Road, Rail & Access Issues

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[textarea]Glasgow Airport rail link ‘could be scrapped’

Fears have been raised that the Glasgow Airport Rail Link project could be scrapped, the Evening News reports. Ministers are reported to be in talks with engineering experts and airport bosses to work out if the £400million project is still deliverable after complicated engineering work forced transport bosses to delay choosing a contractor. Neither the Scottish Government nor Transport Scotland were able to give the newspaper firm assurances that the link would be completed.

Work to carry the new train line across the M8 and into the airport will not take place until bosses are certain that infrastructure at the airport can be moved out of the way. It is still hoped the link will be completed by 2014 in time for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. However, tendering for the new tracks and bridges has been postponed until work, which is thought to involve moving fuel tanks at the airport, has been deemed possible and cost-effective.

A Scottish Government spokesman told the Evening News: ‘We are having discussions to see if we can go ahead with the project as planned.’ A Transport Scotland spokesman said: ‘The tender for the branch line construction for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link has not yet been launched, pending the resolution of outstanding issues on the works within the airport.'

Stewart Stevenson, Transport Minister, was more hopeful. He told the newspaper: ‘Ministers are committed to the delivery of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, and any reports to the contrary are inaccurate. The tender for the Branch Line construction for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link has not yet been launched, pending the resolution of outstanding issues on the reprovision works within the airport.? Transport Scotland is in discussion with BAA to ensure that complicated work in the airport area is fully defined to allow delivery of the branch line for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.?’

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£400 million does seem excessive. What is the distance of the proposed route does anybody know?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I'm not sure which line they propose to link into. The nearest is the one from Glasgow Central to Paisley, then on to to either Gourock or the Ayrshire coast. I used it three weeks ago.

It passes within a couple of miles of the airport (probably even closer as the crow flies - no air traffic control to worry about, just aircraft engines!) so it does seem an excessive sum, except they would have to negotiate a motorway.

 

[Aviador]

[textarea]Glasgow airport rail link funding axed

Ministers have cut funding for the flagship Glasgow airport rail link, heraldscotland can reveal.

It is the first casualty of the spending squeeze in the draft Scottish Budget currently being announced by Finance Secretary John Swinney.

There have been questions for months over the cost of moving fuel dumps at the airport and, though further details have yet to emerge, it is believed it is key factor in Mr Swinney’s decision to kill the project - at least for now.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell said: “This is another knife in the back for Glasgow.”

There had been fears the work would be too expensive and the potential sale of Glasgow Airport would threaten the link, planned to open before 2014.

This sends a terrible message to business Shadow finance secretary Andy Kerr
The shock budget announcement comes just days after new assurances were made that the rail link was still on track, following fresh talks about the costly engineering works near the terminal.

Airport owner BAA and Transport Scotland had been in talks over the relocation of the fuel depot to allow the line to be brought into the site.

Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson then moved to consider a report detailing the options.

The £400m line was due to run from Paisley Gilmour Street to the airport, with the hope that it would be up and running in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Capacity improvements to the track between Glasgow Central and Paisley had already been carried out as part of the airport link vision.

Shadow Finance Secretary Andy Kerr said: “I called on ministers to respond to the recession by bringing forward a budget to get Scotland working. Instead, they have cancelled the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, which will result in the loss of 1,350 jobs.

“He is not standing up for Scotland, he is letting Scotland down. The SNP was also responsible for cancelling the rail link to Edinburgh Airport. This sends a terrible message to business and will leave our transport network stuck in the last century.”

Mr Swinney said that to achieve the £500m in cuts he had been forced to make because his budget is down by just under 1% in real terms.

Mr Swinney said: “At a time when many businesses and families are facing the challenges brought by the recession, it is imperative for government to respond effectively and decisively to support them.

“We have had to face difficult choices about where to reduce planned spending next year. We will meet this challenge while continuing to work with our partners to achieve our priorities and protect programmes that matter most to the people of Scotland.

“Crucially that will mean protecting spending on frontline public services, such as schools and hospitals. It will mean ongoing investment in our economic recovery plan, including support for skills development and for hard pressed businesses; and on programmes that help protect households at a time of economic hardship.”

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[textarea]SNP website boasts over Glasgow Airport link

AN SNP website is still boasting about the Glasgow Airport Rail Link - days after plans for the £212million line were dropped.

