27 February 2009
Welcome for Parliament's report on high-speed rail
Transform Scotland [1] today (Friday 27th) welcomed the conclusions of the Scottish Parliament's transport committee inquiry into high-speed rail.
Paul Tetlaw, Chair of Transform Scotland, said:
"We welcome the Committee's support for a high-speed rail link between Scotland, London and onwards to the Continent. High-speed rail must play an important role in switching people from using planes to trains, and will help Scotland meet its targets for emissions reductions set out in the Scottish Climate Change Bill."Any new network should be able to be directly connected to existing networks at both ends and this effectively discounts ideas such as maglevs and monorails. However, we would preferred for the Committee to have dismissed these fanciful notions outright."The report recognises that a clear vision is required on the part of government in order to deliver high-speed rail. It is now up to the Scottish and UK Governments to put in place detailed plans for Anglo-Scottish high-speed rail."Transform Scotland welcomes the report's findings that:
* Scotland must form a part of any plan for high-speed rail in Britain;
* Both Glasgow and Edinburgh must be connected;
* City centres must be accessed; and,
* Investment must continue in the existing, conventional, rail network.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
[1] Transform Scotland is the national sustainable transport alliance, bringing together rail, bus and shipping operators, local authorities, national environment and conservation groups, businesses and local transport groups - see <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/our-members.aspx> for details.
[2] The Committee's report is available at <http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/ticc/reports-09/trr09-01.htm>.
[3] Transform Scotland's evidence to the inquiry is available at: <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/evidence-on-high-speed-rail-presented-to-parliament.aspx>.
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