Originally Posted by
willy wombat
Going back to the rail link issue, I normally fly into and out off EDI but last summer I had an evening flight from GLA. I had been warned the M8 would be busy so left plenty time but I was amazed at how congested the M8 was and would agree with the view that some sort of rail link, probably light rail, is needed. As an émigré Scot living in SE England who has connections with both the East and the West Coast, I have no axe to grind (other than wanting to be able to use both EDI and GLA with ease) but it does seem to me odd that Edinburgh can massively overspend on half a tram system (and now be talking about building the other half) whereas Glasgow can't get a (light) rail link to the airport. Is there a bias in favour of Edinburgh as it's where the MSPs hang out?
The current party in power were also a minority at the time the Trams were being decided upon. They were against any new transport in the big cities and wanted to upgrade the A9 to Inverness much earlier to try and spread the money and infrastructure improvements around the country. The A9 project is of course now well underway, albeit delayed. They were out voted and Edinburgh ended up with the trams. GLA does need a rail link in some form. Personally I think the light rail idea is probably the best way to go and like Edinburgh have a link to the mainline railway a short distance away. Edinburgh has 2 links to 2 mainline connections only 3 tram stops apart, with Edinburgh Gateway linking to line going North to Fife/Aberdeen/Dundee and Edinburgh Park linking to the Glasgow/Stirling/Perth trains. As for transport bias, not sure that is reflected in reality. Edinburgh may have a new tram network, but it had nothing before. Glasgow already has a huge suburban railway network and underground, both of which have seen investment in recent years and at the moment Glasgow Queen Street is also undergoing a major overhaul.