FURTHER talks are being planned to try and address complaints
about noise from freight trains using the Stirling-Alloa rail
line during the night.
Clackmannanshire Council said last week that discussions with DB
Schenker – the rail freight operator serving Longannet Power
Station – are on the cards to try and reach a compromise on the
issue.
Residents living close to the line say that their lives are being
made a misery by the noise and vibration from the freight trains
passing their homes, particularly overnight.
A stormy public meeting held earlier this year also saw residents
grilling officials from Transport Scotland and Network Rail, as
well as those from Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils, on the
issue.
Last week, Mac West, Clackmannanshire Council’s roads and
transportation manager, said that DB Schenker had already been
written to on the matter of the complaints.
Mr West said: “The council has written to DB Schenker pointing
out the type of complaints that we are getting. We’ve had a
response back which said that overnight running was essential to
meet the requirements of Longannet.”
Mr West added that there were currently around six freight trains
running overnight, between the hours of 11pm and 7am, but that
there was still enough capacity on the line to accommodate these
during the day.
Angela Leitch, Clackmannanshire Council’s chief executive,
confirmed that further talks with DB Schenker were now due to be
scheduled.
She said: “We are now going to invite them in to have a
discussion with us.
“We want them to see first-hand what the impact of these freight
trains running is.
“We are hoping that we can come to some compromise with them,
especially when there is enough capacity to run the trains during
the day.”
The chief executive added: “We are doing our level best to speak
to all parties to try and address the noise during the night.
“This is disturbing some residents but not a large part of the
population – though that’s not to trivialise it.
“If I was a resident whose sleep was being disturbed then I would
want the council to act.”
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