Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 19 September 2012
19 Sep 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Rail
The minister knows of my long-standing interest in this project. I recently had occasion to write to Network Rail about its consultation process on EGIP. It promised me that it would have consultation events in my constituency in the summer, and then it promised that it would have them in the autumn. However, neither of those things has happened.
The letter that I have received from Network Rail notes the announcements by the minister and says:
“in partnership with Transport Scotland, Network Rail is working through the detail of what this will mean to the scope of works and associated timescales that we had previously consulted on.
This work is now underway and will take a number of months to conclude.”
Can the minister tell us what the up-to-date timescale for that work is?
The letter that I have received from Network Rail notes the announcements by the minister and says:
“in partnership with Transport Scotland, Network Rail is working through the detail of what this will mean to the scope of works and associated timescales that we had previously consulted on.
This work is now underway and will take a number of months to conclude.”
Can the minister tell us what the up-to-date timescale for that work is?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-04165, in the name of Elaine Murray, on rail.14:40
Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Lab)
Lab
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John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
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Elaine Murray
Lab
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Jamie Hepburn (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member give way? Interruption.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Order.
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
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Elaine Murray
Lab
The rails will still continue to exist, but why would the UK Government invest in a rail service that benefits another country?According to a written answer ...
The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown)
SNP
The member seems to have neglected two particular statements that have been made. The leader of Glasgow City Council said:“this announcement is good news for...
Elaine Murray
Lab
I checked with my council colleagues, who provided statements, but nobody had shown them the entire press release or explained to them that half of the proje...
The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown)
SNP
Since the funding of rail was devolved to the Scottish ministers in 2006, there has been major investment in the rail network and its services. The Governmen...
Drew Smith (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
Keith Brown
SNP
No, not just now. In that statement to the chamber, I committed to continuing the delivery of EGIP and ensuring that it and other network improvements are co...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member give way on that point?
Keith Brown
SNP
Earlier this year, Network Rail began advanced route-clearance works and the redevelopment of Haymarket station in readiness for increased passenger numbers ...
Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention, or will he just keep talking?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Order.
Keith Brown
SNP
In December 2012, new Edinburgh to Glasgow via Carstairs services will be introduced. Delivered a year earlier than expected, the new services respond to loc...
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member give way?
Keith Brown
SNP
I will give way to Patricia Ferguson, but perhaps she could say where the £350 million that the Labour Party says that it intends to reinstate would come from.
Patricia Ferguson
Lab
The minister knows of my long-standing interest in this project. I recently had occasion to write to Network Rail about its consultation process on EGIP. It ...
Keith Brown
SNP
There was no answer to the question about where the £350 million would come from. I note the member’s previous intervention in relation to this—Interruption.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Order.
Keith Brown
SNP
Her previous contribution was to propagate scare stories about Glasgow station closures that never happened.On the point about the EGIP timetable—
Drew Smith
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention on that point?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
The minister has made it clear that he is not taking an intervention at the moment.
Keith Brown
SNP
On the point that I have just mentioned, we have already started progress towards EGIP and will continue that progress according to the previous timetable of...
Patricia Ferguson
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
Keith Brown
SNP
No. I have taken one from the member already.The Jacobs review identified a new opportunity to deliver increased capacity by lengthening platforms as part of...
Neil Findlay
Lab
In the past few days, I have been contacted by a large number of constituents from Winchburgh who are concerned that the new project there, which is to creat...