Green leader 'ambivalent' over rail link

Published on Friday 26 December 2008 09:10

THE co-leader of the Scottish Greens has said he is increasingly "ambivalent" on the idea of a high-speed railway linking Scottish and English cities.

Patrick Harvie MSP said the proposal for a fast link between Edinburgh, Glasgow and London – which has been touted as an eco-friendly alternative to flying – may not be the best use of money.

He said: "The more I look at it the more ambivalent I become."

He said it was already possible to make the journey by train in under four hours.

And he added: "Is 20 years and 20-30 billion the best investment to bring it down to three hours?

"Would commuters relying on suburban routes prefer the money used there rather than to reopen stations?"

Mr Harvie said his concerns did not necessarily reflect the view of Holyrood's transport, infrastructure and climate change committee, which he leads.

The committee is currently taking evidence on the potential benefits of high-speed rail, which it is claimed could bring economic benefits of more than 7bn to Scotland.

Mr Harvie said: "If the UK Government decides to go ahead with it as an alternative to expansion at Gatwick and Heathrow, then the benefits are pretty clear.

"But if it's as the business lobby want – more of everything – that's not going to be viable."

Virgin Trains and National Express told MSPs they support the idea of a high-speed link connecting Scotland and England.

Rail users' group Passenger Focus has argued passengers want better commuter services.