SNP demand U-turn over £1bn cut to rail funding
The SNP has demanded the UK government U-turn over plans to cut rail investment by £1 billion.
Gavin Newlands MP has now written to the UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps stressing the importance of funding the Rail Net work Enhancements Pipeline.
In a letter to Mr Shapps, the Paisley and Renfrewshire North MP also questioned why the move to cut funding had not been announced to MPS in the Commons.
He said: “Given the fanfare with which the National Infrastructure Strategy was announced last week, it is extremely disappointing to discover that within a matter of days, investment in critical national infrastructure is being slashed by just under 10 per cent.
“It was also disappointing that this substantial reduction in funding was announced via an answer to a Written Parliamentary Question, rather than being announced to the House.
“Indeed my colleague Steven Bonnar MP specifically raised rail electrification with you at departmental questions and no reference was made to these cuts in funding.”
Speaking today, the SNP shadow transport secretary stressed the importance of investment in rail infra - structure to tackle carbon emissions.
He said: “Decarbonisation is referred to no less than 58 times in the National Infrastructure Strategy - and the UK Government claims it is a priority on the run up to COP26, which will be held in Glasgow next year.
“It is therefore difficult to reconcile the obvious damage that will be caused to Network Rail’s electrification programme in Scotland and across the UK by such a devastating cut.”