The SNP candidate for Glasgow Central has spoken out on the need for high speed rail connecting Glasgow to London.
The Labour government will be commenting on their plans for a high speed rail line from London to Birmingham later this month. The Conservatives meanwhile say they will only commit to one to Leeds.
The SNP’s Osama Saeed has said though that Glasgow’s economy would receive a major boost by cutting journey times to London to under two-and-half hours, and the full environmental benefits would only be felt by the line coming to Scotland.
Saeed spoke on the issue this morning at an Institute of Directors (IoD) and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) business breakfast. He said:
“Other European countries have had high speed rail for years, including France, Germany and Spain. For a generation though, Labour and Tory governments have not just lacked ambition to do the same, but they have actually botched up our railways.
“HSR in Europe has had the effect of boosting regions that were previously seen as more isolated, and this is exactly what Glasgow needs. Labour and Tory HSR proposals to only link up English cities will further unfairly benefit them and make Scotland seem like a poor relation.
“In terms of the environment, high speed trains to London will have the effect of cutting down and even negating the need for domestic flights. European destinations will also be closer through the Channel Tunnel. HSR will only have a real environmental impact if it comes to Scotland.”
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