First Minister Challenged By Greer Over Milngavie Train Delay
Ross Greer, Green MSP for the West of Scotland challenged the First Minister on the 29th November to respond to the Milngavie line once again being confirmed as the worst performing rail line in Scotland. The MSP asked First Minister Nicola Sturgeon whether she believed Scotrail were meeting their obligations to passengers on a line where three in every four trains are late or cancelled.
Ross has led the community campaign to reinstate the second track on the line, which would prevent many of these delays and improve services as far as Edinburgh, which are affected daily by delays originating between Milngavie and Westerton. East Dunbartonshire Council recently agreed, with all-party support, to ask consultants to build the case for re-dualling, following an expert report commissioned by Ross which laid out the improvements this would bring, including opening the possibility of building the long called for Allander station.
In her answer, the First Minister agreed that this situation is unacceptable and highlighted that the Donovan Report, a national improvement plan produced on behalf of Scotrail and Network Rail, which specifically highlights this problem as needing to be addressed.
Speaking after First Minister’s Questions, Ross Greer said:
“Three out of every four trains are delayed or cancelled on the Milngavie line. It has been the worst performing in Scotland for far too long. Passengers know it’s unacceptable, Network Rail’s own report acknowledges it’s unacceptable and now we know that the First Minister agrees, yet the Scottish Government wouldn’t even part-fund the feasibility study into re-dualling from the Local Rail Development Fund secured by the Greens for projects precisely like this one.
“The evidence is overwhelming that re-dualling will cut delays and cancellations and allow an Allander Station to be built. We know that the work could be done relatively easily, as space is still there from when the second line was removed a generation ago. I’ll continue to push for action as soon as possible, including at a forthcoming meeting with the Transport Secretary and I encourage as many people as possible to sign our petition at https://greens.scot/milngavieredual .”