LEVENMOUTH MSP TAKES BID FOR RAIL LINK TO NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Published date : 28 Jul 2017
LEVENMOUTH MSP TAKES BID FOR RAIL LINK TO NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The campaign for a Levenmouth Rail Link was today stepped up a gear by Levenmouth’s MSP, Jenny Gilruth, who is tabling a motion demanding the link to her party’s national conference in October. Ms Gilruth, a long standing advocate of the campaign, believes the link to be critical to addressing poverty in the area as well as driving economic growth across Fife. She believes that securing the backing of Scotland’s largest political party at its annual national democratic conference would bring the delivery of the vital link one step closer.
Commenting, Jenny Gilruth MSP said
“The city region deal for Edinburgh and the surrounding areas has been a missed opportunity for my constituency. The city region deal for our capital should not just be about supporting industry within Edinburgh itself – it is meant to include Fife. I believe it should have included the Levenmouth rail link as vital infrastructure required to join up job opportunities in the capital and to drive investment outwith the city.”
Her colleague Stephen Gethins MP, who is seconding the Motion added –
“It is disappointing that the Levenmouth Rail Link was not included in the city regions deal announced last week and I am very pleased that my colleague Jenny Gilruth MSP has put this resolution forward. This is a project that deserves to be a priority given the positive benefits it will bring communities and businesses in Levenmouth and beyond. Those of us who have campaigned for the rail link will continue to fight for the delivery of this vitally important piece of infrastructure”
Allen Armstrong, one of the campaigners from the LMRC is pleased to hear this Motion is being considered for discussion at Conference. He commented –
“The campaign group are delighted to hear of local elected members’ attempts to discuss this at the SNP National Conference later this year. Reopening the Levenmouth rail link should be a routine task for any national transport authority. Its only 5 miles of track already owned by Network Rail yet would serve a catchment of 48,000 in a conurbation badly in need of regeneration. Reconnecting Levenmouth to the rail network is long overdue. Given the fact it such a simple and relatively inexpensive project to reopen a mothballed line, residents in the conurbation remain frustrated and amazed that other transport projects keep receiving priority. No other single measure would do more to regenerate the Levenmouth conurbation on the Fife Coast than reopening the curent mothballed line and extending existing train services to and from Edinburgh at modest cost Local residents were horrified Levenmouth rail connection did not feature in the recently annoucned Edinburgh City Deal instead of yet more roads improvements around Edinburgh. By far the lagrest settlement without rail in Scotland we cannot be denied a service indefinitely.”
ENDS
Motion referred to –
“Conference notes the strong support for the reinstatement of the Levenmouth Rail Link, the largest urban conurbation in Scotland not directly served by rail; Acknowledges that Levenmouth faces above average poverty levels and problems with connectivity, considers the Rail Link would drive investment & opportunity for the young people growing up in Levenmouth, understands that passenger numbers on other re-opened services, including the Borders Railway line, have exceeded predictions, acknowledges the tireless work of the local Levenmouth Rail Campaign in securing a petition signed by over 12,500 residents and calls for conference to support the re-instalment of this vital rail link, from Thornton to Leven.”
Seconded by Stephen Gethins MP.
Local Reporters, East Fife Mail, Glenrothes Gazette, Courier (Fife), COMMUNITY, MOTIONS, LOCAL GROUPS, TRANSPORT
