SEStran welcomes Adonis announcement on High-speed rail
Date : 11th March 2010
SEStran welcomes today’s announcement by Lord Adonis, that Scotland will be included in plans for a new high-speed rail network.
We believe that the inclusion of SE Scotland, and the nation as a whole, is central to the business case for high speed rail in Britain. Successive reports from Network Rail, Greengauge 21 and Transport Scotland show that the economic case for introducing high- speed rail is significantly stronger when Scotland is included.
It has the potential to bring great economic benefits to the SEStran region, by opening up economic opportunities with other parts of the UK and beyond. Improved transport connections will attract new business and new visitors, boosting tourism, while freeing up capacity at Scottish airports to grow Scotland-direct routes elsewhere.
High-speed rail also has the potential to make a significant contribution towards reducing the region’s carbon footprint. The Scottish Government’s Climate Change Bill has set targets for reduced emissions at 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. If these challenging targets are to be met reducing emission from flights between Scotland and London, by introducing a rail based alternative is essential.
Scotland's main cities are ideally distanced from London to draw the greatest abstraction from air to rail travel. International experience shows that on journeys between 400 and 450 miles, high-speed rail dominates the travel market. The speed of the high-speed rail connection between Scotland and London will be crucial. The most direct route with the greatest speeds and minimum number of stops is required. It is realistic - and achievable - for high speed rail to deliver a three hour journey time between Scotland and London. At that point, high speed rail will account for 67% of that travel market. At two and a half hours, that increases to 80%.
SEStran Chair, Cllr Russell Imrie said:
“The Scottish Parliament has presented a clear and compelling case that high speed rail will deliver key benefits to Scotland. And, there is consensus amongst Scotland’s political parties, its councils, and its business and transport communities that connection to a UK high speed rail network is necessary for Scotland’s sustainable economic growth”.
“All proposals for High-Speed rail so far suggest that Edinburgh should be linked to both a west coast and east coast High-Speed line. This is further emphasized by today’s announcement by Lord Adonis to prepare detailed proposals for High-Speed lines to both Manchester and Leeds”.
“SEStran therefore feels that further work is required to establish the most advantageous phasing of the network to Scotland , be it either east or west coast”.
“To ensure that Scotland becomes part of the High-Speed network at an early stage, SEStran feels that work should commence on a link between Edinburgh and Glasgow, fitting in with the future national High-Speed network serving both east and west coast. This should also link in with the existing network serving the population north of the central belt, and I would encourage the Scottish Government to develop the case for this as soon as possible”.
“Without being directly served by the wider high speed rail network Scotland would be moved to the periphery, constraining the future development of our key economic centres; and without connection to Scotland, the UK will not realise the full economic and environmental benefits high speed rail can deliver”.
ENDS
SEStran - South East of Scotland Transport Partnership - is one of seven new Statutory Regional Transport Partnerships (RTP) created by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 and is a partnership of eight local councils covering the Borders, Clackmannanshire, East Lothian Midlothian and West Lothian, Edinburgh, Falkirk and Fife.
For further information, please contact:
Andrew Dougal,
SEStran Communications Officer
T: 0131-524-5161
M: 07889-010-291
E: Andrew.dougal@sestran.gov.uk
