New life sought for old Eastriggs ammunition depot

A new life is being sought for an old Ministry of Defence ammunition depot in southern Scotland.

An application has been made to convert the site at Eastriggs to house rolling stock from the nearby rail line.

Last year the region was identified as the preferred location for a high-speed train "stabling" facility - creating up to 100 jobs.

Rail Sidings Ltd has now lodged an application to use the depot to house locomotives, cars and coaches.

The site is situated near the village of Eastriggs and was last used as an ammunition depot in about 2010.

It is said to be ideal for conversion to rail storage as all parts of it are served with an internal railway system and it connects to the West Coast Main Line just west of the village.

A planning statement said most of the railway and buildings had been maintained to a "certain degree" and could be brought back into use with "little or no work required".

The application follows the emergence last year of plans for a train "stabling" facility as part of consultation on proposals for a second phase of high-speed rail development in the UK.

The "design refinement" of the western leg of the HS2 scheme - from Crewe to Manchester - included the proposals for a site near the Scotland-England border.

It could house up to 28 trains and would be used for cleaning, light maintenance and storage of equipment.

The second phase of HS2 has been earmarked for completion some time between 2035 and 2040.

It is intended to serve four destinations in Scotland - Lockerbie, Motherwell, Glasgow and Edinburgh - with trains leaving the dedicated HS2 track to the south of Wigan and joining the existing West Coast Main Line.