Highlands MP Charles Kennedy has urged local residents to write to the Scottish Government’s Rail 2014 consultation before time runs out on Monday 20th February.
The consultation has proposed a number of changes to rail services in Scotland, including ending all cross-border services at Edinburgh and reducing sleeper services, potentially causing serious problems for Highland businesses which rely on the services between Inverness, Fort William & London.
Charles Kennedy said:
“It’s essential that we all make our views known to stop the Scottish Government’s damaging plan to end our direct rail services. Businesses in the Highlands rely on those trains, both to reach London and to allow customers to reach us.”
Commenting on the promised reprieve for the sleeper services, thanks to the injection of £50 million from the Coalition Government, Charles Kennedy said:
“We’ve got to keep up the pressure on the Scottish Government to meet their commitment of extra money to rejuvenate the sleepers.
“There’s a great deal of potential for the trains – the reintroduction of motorail, for instance, could make them ideal for tourists from England who want to travel around the Highlands without the hassle and expense of rental cars.
“We need to show the SNP Government that there’s a real groundswell of support for a new, relaunched and reinvigorated sleeper service.”
Submissions to the consultation can be made by writing to Transport Scotland, Buchanan House, 58 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow G4 0HF or by email to
Rail2014@transportscotland.gsi.gov.uk.