First the good news As well as the extra services mentioned in Railwatch, passenger services in Scotland will be boosted next year as the station at Dalgety Bay is going ahead. Services have also started again between Kilmarnock and Girvan. And there are Sunday services planned or in operation on a number of lines around Glasgow. This includes East Kilbride, following a suggestion by the RDS.
Freight North There are encouraging signs in the freight sector. On the Far North Line there are pipe trains to Georgemas Junction while lime trains to Fearn and Norfrost are also using Georgemas Junction. Among the developments in the Lowlands is a rail access grant from the Department of Trade and Industry (an English government department) for coal movements from Law Junction to Cockenzie. The Scottish Office, which has not given a freight facility grant since 1987, is far less willing to assist the railways than its English counterparts.
Road mania The Scottish Office is one of the greatest obstacles to the railways. In 1996-97 there are five major trunk road scheme starts planned in England (population 50 million). Scotland (population 5 million) will have six according to the Scottish Roads Minister, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton. We will soon have a larger road programme than England. Even a part of the money lavished on roads could transform Scotland's railways. There are slight signs of change at the Scottish Office. In the summer it held a seminar to discuss transport between Edinburgh and Glasgow, at which ScotRail and Railtrack argued for improved services. Before the seminar the Scottish Office let a contract for widening part of the motorway between the cities and there are plans for widening the rest.
Down to earth The worst news in recent months is that the line to Glasgow Airport is currently not going to be built. The airport is the largest/busiest airport in the UK without a rail link. The link is backed by the British Airports Authority, Railtrack, ScotRail, Renfrewshire Enterprise and the Glasgow Development Agency. It was formerly backed by the Passenger Transport Authority. However, Renfrew Council objected to the route, which crosses football fields on an embankment. The environmental problems of the route can be solved by proven technology. At the moment there is a deafening silence from all the organisations formerly in favour of the line.
You can email Railwatch editor Ray King at editor@railwatch.org.uk (or just click on this link)
or e-mail Lloyd Butler at butler@argonet.co.uk with comments about the Railwatch Web pages
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