Minutes of meetings regarding Winchburgh Train station:EIR release

Information requested

1. How many meetings the Scottish Government has attended with "partners" to discuss Winchburgh train station in the period 1 January 2025 - 13 January 2026.

2. Minutes of any meetings involving the Scottish Government at which Winchburgh train station was discussed in the period 1 January 2025 - 13 January 2026.

3. How much money Scottish Government has allocated in its 2026-27 budget towards building Winchburgh train station.

4. How much money Scottish Government has allocated in each year of the spending review period (2026-27 to 2029-30) towards building Winchburgh train station.

5. What discussions Scottish Government has had with "partners" regarding a timescale and deadline for building Winchburgh train station.

6. What timescale and deadline Scottish Government anticipates for Winchburgh train station to be built.

Response

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exception at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exception is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Point 1 of your request

There have been 20 meetings between the Scottish Government and partners to discuss a proposed train station at Winchburgh.

Point 2 of your request

Please see attached to this letter Annex, which provides information falling in the scope of your request.

Whilst we aim to provide information where possible, you will see that some of the information in the attached document has been redacted. This has been done in line with the following EIR exceptions:

Regulation 10(5)(f) – Substantial prejudice to the interests of a third party

Some of the information in the attached Annex has been withheld under Regulation 10(5)(f) of EIRs (third party interests).

The exception under Regulation 10(5)(f) applies because disclosure would or would be likely to cause substantial harm to commercial interests of ScotRail Trains and/or Winchburgh Developments Ltd.

This exception is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception.

We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open and transparent government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the commercial interests of the abovementioned companies.

Regulation 10(4)(e) – Internal communications

Some of the information in the attached Annex has been withheld under Regulation 10(4)(e) – Internal communications.

This exception recognises the need for officials at Transport Scotland and Network Rail to have a private space within which they can communicate openly. This exception applies because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially the openness and frankness of exchanges of communication between these organisations in the future.

This exception is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception.

We recognise there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in allowing a private space within which officials can exchange information freely. This private space is essential to enable all options to be properly considered, disclosure on the other hand is likely to undermine the full and frank communication in future, which in turn, will undermine the quality of the decision making process, which would not be in the public interest.

Regulation 10(4)(d) – Material in the course of completion

Some of the information in the attached Annex has been withheld under Regulation 10(4)(d) – Material in the course of completion.

Some of the information included in the minutes from meetings you have requested is part of the Outline Business Case and Final Business Case, which are being prepared by the station promoters. This exception allows public authorities to refuse to disclose information, if the information is not yet finalised.

This exception is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception.

We recognise that there is some public interest in releasing the information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate, however, there is a greater public interest in taking the time necessary to ensure the information has been properly collated and assessed before it is included in the business case.

Regulation 11(2) – Personal data relating to third party

An exception under regulation 11(2) of the EIRs - personal information, applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e. names of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

This exception is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception.

The information that has been redacted has been clearly marked with the relevant exception i.e. Regulation 10(5)(f).

The remaining information that has been redacted is that which falls into the exception under Regulation 11(2) – Personal data relating to third party.

Point 3 of your request

As co-promoters, West Lothian Council and Winchburgh Developments Ltd are responsible for developing a robust business case and securing the funding required for the construction of the station.

The Council’s funding application to the Scottish Government for capital construction costs has been submitted for review and as stated in the Budget 2026-27 statement, we are committed to working with partners to support delivery of a new station at Winchburgh.

Point 4 of your request

See point 3 above.

Point 5 and 6 of your request

Please see information provided for point 2 of your request, for minutes from discussions, which mention timescales for a construction of a station at Winchburgh. There are no specific deadlines to complete the station that the Scottish Government has set out or anticipates. This is the matter entirely for the station co-promoters West Lothian Council and Winchburgh Developments Limited.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

EIR 202600501431 - Information Released - Annex

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