Question reference: S4W-29177
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Date lodged: 6 January 2016
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Current status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 14 January 2016
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12861 by Keith Brown on 28 February 2013, for what reason the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2015 does not include reference to a Scottish section of high speed rail between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Answer
A draft business case considering a high speed rail link between Edinburgh and Glasgow was submitted as advice to ministers in 2014.
It was clear from this work that what high speed rail is built in Scotland depends on the high speed route coming up from the south. Therefore it is not possible to progress planning for a high speed rail link between Edinburgh and Glasgow any further until a cross-border high speed route is identified.
The Scottish Government continues to work with the UK Government and HS2 Ltd on a broad options study which seeks to identify options for extending high speed rail to the north of England and Scotland. This study is expected to be completed in early 2016 after which the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities will make a joint announcement with the Secretary of State for Transport on the next steps to be taken.