Scots bullet train plans are shunted back on track

Published on 26/08/2004 00:44

THE company about to take over Scotland’s rail services has commissioned research that backs the case for high-speed bullet trains.

The study for FirstGroup is likely to add further support for a non-stop 30-minute link between Edinburgh and Glasgow, which could transform the cities’ economies.

The Aberdeen-based transport giant will run ScotRail from October and Moir Lockhead, its chief executive, is a leading advocate of Japanese-style bullet trains.

Mr Lockhead has received the results of a feasibility study into running bullet trains between London and the west of England. He said a similar Edinburgh-Glasgow link should be considered in the next ten to 15 years, even though it has yet to win Scottish Executive support.

Mr Lockhead said: "We should certainly be thinking about higher-speed links between the main cities. An Edinburgh-Glasgow route would give the earliest business case to justify it because of the population density."

A new, dedicated route could be required because of congestion on existing lines. Costs have been estimated as at least 1.5 billion.

The service would nearly halve the current fastest journey time of 48 minutes, which has not been reduced for years because of trains stopping at more stations and for longer at each station to cope with rising passenger numbers.

Professor Rod Smith, the head of mechanical engineering at Imperial College London, who led the study, said the rail industry must "think big" by embracing such bold projects.