Rail cuts would be reversed in radical Tory transport plan
‘Tens of thousands of new jobs’
‘Failed our island communities’
HISTORIC railway cuts would be reversed and key roads upgraded under plans unveiled by the Scottish Conservatives.
A ‘Uniting Scotland’ blueprint proposes a major investment in infrastructure, with the so-called Beeching railway cuts top of the agenda,
Other initiatives include fixing a flaw on the Queensferry Crossing, a Scottish version of London’s Oyster card for public transport, the roll-out of the fastest broadband to all homes and a national charging system for electric vehicles.
The blueprint states: ‘We would review closed rail lines and stations and reopen those which would support local growth. Many iconic railways were shut down during the Beeching cuts of the 1960s – we would review which should be reopened.’
It commits to taking forward plans to reopen the rail link between Perth and Edinburgh via Kinross.
The service was closed in 1970 to make way for the M90 motorway, leaving rail passengers with a detour which can take up to one hour and 45 minutes.
Other routes which could be reopened include the Formartine and Buchan railway in the North-East.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: ‘Our ambitious plans to rebuild Scotland would create tens of thousands of new jobs and generate longterm economic growth.
‘We would unite Scotland with closer transport links and improved local services in every part of the country.
‘If we’re going to tackle the looming economic and jobs crisis, we need to look at bold plans like a three-lane M8, reversing the Beeching cuts and rolling out full fibre broadband everywhere by 2027. He added: ‘Any project by the SNP is inevitably delayed and the costs often spiral out of control.
‘By stopping an SNP majority and their push for another referendum, the Scottish Conservatives would get all of the focus back onto rebuilding Scotland.’
Dr Richard Beeching sparked uproar in the 1960s when he closed 4,500 miles of railway line and 2,128 stations across the UK to save money amid a rapid growth in car ownership.
Mr Ross added: ‘We will look to take notes of interest from around the country where people think there is an opportunity for a station to be reopened or a line to be reopened.’
The infrastructure blueprint, published just days ahead of the party unveiling its manifesto, proposes widening the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh to three lanes.
It also pledges upgrades to the A77 and A75 in Dumfries and Galloway, which link Scotland to north-west England, and the main ferry route to Northern Ireland.
Other proposed road upgrades include the A82 between Glasgow and Inverness, the A90 between Dundee and Aberdeen, the A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness, and the A9 between Perth and Inverness.
The A1 – which runs between Edinburgh and London – would also be upgraded to dual carriageway on the remaining stretch which still has only single lanes.
A new road would provide a bypass to the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful, which regularly has to close because of landslips, while a problem which causes ice to form on the Queensferry Crossing would be fixed.
Mr Ross said costings for the projects would be provided when the full manifesto is published on Monday. The plan also includes scrapping the Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited quango, responsible for CalMac ferries and harbours, which has been at the centre of a contracts fiasco resulting in the cost of two new ferries rocketing.
The document states that long-term contracts would be brought in for ferry operations.
It says: ‘The SNP have repeatedly failed our island communities who rely on ferries every day.
‘We would review island connectivity and work directly with ferry companies to agree longterm contracts which allow them to invest in their fleet.’