Rail journeys from Edinburgh to Glasgow to be quicker

Exciting plans to electrify Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley train route – which would cut journey times by 10 minutes – have been unveiled by The Scottish Government.

Glasgow MSP Sandra White welcomed Transport Minister Keith Brown’s announcement of a £650 million upgrade which will deliver longer, electric trains equipped with wi-fi. Passenger capacity will be increased thanks to the investment and the reliability of train services will be improved.

Additionally, a significant upgrade to Queen Street Station has been announced which will see the station connected to Buchanan Galleries.

Ms White said:-“These are exciting plans that will see journey times cut, free wi-fi by 2013 and higher capacity as a result of longer trains. People using the Glasgow to Edinburgh line will benefit from these enhancements which are a huge boost for both cities. Connecting Queen Street station to Buchanan Galleries will make it quicker and easier for people to get access to the shops and station. Not only that, the Scottish Government’s plan will benefit Scotland’s economy by supporting additional jobs and investment.”

Jamie Hepburn, SNP MSP for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, welcomed Mr Brown’s announcement that the first stage of improvements will be delivered in time for the Commonwealth Games with electrification of rail services to Cumbernauld.

Mr Hepburn said:-“It is fantastic the SNP Government has committed to delivering the electrification of the rail services to Cumbernauld in time for the Commonwealth Games.

“This means more reliable, greener and faster trains for my constituents and those travelling to Cumbernauld.

“The SNP is committed to delivering the most modern and reliable train services for Scotland and this latest announcement follows a £5 billion funding and investment package of measures aimed at improving the quality of that service.

“We are delivering all this at a time when Scotland’s budget is being cut by a third – which demontrates the commitment of The Scottish Government to investing in rail services.”