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SNP let down commuters with another railway promise failure

Greens transport spokesperson criticises SNP delay of decarbonisation of Scottish Railways

The SNP are ditching their promise to make rail journeys in Scotland more reliable and faster by dropping their pledge to remove diesel trains from the Scottish rail network by 2035, says Scottish Greens transport spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP.

The decision to drop their decarbonisation plans was announced by Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop on Tuesday who also announced plans to remove older high speed trains from Scotland’s railways.

Average carbon emissions from rail remain the lowest by transport type in Scotland, but the benefits from decarbonisation are not just for our planet; electric trains increase speed and efficiency on the network.

Electrification of the Fife Circle line would reduce the journey time of commuters, and full electrification to Aberdeen and Inverness would allow proper 21st-century high-speed services to connect Scotland’s biggest cities.

Scottish Greens transport spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP said:

“This is another failed promise from the SNP on public transport, at the exact point that we must be doubling down funding rail infrastructure to create greener, faster and more reliable services.

“Scotland has some of the most expensive rail tickets in Europe, yet we are decades behind our continental neighbours in terms of speed and efficiency of our services. These outdated diesel units don’t serve passengers or rail workers properly, their removal can’t be delayed.

“Increasing the efficiency on the Fife Circle should be a top priority for any government, yet it seems that the SNP will kick this into the long grass. Regular, faster services are what we need on our commuter network, but that is not what the SNP will deliver.

“Scottish Greens will continue to campaign for real improvements to our rail network, making travelling by rail cheaper, faster and more efficient for all.”

Speaking on the tender to remove InterCity 125 units, Mr Ruskell said:

“I am glad that the Scottish Government will finally look to replace these nearly 50-year-old trains from our railways which have raised safety concerns from railway unions. Future trains must be fit for purpose on electrified lines.

“It is important that rail workers and passengers are consulted on whatever their replacement is to be; we must see the highest level of safety precautions in place and improvements to accessibility such as level boarding on all units.”