The creation of a railway station for the rapidly growing village of Winchburgh will be a "game changer" for the community, councillors have said, as they agreed to push for the development to go ahead.
West Lothian Council agreed to write to the Scottish Government, Network Rail and Winchburgh Developments Ltd in a bid to drive forward the building of the long-promised railway station.
The vote comes less than a week after the council was told that bus services connecting the community to Livingston six miles away had been withdrawn and no company had applied to take on the contract.
READ MORE: West Lothian's newest town cut off from county as bus service disappears
The community - which will grow by 4,000 homes - is cut off from the rest of the county for those who rely on public transport for shopping and hospital appointments.
At a meeting of full council this week local Conservative member Angela Doran-Timson called on the Chief Executive to get all interested parties around the table to see a railway station built.
Her motion said: “A major attraction for people to buy houses in Winchburgh was that they believed a station would be built as promised 15 years by the SNP Scottish Government. "
Such as station would improve transport links, reduce car usage and directly help the Scottish Government’s net zero emissions target, she added.
Councillor Doran-Timson said: “The developer has said they are happy to invest in a station but they would require help from the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, West Lothian Council and Network Rail.”
Seconding the motion Councillor Damian Doran-Timson said he doubted anyone would disagree that the station should be built and that it would be “a game changer.”
The SNP proposed an amendment. Local member Diane Calder said: “West Lothian SNP Group are a bit confused and dismayed that the Motion seeks to alarm Winchburgh residents and beyond that there may not be a railway station in Winchburgh delivered.
“Arrangements and discussion for the delivery of a railway station in Winchburgh are ongoing and our MSP Fiona Hyslop met with the then Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth on 6 Dec 2022 to discuss this project.”
Seconding the amendment group leader and fellow ward councillor Councillor Janet Campbell also branded the Tory motion " inaccurate."
“What is clear is that this project was always totally developer funded and not by the government of the day.”
She said that West Lothian Council had been the significant partner missing and that the development would look entirely different if all stakeholders had given the issue the attention it deserved.
The SNP amendment also noted: “Fiona [Hyslop] the local SNP MSP had requested the Transport Minister take the lead in arranging a stakeholders meeting to see how this project can be progressed and it was positive that she agreed to personally convene, bringing together the different interests.”
The amendment acknowledged that development cost had increased significantly but suggested that Network Rail could now provide costs based on the development of a station at Robroyston in Glasgow
Similar new stations, including one planned for East Linton in East Lothian, have been priced at around £15m to £20m.
Councillor Tom Conn for Labour said: “It is now three times I have been attending meetings where SNP councillors have laid the blame of a railway station at Winchburgh not progressing at West Lothian Council.”
He argued the council had no role in building railways or stations beyond that of planning consent and planning conditions.
He told the meeting that Transport Scotland, the national transport agency, had prevented West Lothian from making the building of the station as a planning condition to the development of Winchburgh because further work on the business case for a station was needed.
He stressed that a new station would only be built if consents were agreed by Transport Scotland.
Councillor Conn added that he now understood that Network Rail had now accepted there is a business case for a station on the Edinburgh to Glasgow line which passes through Winchburgh.
The Conservative motion was passed by 17 votes to 14. After the meeting Councillor Doran-Timson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I’m delighted that my motion to bring all stakeholders together to progress with a train station for Winchburgh was passed at full council.
She added: “I’m very disappointed but not surprised that the SNP group tried to block my motion, but thankfully for the people of Winchburgh it was passed.
“Now, Transport Scotland, the Scottish government, Network Rail and West Lothian council will be asked to come together and ensure a station is built in Winchburgh.
"The Scottish government needs to help with the funding for this as promised and give the people of Winchburgh what they badly need.”
READ NEXT:
Angry protests as West Lothian Council debate on care home cuts stifled
West Lothian Council joins call for Scotland-wide ban on disposable vapes
West Lothian leader calls on Holyrood to drop National Care Service plans
West Lothian schools boosted by £60m contribution from housebuilders
West Lothian town rejects plans for 160 more homes on its greenbelt
