Why is the rail link being reopened?
During 2002-2003 the Scottish Government (the Scottish Executive became the Scottish Government in 2007) commissioned a study called the Central Scotland Transport Corridor Study (CSTCS). A key recommendation from the study was to re-open the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link, which would serve local communities by reducing reliance on the A8/M8 and A80 road networks and encourage more people to use public transport.