Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
£11m Plains pricing an “act of sabotage”
Neil hits out at station estimate ahead of planning talks
A report into the feasibility of constructing a railway station at Plains will be discussed at a planning committee tomorrow — with the town’s MSP claiming that the potential cost is being grossly over-estimated.
Councillors will consider the outcome of a Strategic Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) into the possibility of providing a station in the village on the Glasgow to Edinburgh line, which is understood to place the cost between £8million and £11m.
Airdrie MSP Alex Neil says this is in excess of the cost of constructing other Scottish stations over the past decade, and added: “I think this is deliberately inflated to scupper the railway station.”
However, council leader Jim Logue responded that the report has been independently compiled by experts — and reiterated the council’s support for a station and Plains, and challenged the MSP and Scottish Government to deliver one.
Writing in his monthly column in today’s Advertiser, Mr Neil describes the estimates, including an upper contingency figure of £ 18m, as “an act of sabotage”.
He has obtained Holyrood statistics showing that the 13 new Scottish stations installed since 2007 cost between £495,000 and £4m. The latter was Blackridge station, while neighbouring Caldercruix, the only new station in Monklands, came in at £2.5m.
Mr Neil said: “We’re not trying to build Grand Central station in Plains — an estimate like £11m is totally absurd and I don’t think the people of Plains will believe that it needs to cost this much for the basics.
“I think it’s a red herring. Even if the cost of building Caldercruix station had doubled — which inflation hasn’t done — I don’t see why Plains shouldn’t be around the same figure.
“No two stations are the same, but Plains just needs a halt with two platforms, shelters and signalling, and there’s no need to divert the line.”
Councillor Logue responded: “That’s the independent assessment and the group responsible are qualified transport planners and surveyors.
“We need to compare like with like and ask what’s provided at each station.
“Alex Neil is disingenuous in comparing with prices like Caldercruix and some of the stations on the Borders line, which I’m led to believe are for three coaches rather than the six which run on the Glasgow to Edinburgh line.”
He added: “Our position at North Lanarkshire is still that we’re committed to the development of a station at Plains and we’re fully supportive of it — but we’ve never funded a railway station and don’t have a statutory duty to do so.
“Development of railway stations is the responsibility of central government. Delivering a station in Plains lies with the Scottish Government and they should deliver the station promised. Alex Neil built up expectations in 2012.”
Airdrie North councillor Tommy Morgan has asked for special permission to address planning committee members at tomorrow’s meeting.
He said: “Plains has been left without a station since the reopening of the Airdrie to Bathgate railway and it’s an injustice that it’s the only settlement on that Glasgow to Edinburgh line that doesn’t have one.
“Now it’s time for the Scottish Government to stop promising and to deliver — and if Alex Neil can get a station at any reduced cost [compared to the estimate], that’s up to him to do.
“Plains should have a station in the interests of fairness and equality — and there has to be clear clarification on its status.
“It would be unfair to expect the community to have just buses while all the other communities have a train service.
“The report is done, based on transport, social and economic issues — now it’s up to the Scottish Government to deliver.
“They’ve built various bypasses, reopened the Borders railway and built a new Forth bridge while Plains still awaits a station.”
An act of sabotage. There is no other way to describe North Lanarkshire Council’s feasibility report into a new Plains railway station.
It recommends against building a new railway station in Plains because it claims it would be too costly.
It’s no wonder the council has suppressed this report for three months, refusing to provide a copy to local organisations, Neil Gray MP and myself as your local MSP.
It is clearly a stitch-up against the wishes of the people of Plains.
The report reflects the views of council leader Jim Logue who told me a few years ago, in front of witnesses, that he would oppose the building of a new railway station at Plains come what may.
This report has Mr Logue’s stamp all over it.
Despite what this report says, a new railway station on Plains Main Street would be beneficial environmentally, economically and in tackling poverty in the local community.
It would be a great boost to employment, making it easier for local people to access jobs throughout central Scotland.
The report recommends against a new railway station because it would allegedly cost too much.
But closer examination of its cost estimates beggars belief, suggesting that it could cost over £18 million to build a new station in Plains.
They must think we want a replica of Grand Central Station to be built in Plains!
These cost estimates look as though they’ve been done off the back of Mr Logue’s envelope. Because of these exaggerated cost estimates, the report concludes that “delivery of option three (a new station on Plains Main Street) is deemed not economically viable.”
This is rubbish. It is also totally unacceptable. The people of Plains want and deserve a new railway station.
Councillor Sophia Coyle, Neil Gray MP and I have now written to the Transport Minister asking him to commission an urgent, independent study of the true costs of building a new railway station in Plains. We will also be urging him to ignore the conclusions of this report.
The report is due to be considered by the council at a meeting later this week. If they have any sense they will bin it.
Now is the time for us all to pull together to get this mess sorted out and deliver for the people of Plains.