Glasgow Airport rail link scrapped

Government cites budget constraints for decision to cancel project

Travel Insurance News - 18/09/2009

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Cuts in the Scottish Government budget have led to the scrapping of the planned Glasgow Airport Rail Link project.

This latest decision follows the  scrapping of the even more expensive Edinburgh Airport Rail Link project in September 2007, making this the second rail link project to be scrapped by the SNP-led administration. The present administration has been in power since 2007.

The Scottish government says capacity and signalling improvement projects on the Glasgow-Paisley rail link will continue. This includes construction of the new platforms at Glasgow Central, which are part of the Paisley Corridor resignalling project aimed at providing increased rail routes between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

More resourced have also been accorded to the preparation for construction of a new Forth bridge.

Finance Secretary Jon Swinney announced the decision to scrap the rail link while releasin budget details for the next year. He said the government needed to ensure that its capital budget remains sustainable in the next few years, and that the decision had been reached "reluctantly".

The Scottish Government has reduced spending on previously published figures by £43.5 million.

Secretary Swinney however said that the government would support other public transport measures such as requirements for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The scrapped rail line was projected to cost between £90 million and £130 million. The decision to not go ahead with the project will come as a blow to contractors. Already, four bidders had been shortlisted.

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