SNP propose ‘Second Best’ Airport Plan
13/9/07
Edinburgh West MSP Margaret Smith has expressed disappointment at the SNP Government’s plans to scrap the direct rail link to Edinburgh Airport. EARL would have linked 64% of the country’s population directly to the Airport by rail.
The SNP will replace it with an indirect service which will mean a new station at Gogar on the main Fife line. Passengers will have to transfer to the tram at the Gyle to journey on to the Airport. Margaret Smith said, “Over the past few months the Government made accusations that the costs for both projects were running out of control. However, an Audit Scotland report said that costs were within estimates and were sound. However, it said there were management issues that needed to be addressed in EARL. In June Parliament rightly voted to continue both projects but to get the SNP to address these “governance” problems. It’s clear that the SNP had no intention of listening to Parliament and haven’t addressed the governance issue at all.”
The Government met with BAA, Network Rail and TIE, who had been taken on by Transport Scotland to deliver the project but they did not speak to Edinburgh City Council or local residents or elected members. BAA, who run Edinburgh Airport, told the SNP they were happy with the project even the controversial plans to tunnel at the Airport and wanted it to go forward . Network Rail raised exactly the same concerns that the Parliamentary Committee had heard and dismissed last year. Ministers then suspended the project team meaning that even if the project does go ahead in some form they will have lost not only time and around £30 million of taxpayers money so far but also key personnel. The Government proposals will cost less money now but represent less value for money over the next thirty years.
Margaret continued: “Their ‘new’ Gogar scheme had already been looked at by the Parliamentary Committee and rejected because it doesn’t deliver the same economic benefits, for example, to the tourism industry. The connectivity to the airport from around Scotland isn’t as good; 40% less people will use it and, as a result, thousands of people will continue to use their cars to get to the Airport. The SNP refused to say what the impact of this new scheme would be on congestion and traffic. They also couldn’t answer basic questions about the cost, the location of the station or the impact on journey times for passengers not going to the airport. I believe, the new scheme is a second best solution and in the longer term West Edinburgh residents will pay the price in terms of congestion and poorer air quality.”
Margaret Smith has also tabled Parliamentary Questions asking what the impact will be on capacity at the Gogar Roundabout and Maybury junction.
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