Rail plan should expand station network, not cut it
For immediate release 26 January 2012
Ahead of a debate on Glasgow's stations and the Scottish Government's 'Rail 2014' plan, Greens have called for the Transport Minister to rule out any station closures in Glasgow.
Greens have previously described the package of ideas in the Government’s plan as a ‘third-class shambles’, and have questioned the impact of the proposals on train fares, timetables and overcrowding.
Patrick Harvie MSP, Green MSP for Glasgow, said:
"The Scottish Government has needlessly raised fears across Scotland, and especially in Glasgow, that stations will be closed because of an arbitrary one-mile limit. Ministers must not ignore the need for excellent connectivity within our large cities, as well as between them.
"Our dense urban areas deserve an accessible, convenient rail network, and that means adding new stations and reopening those lost over the years. 2014 offers Scotland a rare opportunity to start building a rail network fit for the 21st century, and if Ministers want to bring ambition to that task they will focus on the investment that’s needed in the network, instead of stirring up worries of a repeat of the vandalism of the 1960s, when stations were closed and services scrapped."