MSPs meets with Transport Secretary in campaign for north-east rail
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North-east MSPs have met with Transport Secretary Jenny Gilruth to discuss extending the rail line further north of Aberdeen as part of plans to create more public transport opportunities for commuters.
Gillian Martin was joined by fellow MSPs including Aberdeen Donside MSP Jackie Dunbar and Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Karen Adam as well as members of the grassroots group Campaign for North East Rail (CNER).
It comes after the Scottish Government agreed last year to look at further extension of the rail line from Dyce to Ellon and potentially further north as part of the Bute House agreement with the Scottish Greens.
Ms Martin has campaigned for further rail stops since become an MSP in 2016.
Plans for further rail have been backed by constituents and it is hoped it would help commuters have more opportunities to leave their cars at home and commute into Aberdeen City Centre.
Commenting, Gillian Martin MSP said: “I would like to thank the Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth and her officials for making the journey north to hear directly from local MSPs and CNER about the opportunities there are to further extend the rail line here in the north-east.
“This is an issue which has cross-party support and I know from speaking with my constituents this would be a real game-changer for them in terms of how they access public transport.
“Currently, many commuters in Aberdeenshire still rely on their car to get about but the addition of more rail in the north-east would allow ample opportunity for people going in to the city for work or to socialise to make use of other means of transport.
“I look forward to following up with the Scottish Government to assess how we can progress the need for additional train lines in Aberdeenshire further in the coming months.”
Scottish Conservative shadow transport secretary Liam Kerr said: "I appreciate the Minister accepting my invitation to meet the campaigners and MSPs across the north east.
"CNER have put the work in and stacked up a compelling case for moving this forward.
"And it is clear from the cross-party attendance that there is significant public and political interest.
"I’ll continue to press Ms Gilruth on this at Holyrood, and work with CNER on the next steps for the campaign.
"It's vital that the SNP honour the promises made in Bute House and not let the north-east down again."
Commenting, fellow MSP Karen Adam said:“I am delighted to have met with the Scottish Government’s Transport Minister to push for rail investment to not just Peterhead but Fraserburgh as well.
"The meeting was really positive with the Minister recognising both the societal and economic benefits of bringing rail all the way to the Broch.
“Rerailing Scotland and bringing rail to the north-east coastline will undoubtedly transform Scotland’s economic output and international trading potential. Bringing freight trains via rail will do exactly that for the area.
“After the positive discussions with the Transport Minister, I will be hosting a public meeting for residents in the communities of Peterhead and Fraserburgh.
"The benefits of making this campaign a reality will be absolutely colossal by making roads safer for car drivers, reducing wear and tear on roads, getting lorries off the road with use of freight trains and unlocking the north-east coast to wider tourism and businesses.
"All of this ties in with the work of the Banffshire and Buchan Coast Tourism Forum that I launched this year.
"I will also be presenting these plans to the Forum’s stakeholders to get them onboard with what I and the CNER have in mind for the area.
“The Scottish Government has been actively engaging with me in regard to bringing rail here, there is a real appetite for this, particularly with driving regeneration where there has been rural deprivation.
"This engagement shows just how serious the SNP is about investing in the region and opening up our economy.
“One of the big positives is that the Transport Minister is from the constituency and knows the area well and how much positives will come from this investment.
“Peterhead is the biggest town in Scotland that is not served by the rail network and it’s also the largest white fishing port in Europe.
"The need for an environmentally sustainable transport solution for the area is clear.
"It’s now up to all of us in the Banffshire and Buchan area to make this project a reality.
“I will working to bring a business motion to the Scottish Parliament and proposing a policy motion to SNP conference to get the Party’s backing on this.
"I’ll also be using my time at Parliament to ask questions on this to keep the economic case for rail in the north-east an attractive option.
“The Scottish Government have also committed £500 million to a Just Transition for the north-east and Moray, and rail links may well tie in with the funding available here.
"There is a lot of potential for this."
