Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 03 February 2022
I do not work in railways, so I will leave the improvements to the railway sector and the people who actually know what that they are talking about. I am quite sure that the minister just said that she is meeting the unions next week. Is that not so, minister?
Since 2007, under the SNP, the Scottish Government has invested more than £9 billion in rail infrastructure in Scotland. The last decade has seen an investment of around £1 billion in some 441km of track electrification and associated infrastructure improvements, directly benefiting more than 35 million passenger journeys across Scotland each year.
Communities across Scotland have been reconnected to the railway network and in the next three years, more will follow. I would like to see the names of some of the places in my constituency added to that list. I represent one of the largest constituencies by geographic size and yet we have only one station: Gleneagles.
In my constituency, the old station buildings at Blackford have given way to a new freight terminal, taking Highland Spring’s bottled water distribution off the road. I congratulate Highland Spring on taking the action in the face of the climate emergency.
Perth station is in the Deputy First Minister’s constituency but is very important to my constituents. The Tay cities deal has committed £50 million towards a Perth bus and rail interchange, which will help to make those vital transport links and create a much more streamlined experience for customers with ongoing connections.
Having mentioned the Tay cities deal, I cannot really let the Tory members off the hook by failing to remind the chamber of the missing millions—