‘Scotland is due £3bn after failed rail project’
SCOTLAND is due £3 billion after the UK Government scrapped the HS2 rail link’s extension to link with the west coast main line taking trains to Glasgow, an SNP MSP has said.
The Golborne extension would have connected the high-speed line with the line taking cross border trains north to Scotland’s biggest city. A Glasgow SNP MSP says Scotland is being shortchanged on major transport projects.
Kaukab Stewart, Glasgow Kelvin SNP MSP, whose constituency includes Central Station, said: “Once again Scotland is set to lose out on billions as a result of empty Tory promises, Scotland is all too familiar with this story, when it comes to Westminster all we get in return is cuts, not cash.
“When it comes to transport, we heard broken promises about the ridiculous Boris bridge and
now we can add the HS2 extension to Glasgow to the scrapheap.
“We cannot trust the Tories to invest in transport in Scotland or any other public service for that matter. Boris Johnson is full of bluster when it comes to connectivity, but he fails to back any of it up.”
The 13 mile stretch of track would have been built through the north of England, and through the constituency of Sir Graham
Brady, the chair of the conservative 1922 backbench committee.
Rail groups criticised the decision when it was announced last week.
The Railway Industry Association said: “Without this connection, a bottleneck will be created north of Crewe on the west coast main line, which in turn will negatively impact outcomes for passengers, decarbonisation and levelling up.”