Chamber
Plenary, 27 Sep 2006
27 Sep 2006 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Glasgow Crossrail
All I can remember about 1973 is that it was the year in which Scotland qualified for the football world cup in West Germany.
I am from the Charlie Gordon school of politics. I am not in the same party as him, but I am from the school of politics that says that we are here to make decisions and not endlessly to review, analyse and call for more studies. I accept his point and understand the frustration that many members have expressed at the length of time for which the project has been on the books. It has been analysed, considered and talked about. I will address the process that has to be gone through for any capital transport project—Paul Martin asked a fair question about that.
I acknowledge Bill Butler's leadership on the issue in Parliament, both through his convenership of the cross-party group on Glasgow crossrail and through his raising the issue in the chamber on numerous occasions, although in truth the issue got a fair hearing in the preliminary stage debate on the Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill before the summer recess, and it has been raised in other ways. It is important to stress that the arguments that are made by Mr Butler and his colleagues throughout Parliament help immensely in consideration of the issue.
I appreciate Sandra White's support for Bill Butler's motion. Last week, the Scottish National Party was opposed to major rail investment in Scotland, so it is important that it is supporting it today.
I think that Bill Aitken and Patrick Harvie, in a different way, accept that our investment in the west and in Glasgow is not just about a rail package but—as Wendy Alexander and others said—about the major investment that we are making in the M74 and other roads.
As Mr Butler said, the Strathclyde partnership for transport's proposals would not introduce a direct link from Glasgow Central to Queen Street; instead, the proposal is to provide a link from stations south of the city, via a new station at Glasgow Cross, to Queen Street low-level station.
As we set out in the partnership agreement, the Executive has supported with a grant of £0.5 million the feasibility work on Glasgow crossrail that is being undertaken by SPT. Work to date has reassured us that the project is technically feasible. It is estimated that it will cost between £115 million and £187 million at outturn prices. As SPT said recently in its statement of the case for crossrail, there are issues that need to be resolved in confirming the demand for crossrail services, and in respect of the interface between crossrail and major rail infrastructure works, which is important. At the risk of incurring Parliament's wrath, I note that that work is being undertaken by SPT and is due to be completed by March 2007. That will lay the foundation for the business case for crossrail.
I intend later this autumn to set out our vision for Scotland's railways, as part of our national transport strategy. That will provide—I hope in a glossy document—the framework within which we will develop projects such as crossrail through the strategic transport projects review. To answer directly one question that was asked, the framework will prioritise transport projects for future spending. That is the process that members seek.
Glasgow already has an extensive transport network that provides excellent local, regional and international accessibility. By 2014, an additional £1 billion will have been spent on enhancements to the transport infrastructure, including the completion of the airport rail link. Transport Scotland has been working with Glasgow City Council and Strathclyde partnership for transport on the preparation of Scotland's bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth games, and will continue to do so to ensure that the bid proposals are realistic and deliverable. I take seriously the points that members have made this evening about the importance of the crossrail project in that context.
Two thirds of all First ScotRail journeys—about 50 million journeys each year—are within the Strathclyde region, which makes it the most heavily used commuter rail network outside London. The new Larkhall to Milngavie line provides a north to south-east cross-Glasgow service and the number of passengers on the line in its first year of operation has been one third higher than the projections. Trains have been refurbished across the region to provide better passenger facilities. Closed-circuit television coverage and car parking have been extended at a number of stations, and we have plans to improve in the near future customer information systems at Queen Street.
The further work on crossrail will update previous studies of demand and will assess the positive impacts of making easier some links to onward services for some passengers, and the negative impacts of making longer journeys into the centre of Glasgow for others. It will also set out how crossrail would operate in the context of an expanded rail network—including the Airdrie to Bathgate line and the Glasgow airport rail link—and how reliability of services around Glasgow can be maintained as services expand.
I accept that, despite all the investment that we are making, there remain a number of concerns about rail connections in the city, including concerns about there being two separate major terminating stations in Glasgow—at Glasgow Central and Queen Street—with no direct connection between them. There are also concerns about restricted capacity and congestion at both stations, and about the lack of direct links from the south and west of Glasgow to the north and east, which Mr Gallie raised. There are also concerns about the speed and frequency of connections between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Our vision for Scotland's railways will set out ways in which we can address such issues. I envisage a package of enhancements to improve links into and across Glasgow, which will build on the substantial current investment. Glasgow crossrail can be part of that vision for Scotland's transport future.
I am from the Charlie Gordon school of politics. I am not in the same party as him, but I am from the school of politics that says that we are here to make decisions and not endlessly to review, analyse and call for more studies. I accept his point and understand the frustration that many members have expressed at the length of time for which the project has been on the books. It has been analysed, considered and talked about. I will address the process that has to be gone through for any capital transport project—Paul Martin asked a fair question about that.
I acknowledge Bill Butler's leadership on the issue in Parliament, both through his convenership of the cross-party group on Glasgow crossrail and through his raising the issue in the chamber on numerous occasions, although in truth the issue got a fair hearing in the preliminary stage debate on the Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill before the summer recess, and it has been raised in other ways. It is important to stress that the arguments that are made by Mr Butler and his colleagues throughout Parliament help immensely in consideration of the issue.
