22.01.19
Cross-party calls for Glasgow airport rail link to be delivered ‘as matter of urgency’
The proposed rail link between Glasgow Airport and the city centre must be built “as a matter of urgency,” according to opposition parties making a cross-party plea at Holyrood.
Plans to connect the city centre to the airport in Glasgow were put forward in 2014 as part of a £1.13bn Glasgow City Region deal, but the “badly needed” project has not yet started due to concerns over capacity issues.
It was previously expected that the long-awaited rail link would be under construction from 2022 and operational by 2025, but this now looks unlikely.
Speaking at the Scottish Parliament, Labour MSP Colin Smyth urged the government to put forward its plans and deliver the Glasgow Airport link.
He stated: “To our shame, it’s the largest UK airport that isn’t served by rail, a rail link is badly needed.
“Failure to tackle capacity at Central Station does not justify the lack of action, the lack of commitment from the Scottish Government to the Glasgow Airport rail link.
“The Scottish Government and Transport Scotland need to work with the Glasgow city region partners to find solutions, not more excuses.
“They need to get on with building a rail link that will benefit not just Glasgow but all of Scotland.”
Glasgow Airport reportedly injects around £170m into the city region’s economy each year, and the project has been widely backed by businesses and politicians.
Conservative MSP Jamie Greene said his party were in full agreement that the rail link needs to be “progressed as a matter of urgency,” and stated there were clear and vital reasons why the project should go ahead.
According to transport secretary Michael Matheson, a meeting will be held next week with key parties to look into the issue.
Image credit - David Cheskin