I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37071 on 3 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Please refer to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, the project sponsor for Gartcosh, Kelvindale, and Maryhill line railway stations. Information relating to the projected monthly passenger use and catchment area populations of these stations is not held by Transport Scotland.

Actual monthly passenger use information is not held by Transport Scotland but by ScotRail. Annual data, typically used in preference to monthly data as it avoids issues relating to seasonality, is publicly available up to 2008-09 via the Office of Rail Regulation website (http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529). The latest available figures show total use (entries and exits) of these stations in 2008-09 as follows:

Gartcosh	124,314
Kelvindale	109,534
Maryhill Line
Maryhill	77,398
Summerston	118,222
Gilshochill	102,982
Possilpark and Parkhouse	106,672
Ashfield	57,906

 

The appraisal of Laurencekirk railway station, undertaken by Scott Wilson Consultants for Aberdeenshire Council and the Scottish Executive, estimated that around 36,000 annual trips would be made to and from this station. From its opening in May 2009 to March 2010, 52,369 passenger journeys were made. This data was supplied to Transport Scotland by ScotRail. Monthly passenger data is not held by Transport Scotland. In future, annual data, typically used in preference to monthly data as it avoids issues relating to seasonality, will be publicly available for this station via the Office of Rail Regulation website:

http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529.

Information relating to the current catchment area population of this station is not held by Transport Scotland, though the appraisal reported a resident population of approximately 2,800 in the township and rail potential hinterland, with 4,700 in the surrounding Mearns of Aberdeenshire (National Census Data, ONS, 2002).

Annual station usage at Chatelherault railway station was estimated as per the following table:

	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Forecast Station Demand	36,779	38,251	39,781	41,372	43,027	44,748	46,538	48,399

Transport Scotland hold this information as part of an evaluation undertaken with and led by the Department for Transport into demand forecasting for new railway stations and lines which will be published in late 2010 early 2011. Actual monthly passenger use information is not held by Transport Scotland but by ScotRail. Annual data, typically used in preference to monthly data as it avoids issues relating to seasonality, is publicly available up to 2008-09 via the Office of Rail Regulation website (http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529). The latest available figure shows total use of Chatelherault (entries and exits) as 40,958 in 2008-09. Information relating to the catchment area population of Chatelherault is not held by Transport Scotland.

The Laurencekirk Station project cost £3.5 million and was delivered through a successful partnership involving the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, Network Rail, NESTRANS, Aberdeenshire Council and ScotRail. The Scottish Government does not hold a current price estimate for this project.

The appraisal for Laurencekirk railway station was prepared by Scott Wilson consultants for Aberdeenshire Council and the Scottish Executive. The economic welfare benefits of the station have been estimated at £5 million in 2003 prices, discounted over the 30 year appraisal period. (N.B. since this appraisal was undertaken the standard appraisal period has been extended to 60 years, under which the estimated benefits would be higher). This station has only been open since May of last year and no assessment of its economic contribution has been undertaken by Transport Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37071 on 3 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The economic welfare benefits of the new Airdrie-Bathgate line have been estimated at £682.7 million, in 2002 prices discounted over the 60 year appraisal period as standard. At the local level, the line is projected to bring 900 jobs and an additional 1,900 residents to West Lothian, and 400 jobs and 1,000 additional residents to North Lanarkshire (N.B. these are distributional impacts: no net increases were estimated at the Scotland level). The economic contribution of each station has not been separately assessed.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37069 on 3 November. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37066 on 3 November 2010 All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.