Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife has called on the SNP Scottish Government to seek a guarantee from the new ScotRail Franchisee that the commitment to deliver a 35-minute journey time reduction between Inverness and the central belt as well as an hourly service by 2025 will be achieved.
The Perthshire based MSP questions the Deputy First Minster on the issue at General Questions today in the Scottish Parliament.
Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife said:
“I am determined to hold SNP Ministers to their pledge to deliver a 35-minute journey time reduction between Inverness and the central belt as well as an hourly service by 2025.
“Analysis of journey times between Inverness, Perth and the central belt would suggest that the Scottish Government is going in the wrong direction with journey times talking longer.
“A train journey between Inverness and Glasgow is now taking up to 3 hours 36 minutes – ten minutes longer than in 2000 – with even the fastest services three minutes slower than before. The fastest Inverness to Edinburgh train now takes 3 hours 26 minutes.
“The Scottish Government’s Strategic Transport Projects Review included journey time reductions between Inverness and the central belt to benefit passenger services through delivering line speed improvements, additional loops, dynamic loops or lengthening of double track sections, signalling improvements and more powerful traction.
“The Scottish Government pledged to deliver a 35-minute journey time reduction between Inverness and the central belt as well as an hourly service by 2025. However, to date we have seen little progress made to achieve this.”