Liberal Democrats call for Parties to work together to reinstate airport rail link

12.00.00am GMT Fri 22nd Jan 2010

Glasgow Liberal Democrat MSP Robert Brown has called on all parties to work together to deliver a new plan to deliver the rail link to Glasgow Airport.

The call came after the Scottish budget passed its Stage One debate in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday

During the Budget debate, Robert Brown lambasted the SNP Government for cancelling GARL without a proper review of alternatives.

He then called on Finance Secretary John Swinney to bring together key stakeholders to agree the way forward for the rail link to Scotland's largest city.

Mr. Brown pointed out that a revised Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) plan could see costs cut if a slightly modified route was agreed, and a range of different funding options reviewed.

Liberal Democrats had previously tried to save GARL at Finance Committee last year, but the SNP and Conservatives came together to vote GARL down.

Robert Brown said:

"This is a vitally important project for Glasgow and the whole of Scotland.

"Scrapping it cost 1,300 jobs and nearly £300 million in investment.

"The Government themselves say that it is a key element of national and strategic importance to Scotland, and even list it as a priority over other railway projects that are currently being carried out.

"Inaction should not be an option. We need a consensual way forward, not a stalemate imposed by stubborn party lines.

"That's why I want to see the Finance Secretary get together with key stakeholders to work on how we can deliver the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

"We have to come together and discuss all the choices - cutting costs by modifying the route, and investigating all the funding alternatives, and make urgent recommendations on how to best deliver GARL.

"It's a project of modest cost but huge value to the public.

"I wrote to Mr. Swinney in November requesting an all party discussion on this.

"I'm disappointed to say I'm still waiting for a response.

"It really is time for the Scottish Government to step up to the mark and stop playing politics with a project which affects so many people, and is so crucial to our struggling economy.

"Liberal Democrats lodged an amendment at the Finance Committee stage of this Bill to save GARL. The Tories and SNP voted it down and slammed the door on GARL. Labour put forward no new ideas on how to fund it.

"All parties must now cast aside their narrow party interests, and get together to finally deliver GARL."

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