Scottish Conservative politicians feel that “short-sighted” proposals to downgrade the train service between Perth and Edinburgh strengthens the case for a direct rail link between the two cities.
Murdo Fraser MSP and Councillor Angus Forbes were reacting to the announcement from ScotRail that from May 2022, the Perth to Edinburgh service will travel via Cowdenbeath - adding 10 minutes to the journey time making it on average, one hour and 40 minutes in total.
The plans will also see the main service between Inverness to Perth/Edinburgh travel via Stirling, where passengers will need to change trains.
Commenting, Mr Fraser, who represents the Mid Scotland and Fife region, said: “The proposed downgrading of the Perth to Edinburgh rail service is appalling and short-sighted. This is a service that is often used by passengers and usually proves popular with many people, ranging from those who travel for work reasons to students and also residents who use the service in order to shop in either Perth or Kirkcaldy.
“It is nonsense to suggest that the service should now include Cowdenbeath, making the journey even longer. And it is also ridiculous to propose passengers travelling from Inverness to Perth/Edinburgh should have to change at Stirling, with the possibility that they may miss the required onward train.”
He continued: “The Scottish Conservatives have called for a direct rail link between Perth to Edinburgh for years, with a station created at Kinross, to cut the time taken to travel between the two cities.
“There has been increased housing development in Kinross and Fife in recent years so there is demand for a better rail service – one that is fit for the 21st century.”
And Councillor Forbes, who is the Convener of Perth and Kinross Council’s Environment and Infrastructure Committee, added: “I was very disappointed to see the proposals for what is a downgrade to an already poor service between Perth and Edinburgh. ScotRail have really hit the buffers with these plans.
“As we try to rebuild the economy of Perth and Kinross after Covid, this feels like a kick in the teeth to the business community and the travelling public.
“We really hoped for an improvement to the service but instead we are going backwards."