Plans to cut railway link from Motherwell are blasted

CONTROVERSIAL plans have emerged to remove the Motherwell stop from the east coast Edinburgh to London line.

The Office of Rail Regulation are expected to announce proposals next month which mean the high-speed train link between Scotland and London will now only stop and end at Edinburgh – no longer continuing to Motherwell and Glasgow stations.

The RMT union said it would mobilise an “all-out fight” to stop plans to axe the connection between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, via Motherwell, on the east coast line.

The union said their representatives had been briefed by managers that the route could be axed from early 2011.

The move has also angered many commuters and politicians who rely on the link.

Speaking about this latest development, Jack McConnell, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, said: “This is extremely worrying news.

“I will be making urgent representations to check if this is true and, if it is a definite proposal, to have the decision reversed.

“The Motherwell to Edinburgh connection provides a necessary service for the whole of Lanarkshire and is an excellent alternative to keep cars off the main roads between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

“If there is a plan to take away this service I am very angry that local representatives have not been consulted and, indeed, given recent publicity, maybe even misled.”

North Lanarkshire Council Leader Jim McCabe also condemned the proposals.

He said: “This plan is wrong on every level.

“At a local level, this would cost in the region of 80 jobs and increase significantly the time it takes to travel from Motherwell to Edinburgh and involve transferring between Central and Queen Street stations.

“At a time when we are trying desperately to regenerate North Lanarkshire in hugely difficult economic circumstances, this would be a huge blow in our efforts to attract businesses to the area.”


Source: hamiltonadvertiser.co.uk