allow the Glasgow to Edinburgh service to be upped from four to six trains per hour.

However, these additional two services will not stop at Croy, merely use the extra line as a passing place.

And it is that extra line, on the north side of the current tracks, which is proving most controversial, due to its proximity to houses in Barbegs Crescent, Taggart Road, Old Mill View, Weldon Place and Charleson Row, not to mention Holy Cross Primary.

Plans which include the detailed dimensions of the work to be carried out have not been made readily available. However, residents fear that in some places the embankment supporting the new track will be only 20 metres from homes.

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Pat Johnston, of Barbegs Crescent, is a member of Croy Historical Society which has maps detailing the extent of the mine workings.

He said: “There’s a main mine road and at least five off-shoots under there. Nobody knows if they were grouted or not. They’ll have to look at what the danger is of sustained railway traffic pounding over the top of that.”

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