The Glasgow SNP site says: "Here are only some of the projects delivered or coming up in Glasgow by the SNP Government" before listing the rail link.

It then adds the move will create extra jobs for the city.

But Finance Secretary John Swinney scrapped the project last Thursday, as reported in last week's Evening Times.

The SNP Glasgow website is the home page for MSPs Sandra White, Bob Doris and Bill Kidd and MP John Mason.

Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell said: "The fact this commitment is still being publicly made on their website proves Glasgow's SNP MSPs and councillors had pledged their support to the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

"I sincerely hope they will be demanding John Swinney reverses his decision. If they do not do that they will not be able to look their constituents in the eye and truly say they have their best interests at heart."

The nine-mile track would have created a direct link between Glasgow Airport and the city centre.

Patricia Ferguson, Labour MSP for Maryhill, said the website "shows that even they (SNP MSPs) understood it is a very important project for Glasgow- so I hope they will fight for it."

Bill Butler, Scottish Labour MSP for Glasgow Anniesland said: "The hypocrisy of the SNP knows no bounds. It is happy to try and take the credit for the rail link one minute and the next is more than happy to dump the project, along with hundreds of jobs."

An SNP spokesman said: "The draft Budget was published only a few days ago. The UK Government has cut the resources available to the Scottish Government, and the Glasgow Airport Rail Link costs included £70m just to move the fuel dump at the airport. This was before a single metre of track was even laid.

"The SNP Government's funding commitment to Fastlink, connecting people and facilities all over the city, will bring much greater benefit to people across Glasgow.

"The other major projects the SNP Government is delivering in Glasgow - the M74, the new Southern General Hospital, the National Indoor Sports Arena and all the Commonwealth Games facilities, and new colleges - will also support thousands of jobs."

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[textarea]Glasgow Airport rail link row continues

The leader of Glasgow City Council has accused ministers of providing misleading information about the cost of the city's airport rail link, cancelled late last month. Steven Purcell expressed concerns to MSPs over what he believes is double-accounting on the project.

Ministers announced the link would be axed on September 17 amid concern over rising costs and impending Scottish budget cuts. But Mr Purcell said yesterday that the project costs had only gone up by £2.5m - not the £70m he said he was quoted by the government. The Scottish government has disputed Mr Purcell's £2.5m claim, saying the costs were constantly changing.

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[textarea]SNP blame Glasgow Airport for rail link cancellation

Scottish Ministers have accused Glasgow Airport’s owners of rejecting plans for the now axed rail link that would have avoided cost overruns, the Herald reports. In the latest of the seemingly ongoing recriminations over the axed Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL), Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said the airport operator BAA had opted for a route that required the relocation of the airport’s fuel farm, car park and other facilities, which contributed to costs within the airport escalating from £8m to £70m. He said that a cheaper route, preferred option of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) when it first backed the project, was rejected by BAA as it would have interfered with plans to redevelop the airport.

The SNP also say government agency Transport Scotland had its ‘hands tied’ by an agreement made prior to taking over the project in May 2008 between BAA and SPT. This master agreement, signed in September 2006, gave BAA veto powers over any work affecting airport facilities, a lead role in designing and delivering key aspects including the fuel farm relocation, and removed the threat of any compulsory purchase orders.

Mr Stevenson told MSPs that efforts by Transport Scotland to reintroduce compulsory purchases and shut down businesses on the airport site during negotiations this year as costs were escalating were rejected by BAA. He also claimed Transport Scotland was ‘limited’ in its selection of reprovision sites that BAA would agree to.

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I wonder if this is the end of the line for the rail link, or could it be resurrected at a later stage?

 

[Aviador]

[textarea]Glasgow Airport boss says rail link decision a ‘backward step’

The managing director of Glasgow Airport has told MSPs the decision to scrap the airport rail link is a ‘backwards step’. Amanda McMillan told Holyrood's Transport Committee an enhanced bus scheme was no substitute for a railway, and both the airport and Glasgow would suffer as a result of the decision. She also revealled that the airport was only told of the decision 20 minutes before the SNP announced it to parliament.

Ms McMillan told the committee the airport's growth was built on a ‘unique partnership’ with the city and the country. She said: ‘We are extremely disappointed about the decision to cancel the rail link. There is a pressing need to improve surface access to and from the airport, otherwise it is the city and airport that will suffer.’

‘We made a commitment to do something which would have improved our standing on the world stage and would have unquestionably improved the image people had when arriving in the city. It is taking a step backwards by pulling away from the project and not continuing to invest jointly in creating an international gateway.’

