Liz Smith has welcomed the publication of a report by The Fraser of Allander Institute which highlights the huge contribution that Scotland’s railways make to tourism. The Mid Scotland & Fife MSP who has been leading the campaign to re-open a direct rail link between Perth and Edinburgh has called on Ministers to undertake a new feasibility study into the proposal.
Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife said:
“I very much welcome the publication of a report by The Fraser of Allander Institute which highlights the huge contribution that Scotland’s railways make to tourism.
“The findings showed that ScotRail carried a total of 42 million passengers on leisure journeys throughout Scotland in 2012 – some 54% of all journeys on its trains with the tourist industry in Scotland directly supports an estimated 167,000 jobs and £5.4 billion worth of GDP.
“The fact that Kinross-shire does not have a rail link clearly puts the area at an disadvantage when tourists who plan to travel by rail plan their visits.
“The reopening a direct rail link between Edinburgh and Perth could bring many benefits not only to the local economy in Perthshire and Fife but also in delivering an improved high speed rail network north of the central belt.
“I have called on the SNP Scottish Government to undertake a new feasibility study to look again at reopening a direct rail link between Edinburgh and Perth and hope that this additional evidence of the economic benefits of rail links will help focus Ministers minds on the economic benefits to Kinross-shore of opening a rail link.”