EARL cancellation: Bad news for Falkirk, says MSP
The abandonment of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link scheme is bad news
for Falkirk, says Falkirk East MSP Cathy Peattie.
"EARL wasn't about Edinburgh," said Cathy. "It was about
improving the link between Scotland and the rest of the World.
"EARL would have put Scotland at the forefront of transport integration
with an intermodal hub at Edinburgh airport, enabling people to switch
easily between many forms of transport including rail, bus, car, cycle
and tram. It would have given two thirds of Scotland direct access to
Edinburgh airport from 62 railway stations, and given the rest of the
World a better connection with Scotland. It would have benefitted everyone
by stimulating economic growth throughout Scotland.
"When the Bill was passed last year, there was a majority of 57,
with support from Labour, Liberal Democrat and Tory members, as well as
members of smaller parties and independents. Now the SNP and the Tories
have joined forces to kill further progress.
"In its place we are getting the sop of a station at Gogar with a
tram link from there to the airport. Compared to the ease of walking out
of railway station into an airport a few yards away, the prospect of getting
luggage and families via a tortuous route and longer distances from train
to tram and from tram to airport, will not be a great incentive for people
to leave their cars at home and take public transport.
"The Gogar option will be of little advantage to the people of Falkirk
and other towns between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Indeed, it could be a disadvantage
to other travellers on that line, increasing journey times or taking trains
away from other stops.
"It had been calculated that EARL would produce a benefit of £2.16
for every £1 spent. They haven't even bothered to give a figure
for the new scheme, but I doubt that it will be anywhere near as good.
"Cancellation will undermine confidence in public projects, and that
will add to the cost of such projects. If the SNP makes investing in Scotland
a risky business, it will cost us all dearly."
(October 2007)
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