Ms McMillan also criticised the proposed government-funded Fastlink bus service from Glasgow, saying the project as it currently stands would fail to deliver a fast and reliable journey from the city centre.

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[textarea]Darling urged to back Glasgow Airport rail link

The Chancellor Alistair Darling has been urged to intervene in the row over the axed Glasgow Airport Rail Link, the Evening Times reports. A public transport association also called for the link to be combined with other rail works so that it could still go ahead.

Labour's Scottish leader Iain Gray said the decision to scrap the airport rail link was ‘impossible to defend’ and called on the Treasury to allocate cash to the Scottish Government from next year's budget to help the economy. Mr Gray wants Mr Darling to insist on a guarantee from SNP ministers that any money will be used to fund projects which will create jobs, such as the rail link.

And the Scottish Association for Public Transport (SAPT) said the rail link could be saved by being combined with a £1 billion upgrade of the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line. It would both rescue the airport project and provide a direct rail connection for air passengers from east of Glasgow, the campaigners said.

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Darling wont back the Glasgow rail link. His constituency is in Edinburgh isn't it?

 

[Aviador]

[textarea]SNP: Glasgow Airport rail link ‘desirable, not essential’

The Glasgow Airport rail link was ‘desirable but not essential’ to Scotland’s economic prosperity, Finance Secretary John Swinney told the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee yesterday when asked to explain his decision to cancel the project.

Speaking at a special session of the committee held in Glasgow’s council chambers, Mr Swinney said the project had been selected for the axe from a list of major projects because it was in a relatively early stage of development and so cancelling it would have the least financial impact.

Mr Swinney said: ‘I appreciate that people are disappointed about the decision I made but essentially the judgment I came to was that the Glasgow Airport Rail Link was desirable but not essential to the infrastructure of the country.’

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[textarea]Glasgow Airport rail link spat continues

Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney has been accused of withholding key information that could allow the scrapped Glasgow Airport Rail Link project to be re-instated, the Evening Times reports. Labour’s finance spokesman Andy Kerr says he has repeatedly asked for details of the capital budget, to identify uncommitted cash, but his requests have been ignored as time runs out in the attempt to persuade Mr Swinney to change his mind over scrapping the £120million project.

MSPs will debate the Scottish Government Budget proposals in the next few weeks before a crucial vote, where the rail link is likely to be the key feature. Labour has already stated that their MSPs could not support a Budget that does not include the airport rail link, while the Tories and LibDems have yet to state how they will vote.

Mr Kerr believes there is enough cash not yet contractually committed in other areas that could be used to ensure the rail link is taken forward. He told the newspaper: ‘The SNP’s decision, which was condemned by many, sends a terrible signal to the business community of Scotland and means the loss of 1,300 jobs. Because capital budgets consist of new, continuing and completing projects it is normal that large amounts of funds are not contractually committed. This means there could be money in the Scottish Government’s bank account that is available to spend. The SNP seems intent on covering up the facts.’

A Scottish Government spokesman told the newspaper: ‘The Glasgow Airport Rail Link is unaffordable in the face of Westminster-imposed cuts, when huge capital projects in Glasgow and elsewhere, such as Edinburgh/Glasgow rail infrastructure improvements, schools programme, the new Southern General Hospital, the M74 completion and the M80 upgrade, must be allocated the capital they need to go ahead.'

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[Aviador]

[textarea]Glasgow Airport rail link dead after Scottish budget passed

All hope that the Glasgow Airport Rail Link might be revived ended on Wednesday when MSPs voted through the Scottish Government's budget for the forthcoming year, despite a last minute plea by the airport's boss.

Glasgow Airport MD Amanda McMillan said this week that cancelling plans for the rail link left a ‘gaping hole’ in passengers access options. She urged MSPs to re-think the decision because it has negative effects on the city's reputation, tourism and business. But the minority SNP Government squeezed through their budget with the support of the Conservatives, Green Party and Independent MSP Margo Macdonald, in the face of opposition from the Labour party.

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Glasgow MP slams airport parking charges

A Glasgow MP has said airport parking charges at Scottish airports are as expensive as flights, the Evening Times reports. John Robertson, MP for Glasgow North West wants airport operator BAA to reduce charges. He tabled a question in the Commons criticising the car park charges he says can cost more than airfares thanks to £1 flights.

