SOUTH Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has slammed the Scottish Government after it emerged there are no plans to re-open the railway between Dumfries and Stranraer.
The local MSP asked the Scottish Government “whether it supports the reopening of the railway between Dumfries and Stranraer”.
And a written response from Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth stated: “An option for reopening the rail line between Dumfries and Stranraer was assessed as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2). The outcome of this was that this option did not form part of the strategic transport investment recommendations within STPR2.”
The minister went on to explain that STPR2 recommends focusing on lowering the environmental impact of Scotland’s rail network, increasing the amount of freight travelling by rail and on improving connectivity between major cities.
Responding, Colin Smyth said: “The response from the Transport Minister about the lack of plans to even explore the option of re-opening the Dumfries to Stranraer railway line is hugely disappointing.
“For far too long the south west has been neglected by the Scottish Government when it comes to transport links and the further failure to even explore re-opening this line will simply mean our local economy continues to lag behind much of th