I appreciate Sandra White's support for Bill Butler's motion. Last week, the Scottish National Party was opposed to major rail investment in Scotland, so it is important that it is supporting it today.
I think that Bill Aitken and Patrick Harvie, in a different way, accept that our investment in the west and in Glasgow is not just about a rail package but—as Wendy Alexander and others said—about the major investment that we are making in the M74 and other roads.
As Mr Butler said, the Strathclyde partnership for transport's proposals would not introduce a direct link from Glasgow Central to Queen Street; instead, the proposal is to provide a link from stations south of the city, via a new station at Glasgow Cross, to Queen Street low-level station.
As we set out in the partnership agreement, the Executive has supported with a grant of £0.5 million the feasibility work on Glasgow crossrail that is being undertaken by SPT. Work to date has reassured us that the project is technically feasible. It is estimated that it will cost between £115 million and £187 million at outturn prices. As SPT said recently in its statement of the case for crossrail, there are issues that need to be resolved in confirming the demand for crossrail services, and in respect of the interface between crossrail and major rail infrastructure works, which is important. At the risk of incurring Parliament's wrath, I note that that work is being undertaken by SPT and is due to be completed by March 2007. That will lay the foundation for the business case for crossrail.
I intend later this autumn to set out our vision for Scotland's railways, as part of our national transport strategy. That will provide—I hope in a glossy document—the framework within which we will develop projects such as crossrail through the strategic transport projects review. To answer directly one question that was asked, the framework will prioritise transport projects for future spending. That is the process that members seek.
Glasgow already has an extensive transport network that provides excellent local, regional and international accessibility. By 2014, an additional £1 billion will have been spent on enhancements to the transport infrastructure, including the completion of the airport rail link. Transport Scotland has been working with Glasgow City Council and Strathclyde partnership for transport on the preparation of Scotland's bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth games, and will continue to do so to ensure that the bid proposals are realistic and deliverable. I take seriously the points that members have made this evening about the importance of the crossrail project in that context.
Two thirds of all First ScotRail journeys—about 50 million journeys each year—are within the Strathclyde region, which makes it the most heavily used commuter rail network outside London. The new Larkhall to Milngavie line provides a north to south-east cross-Glasgow service and the number of passengers on the line in its first year of operation has been one third higher than the projections. Trains have been refurbished across the region to provide better passenger facilities. Closed-circuit television coverage and car parking have been extended at a number of stations, and we have plans to improve in the near future customer information systems at Queen Street.
The further work on crossrail will update previous studies of demand and will assess the positive impacts of making easier some links to onward services for some passengers, and the negative impacts of making longer journeys into the centre of Glasgow for others. It will also set out how crossrail would operate in the context of an expanded rail network—including the Airdrie to Bathgate line and the Glasgow airport rail link—and how reliability of services around Glasgow can be maintained as services expand.
I accept that, despite all the investment that we are making, there remain a number of concerns about rail connections in the city, including concerns about there being two separate major terminating stations in Glasgow—at Glasgow Central and Queen Street—with no direct connection between them. There are also concerns about restricted capacity and congestion at both stations, and about the lack of direct links from the south and west of Glasgow to the north and east, which Mr Gallie raised. There are also concerns about the speed and frequency of connections between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Our vision for Scotland's railways will set out ways in which we can address such issues. I envisage a package of enhancements to improve links into and across Glasgow, which will build on the substantial current investment. Glasgow crossrail can be part of that vision for Scotland's transport future.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
Con
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S2M-4688, in the name of Bill Butler, on the Glasgow crossrail scheme. The debate will be ...
Motion debated,
That the Parliament welcomes the progress that has been made to modernise Scotland's rail infrastructure, the most recent example of which was the agreement ...
Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab):
Lab
As a Glasgow constituency member and convener of the Scottish Parliament cross-party group on Glasgow crossrail, I am delighted to have secured this debate o...
Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I thank Bill Butler for securing the debate—a debate that has been raging for about 30 years. One of the first debates in the Parliament was on the subject o...
Mr Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab):
Lab
I will not say that I would not have started from here, but I would certainly have started sooner. Somewhere in my archives, I have a document from 1973, whe...
Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con):
Con
First, I congratulate Bill Butler on securing the debate and thank him for circulating the appropriate correspondence, which has been very helpful. Those of ...
Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab):
Lab
I congratulate Bill Butler on his motion. As I was listening to Bill Aitken describing his weekend, it struck me that, as he was walking around Austria think...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green):
Green
I add my congratulations to Bill Butler on securing the debate and on his work in bringing together the cross-party group on Glasgow crossrail.I was looking ...
Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
I want to provide some non-Glasgow support for crossrail. Our Victorian ancestors had enormous energy and created most of the railway engines and great railw...
Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab):
Lab
Like other members, I congratulate Bill Butler on securing the debate. Everyone acknowledges that he has been a champion of crossrail, which is an important ...
Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con):
Con
This has been a consensual debate—I disagree with little that members have said. However, I would like to hold Patrick Harvie to account. He referred to envi...
Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab):
Lab
I, too, thank Bill Butler for lodging the motion. I echo the points that members have made.I do not want to mention 1973, because the minister is relatively ...
The Minister for Transport (Tavish Scott):
LD
All I can remember about 1973 is that it was the year in which Scotland qualified for the football world cup in West Germany.I am from the Charlie Gordon sch...
Meeting closed at 17:54.