Railway works that will close Barrhead station to be completed on time

Services in and out of Barrhead will grind to a halt from this Saturday as work on the electrification of the line serving the town takes place.

Replacement buses will be in operation until normal train services resume at the start of August.

Network Rail has said staff will be working around the clock until Thursday, August 3, on the Scottish Government-funded project.

Engineers will install overhead power lines and carry out platform improvements at five neighbouring stations, including Barrhead.

Paul Reilly, Network Rail's senior programme manager, said: “This major investment will play a vital part in creating a more sustainable, greener railway for customers.

“Closing the railway for an extended period is never an easy decision to take. However, it does mean we can get this complex work done more quickly and with less long-term disruption for passengers."

David Simpson, ScotRail's service delivery director, added: “We know that the works will be an inconvenience to customers but we are doing everything we can to keep people moving.

“This is an exciting project and we are delighted to see more of the network being electrified as we continue our journey to net zero.”

Plans to fully electrify the Barrhead to Glasgow railway line were given the green light in October 2021.

Track, signalling and embankment upgrades will also be carried out at nearby Lugton while the line is closed.

Rail chiefs hope the improvements will encourage more people in Barrhead to use train services.

Councillor Danny Devlin, who represents Barrhead, said: "It is vitally important that the work is completed in the timeframe specified and services get back to normal as soon as possible."

Elsewhere, construction on a new £18m railway station on the south side of Barrhead is due to start next spring and is expected to take up to 18 months to complete.

The station will be located off Balgraystone Road, between St Luke's High School and the Dams to Darnley car park, on the existing Glasgow to Neilston line.