Concern over Buchan rail link being omitted from Scottish Governement transport strategy
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
North East Scotland region MSP Douglas Lumsden has hit out at the omission of a potential Buchan rail line from the Scottish Government's national transport strategy.
Launched with a ministerial statement last week, the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 set out the major infrastructure projects expected over the next 20 years.
The hoped-for reconnection to Ellon, and a link to Peterhead and Fraserburgh have been omitted, despite the Buchan link being present in a draft version.
The prospect of better north-east rail has been raised many times in the Scottish Parliament, by MSPs of all parties.
Mr Lumsden said: “This review was a great opportunity for the Scottish Government to get behind the transport infrastructure upgrades the north-east needs.
"This would transform the Broch and Peterhead.
"It's also a necessity if we're going to reduce reliance on cars.
"It seems the sop has been a mass transit system into Aberdeen, which will come at the expense of other road users, not by helping people move towards public transport.
"Everything else has been dropped. The study for the Buchan-Formartine line hasn't even happened but the strategy has junked it.
"The SNP and Greens are sitting on a £200 million fund for north-east rail which has been endlessly promised since 2008. It would be an outrage if this cash doesn't get spent on our railways."
