Scotland’s railways can play a crucial role in getting Scotland moving again while cutting dangerous climate emissions, the Scottish Greens have said.
In a parliamentary debate this week the Greens outlined the party’s fully costed £22 billion Rail for All proposals to upgrade, nationalise, and electrify the railways.
The plan includes a new cross Forth rail tunnel, which would transform journeys between Edinburgh and Fife, and up the east coast to Dundee and Aberdeen, and north to Perth and Inverness.
Alison Johnstone MSP said: “Making rail the natural choice for passengers and freight would be a strategic investment in the recovery from the COVID crisis and could play a big role in cutting transport emissions as we tackle the climate crisis too.
“Crucially, the fully costed plans from the Scottish Green Party use technology that already exists, rather than pin our hopes on new inventions that we can’t afford to wait for. This investment could alleviate congestion on our roads and open up Scotland to those who don’t drive.
“And if we’re going to show the ambition we need, there’s no place for private profit or offshore companies in providing public services. It will be up to the next parliament, elected in May, to show this ambition.
“Reopening the Edinburgh South Suburban line and better connecting our towns and cities to the wider network can transform the lives of local residents, while helping tackle our lethal levels of air pollution.”
The Rail For All report can be found here:
https://greens.scot/sites/default/files/Rail%20For%20All.pdf
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