29/04/2009

Grahame secures assurance over Borders rail phasing

Claims that the Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson will delete any reference to the "first phase" of the Borders railway reinstatement from the Borders Structure Plan that would remove protection of the line south of Tweedbank have been dismissed as “fanciful” by SNP MSP Christine Grahame. Ms Grahame today (Wednesday) met with Stewart Stevenson MSP to discuss the proposals. Ms Grahame said:

“I have had a very useful meeting today with the Transport Minister who made it perfectly clear that the case for deleting any reference to the "first phase" in the Structure Plan was yet to be presented to him, let alone a case made for removing any reference to it.

“I was pleased and reassured that the Transport Minister made clear that no decision had been made on the issue and it was for politicians and not officials to decide these matters.
 
“There is no weakening in the case for the reinstatement of the line. The Scottish Government remains focussed on delivering that first phase despite attempts by Labour politicians to derail the project aided and assisted by scaremongering and unnecessary posturing by local Liberal Democrats. The accusations they have made publicly do not reflect the actual position of the Transport Minister and are in fact fanciful. 

“The key responsibility for protecting the line remains with Scottish Borders Council, a responsibility which other local authorities in other parts of Scotland have already undertaken themselves and to protect potential rail track in their respective regions. I would therefore call on SBC to reaffirm their commitment to do just that.”

SNP It’s time.....