High-Speed Rail Link Plans 'Will Be Considered'
Posted on: Thursday, 31 January 2008, 00:00 CST
Uk Transport Minister Tom Harris last night promised that the Westminster Government will look again at plans for a high-speed rail link between Scotland and England, but not until 2012.
The Glasgow South MP did not rule out considering a service similar to France's famous TGV, Train a Grande Vitesse, between London and Edinburgh and Glasgow, but not until after the current round of spending commitments to boost rail capacity.
He was replying to a debate on cross-border rail services in the Commons launched by Gordon Liberal Democrat MP Malcolm Bruce, who accused the government of a lack of vision.
Mr Bruce said afterwards: "The minister paid lip service to the idea that passengers in the north-east should have a real choice between flying, driving and going by train, but he gave no practical commitment to doing anything."
Mr Harris said earlier there ought to be a choice, but in the case of Aberdeen, geography came into play.
Mr Bruce argued strongly for a new high-speed rail link to help draw the United Kingdom together and said the huge cost would be affordable if spread over several years.
He also called for radical improvements to other rail links in Scotland, claiming the two-and-a-half-hour trip between Aberdeen and Edinburgh could be reduced to make a total journey time to London of under five hours, compared with the current seven to eight hours.
Mr Bruce said it takes just over three hours by TGV to travel from Paris to Marseilles, a similar distance.
Former transport and Scotland secretary Alistair Darling said the idea should be given serious consideration three years ago.
(c) 2008 Press and Journal, The Aberdeen (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: Press and Journal, The Aberdeen (UK)
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