News.Scotland.Org

Edinburgh, Sept 28: The Scottish Government’s transport advisors on yesterday announced that a high speed railway line for the bullet train would cost at least £7 billion and be poor value for money than upgrading the existing route. This declaration came as a set back for the supporters of the long cherished dream of an Edinburgh-Glasgow ‘bullet train’.

The ministers also confirmed plans to increase services on the main line via Falkirk, which would help in gaining 40 minutes time. The project involves electrifying the route is scheduled to be finished within nine years time and expected budget is between £500 million and £1 billion. The limited stop services would take 37 minutes and stopping services will take 47 minutes, while the current fastest time is 48 minutes.

Jacobs, consultant of the Transport Scotland agency, in his report said that: “The option represents the most cost effective way of cutting journey times, increasing the efficiency and converting the rail journey more attractive one”.

He further added that the “For the long term the long route is unlikely to offer better value for money. So it is better to invest in the Edinburgh and Glasgow route, the main link via Falkirk. A dedicated high-speed line, which would reduce the journeys to 27 minutes, should still be considered as part of an ongoing major projects review, due to be completed next summer”.

Stewart Stevenson, the transport minister, also confirmed plans for a train-tram interchange at a new station near Edinburgh Airport to replace a proposed direct rail line to the terminal. The Gogar plan would cost only about £200 million and avoid putting a tunnel under the airport runway. Rail experts agreed to the point that Scotland could not afford a high-speed line, but business leaders said it must still be considered as part of faster rail links to London.

Jon Shaw, director of the Centre for Sustainable Transport at Plymouth University, said that: “£7 billion is an awful lot of money just to save ten minutes’ journey time; you could fix almost all of Scotland’s transport problems for that sum. What has been proposed instead is both practical and deliverable. Electric trains are more comfortable, quicker and more reliable than diesel trains.” he further added.

But business leaders are opposing the move from the government’s side. Iain McMillan, the director of CBI Scotland, opined this as “a lack of ambition”.

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