First Railway Project to be axed as the recession bites

[whole diary]

[John R]

The Glasgow Airport Rail Link has been cancelled by the Scottish Government, apparently to save costs. Though the work to upgrade the line to Paisley is currently expected to proceed. So that's both Scottish airport links axed since the SNP came to power.

[Btline]

Yet more evidence to show that the SNP are out of their depth!

Hopefully, people will see sense and vote Labour.

Strange how the pot of money for the Olympics - something which will have NO benefit to ANYONE - is bottomless, but cuts occur everywhere else!

[devon_metro]

Hopefully, people will see sense and vote Labour.

Coffee on desk!!!!

[Btline]

Even if you are anti Labour, there is no point is voting for anyone in Scotland apart from SNP or Labour!

The SNP have shown countless times that they are incompetent, and only popular because they use money from the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) to scrap tolls, University fees etc.

[caliwag]

Well, it was to an airport so easy to justify...although see my earlier post about something imaginatively called Grand Central station in the middle of nowhere but vaguely near Turnhouse, sorry Edinburgh International Airport. A crazy crazy idea for a HS^▸ (High Speed (short for HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) High Speed Services)) line to er the middle of nowhere in (not grand) central Scotland...quite bizarre how this got past the daft ideas NoBo board

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Network Rail chief's doubts over airport rail link

The head of Network Rail has said the business case for building the Glasgow Airport Rail Link no longer stacks up.
Iain Coucher told BBC Scotland the costs now outweigh the benefits of the new line, which the Scottish government axed from its budget.
There has been a long-standing row over the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (Garl) which will cost more than ^210m.
Garl could be reinstated if the costs and benefits changed, with space left for it by the airport's owners.
Mr Coucher's comments came after Scotland's Financial Secretary John Swinney faced sustained criticism for removing the project from the budget.
The SNP minister argued it was desirable but no longer affordable.
It has been claimed that Network Rail, which owns and maintains most of Britain's rail infrastructure, offered Mr Swinney the chance to use its borrowing powers, to keep the plan on track.
Labour MSPs^▸ (Member of Scottish Parliament) last week demanded a statement to parliament on the issue, with the claim that Mr Swinney had lied.
But speaking about the issue for the first time, the company's chief executive Mr Coucher, has said the issue was not about finance, but about the rising costs of the project.
Asked if he had offered to borrow money for the project, he said: "We pointed out this facility was available to them, if this issue at Garl was about finance rather than affordability. But everyone now realises it's not about how it's funded, but the affordability of the business case in the first place. My understanding is the costs of doing the airport link were higher than anyone intended in the first place."
Mr Coucher said he had not seen the most recent costings, but added: "My understanding is that the costs of doing the airport link outweighed the benefits. The costs were higher than anyone intended when they planned it, and so the business case is no longer there."
Garl was a project being run by Transport Scotland, the Scottish government's agency.
Network Rail is continuing with one part of the plan that involves upgrading track through Paisley and improving links between Glasgow Central Station and south-west Scotland.

[Mookiemoo]

Even if you are anti Labour, there is no point is voting for anyone in Scotland apart from SNP or Labour!

Yeah but voting labour gives the current twunts more of a chance of getting in.  Remember, England is conservative - its the celtic vote that keeps the red s***ts in power

[Btline]

Yeah but voting labour gives the current twunts more of a chance of getting in.  Remember, England is conservative - its the celtic vote that keeps the red s***ts in power

I think you mean South East of England. Not many Conservatives in the North!

[Mookiemoo]

Yeah but voting labour gives the current twunts more of a chance of getting in.  Remember, England is conservative - its the celtic vote that keeps the red s***ts in power

I think you mean South East of England. Not many Conservatives in the North!

England as a country would be conservative - unless you want to break the union up into even smaller nations.

And. er , guess what - I'm a scouser and live in the black country - but guess who I vote.......

[JayMac]

UKIP?

[Mookiemoo]

UKIP?

nope

lol

[JayMac]

 

[Mookiemoo]

And before anyone tells me how much Labour has done for the railways - I preferred the 2004 service to the one I get now!

[grahame]

2004:

Trains left Melksham for Chippenham and Swindon at
 05:52, 07:45, 13:35, 17:02, 21:33 on Monday to Friday
 08:01, 13:35, 17:00, 21:50 on Saturday
 12:44, 16:43, 20:59 on Sunday

Trains left Melksham for Trowbridge, Westbury and beyond
 06:56, 09:12, 14:49, 18:09, 22:37 on Monday to Friday
 09:15, 14:49, 18:16, 22:51 on Saturday
 13:47, 17:49, 22:07 on Sunday

2010:

Trains leave Melksham for Chippenham and Swindon at
 07:15, 19:47 on Monday to Friday
 09:18, 15:21 on Saturday
 17:21, 19:52  on Sunday

Trains leave Melksham for Trowbridge, Westbury and beyond
 06:40, 19:11 on Monday to Friday
 15:46, 21:34 on Saturday
 18:45 on Sunday

And before anyone tells me how much Labour has done for the railways - I preferred the 2004 service to the one I get now!

Yes, I share that preference