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Hepburn’s
Call for Better Falkirk Rail Service Reaches Parliament
 Jamie
Hepburn SNP MSP for Central Scotland, has held a Parliamentary
debate to call on the Scottish Government to give priority
to electrification of the Glasgow-Edinburgh via Falkirk
rail line. His call was supported by Members from
all the main parties and Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson
during the debate held on Thursday 21st February 2008 [1].
The
debate was held as ‘Member’s Business’ on
a motion lodged by Jamie Hepburn before Christmas [2].
Jamie Hepburn used the opportunity to praise the Scottish
Government’s commitment to improving rail services
across Central Scotland and highlight the need for more
and quicker services connecting with Falkirk and stations
between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Jamie Hepburn said:
“The
SNP was campaigning for the electrification of the Glasgow
to Edinburgh main line in the 1930s. It appears that the
SNP's persistence on the matter will finally pay off.
“I
welcome the Government's ambition to achieve a 35-minute
journey time between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk.
The electrification of the route will benefit the population
in both cities and in Falkirk, Polmont and Linlithgow along
the way.
“Users
of those services need and deserve a speedy, reliable service
that links to other key routes. That our rail network is
largely unelectrified—which is remarkable in the 21st
century—works against any ambition for a speedy, reliable
service.”
In
response, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said:
“The
electrification of the core route via Falkirk, the route
to Stirling and Dunblane and the Cumbernauld line will have
a positive impact on commuters throughout central Scotland.
Services will be more reliable, they will be quieter, they
will have more capacity, and they will be generally more
attractive.”
The
debate also provided an opportunity to discuss the introduction
of a national discount Railcard in Scotland. Transport
Minister Stewart Stevenson undertook to raise the issue
with the UK Department of Transport.
[1]
The Official Report of the debate can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/...
[2]
The motion lodged by Jamie Hepburn reads:
S3M-916:
That the Parliament welcomes the Scottish Government's plans
to electrify the Glasgow to Edinburgh and Cumbernauld railway
lines; believes that this will have a positive effect on
the commuting experience for people across Scotland, particularly
those in central Scotland; recognises the importance of
providing alternatives to the private car to reduce congestion
and pollution and of opening up social and economic opportunities
to the 32 per cent of Scottish households that do not have
access to a car; notes the campaigns by various rail user
groups calling for the introduction of a national railcard
scheme which would provide discounted travel to all regular
train users, and believes that such a scheme should be considered
for introduction in Scotland.
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