03.03.16
More rail freight needed for sustainable connectivity in Scotland
More rail freight is vital for allowing the Scottish government to promote long-term sustainable connectivity, the government’s transport minister has said.
Speaking at the Rail Freight Group (RFG) conference in Stirling, Derek Mackay MSP said that rail freight is consistently more reliable than roads, especially in adverse weather conditions.
He said the Scottish government had a strategy of innovation, facilitation, promotion and investment to help the freight sector develop, and had established a £30m Scottish Strategic Rail Investment Fund to look at capacity, journey times and electrification.
Mackay said: “The Scottish government has set some of the world’s most challenging climate change targets, and rail is a good contributor to that.
“My role is to support sustainable economic growth and rail freight is important in that – we want to make it easier, not more difficult to use rail freight. But it does have to be an attractive business proposition.”
He added that it would be more efficient if management decisions about Scottish railways could all be made in Scotland, not in England.
Other speakers at the RFG conference discussed the increasing use of rail for the Scottish timber market, as well as the need for more detailed and long-term strategies for establishing diversionary routes after incidents such as the recent closure of the Lamington Viaduct following storms.
Last year Mackay called on businesses across the UK to support Scotland's plans to expand its freight sector.