Mr Robertson said: ‘This is a blatant example of airport operators ripping-off the travelling public and should not be allowed to continue. Instead of having to save to buy airplane tickets to go on holiday your going to have to save up to buy airport parking tickets.’

He blames the charges on a lack of competition between airport operators. He might be interested to know that BAA will not allow other airport parking operators to sell spaces at their car parks for less than the rate they set, so there can be no competition.

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Second Glasgow Airport – city centre bus service takes off

Glasgow Airport passengers are now spoilt for choice if heading to the terminals from the city by road, the Evening Times reports. Two rival bus firms are now offering fliers a direct link between the airport and city centre following the launch of a new service this week.

Bus giant First has introduced the Glasgow Shuttle to rival the Glasgow Flyer, operated by Arriva Scotland West for the last four years. Both offer round-the-clock bus services between Buchanan Bus Station and the airport.

First have bought a fleet of 10 single decker, low floor buses for the route. The bus company's managing director Ronnie Park told the newspaper: ‘This new Glasgow Shuttle service represents a significant investment of more than £1.5million for us and we look forward to operating the service. With journeys departing up to every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day the Glasgow Shuttle is a great option.’

Glasgow Airport boss Amanda McMillan added: ‘We are delighted to welcome First’s Glasgow Shuttle service and wish the route every success.

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[Aviador]

Whilst offering customers more choice in the short term, long term this will only lead to a reduction in services, either through one of the company's pulling off the route, or by reducing the frequency so I'm not convinced that this is a good thing in the long run.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Scottish Labour Party make resurrecting Glasgow Airport rail link plans a key policy

Labour leader Iain Gray has said that his party will re-instate the Glasgow Airport Rail Link if they are elected next month, the Evening Times reports. He made a pledge that a Labour Government would reverse the decision made by SNP Finance Secretary John Swinney in his budget in 2009.

Mr Gray said the rail link would improve Glasgow’s competitiveness and was among a range measures Labour plan to help the airport and create jobs. He told the newspaper that the project was affordable but the funding mechanism had not yet been identified.

The SNP have criticised Labour for promising to resurrect GARL in its manifesto, but not identifying how it would be funded. However Mr Gray said: ‘It is £200million over a number of years. It is affordable from the capital budget. There are different ways of funding GARL, it can also be done through using Network Rail’s Regulated Asset Base. The commitment we are making is that funds will be found and GARL will be back on track.’

‘We also plan to bring in an Air Route Marketing Fund to get new routes to the airport. This is about connecting Glasgow to the airport and the airport to the world.’

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Labour call for independent audit into scrapped Glasgow airport rail link land deals they claim cost taxpayer £30m

LABOUR say that the decision by the SNP government to scrap the rail link has resulted in a significant loss to the taxpayer, as well as damaging the prospects of the nation's airports.

LABOUR is calling for an independent audit into land transactions surrounding the scrapped Glasgow airport rail link.

The party wants the Scottish Government to open the books to external scrutiny of the project, known as Garl, two months after leader Johann Lamont reignited debate on the controversial decision at Holyrood.

Transport Minister Keith Brown appears to have washed his hands of the subject which cost the taxpayer £30 million without being built, Labour claimed before a parliamentary debate.

Read more: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/polit ... ed-2681920[/textarea]

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Experts back a light rail link to Glasgow Airport

AN EXPERT report has re-ignited the debate over the decision to axe a city's airport rail link after it recommended using tram cars able to run on both light and heavy rail lines.

The long-awaited Glasgow Airport Strategic Transport Network Study is due to be published within days, but Transport Minister Keith Brown confirmed yesterday that the independent consultants behind the work had concluded that the best long-term solution for passenger access was "a tram/train option" which would connect directly to Glasgow Central station.

Read more: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/tran ... t.23554777[/textarea]

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Airport train-tram link 'will cost £90m'

A tram-train link between Glasgow Airport and the city centre will cost more than £90 million to introduce, according to experts.

Consultants reviewing transport options have concluded that the preferred option of running trams jointly on newly-built light rail lines and existing heavy rail infrastructure would be the second most expensive option at an estimated £92.4m.

Read more: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/tran ... m.23693361[/textarea]

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The Edinburgh tram system from airport to city centre that's due to open this year cost over eight times this amount.

 

[Aviador]

It sounds similar to the tram-train link proposed at LBA. No costings have yet been given so it's nice to get an idea.