The future of Scottish Railways is on the table once again as Network Rail has launched a consultation into their recently published, Scotland Route Study- Long Term Planning Process.
Included within the document are proposals to remodel Perth station, with improved freight capacity and to decrease journey times and increase capacity between the Central Belt and Inverness.
Passenger numbers on Scotland’s railways have grown by more than 30% over the last decade and it is anticipated that strong growth will continue.
Network Rail are welcoming contributions on this consultation until the 10th of March 2016.
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“Scotland’s railways are incredibly important for our future growth and are vital to maintaining the accessibility of rural areas.
“The draft Scotland Route Study will help shape the future of our railways for a substantial part of the next century and it is vital that the opinions of the public are heard within this. I would therefore encourage those with a view on what they want to see to study the Network Rail document and get involved within the consultation.
“Proposed within the document are plans to remodel Perth station, which has just benefitted from investment into new station infrastructure. Perth station has huge potential and the capacity to deal with far more passengers than it currently does.
“Although The SNP promised in their last manifesto that journey times between the Central Belt and Inverness would improve by 45 minutes, this is not even close to happening. Improving journey times must be a priority going forward and I would encourage residents to make this clear to Network Rail.”