INVESTMENT in the Fife Circle “will continue” when ScotRail services move into public sector control, the Transport Minister has promised.
Michael Matheson announced last week that rail services will be run by an arm’s length company owned and controlled by the Government when the current contract with Abellio ends in March 2022.
He told the Scottish Parliament he had ruled out extending the existing contract with the Dutch rail operator because “the current franchising system is no longer fit for purpose”.
Cowdenbeath MSP Annabelle Ewing sought assurances on the implications of this decision for the promised improvements to the Fife Circle.
Mr Matheson said: “What will help as a result of moving ScotRail into public ownership is that investment into Fife will continue.
“The member will be aware that, in the phase 1 report of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review, I set out the partial electrification of the Fife Circle, alongside the use of battery electric trains, to improve not only the environmental aspects of services but also punctuality and the quality of the rolling stock. All of which will benefit those in Fife.”
Responding, Ms Ewing said: “It is a bold move by the SNP Scottish Government and one which will bring welcome stability and certainty to those who use our railway for work and leisure, both in my constituency and across the country.
“Commuters using the Fife Circle know that it is long overdue an upgrade and I was anxious to receive reassurance on what this will mean for the promised improvements to that particular service.
“I was pleased and relieved that the planned investment in Fife will, indeed, continue.”
The Press campaigned for a number of years for better services on the Fife Circle for our readers through our Crush Hour drive, after years of cancelled and cramped trains to the Kingdom.
Trade unions and opposition parties have also long called for the franchise to be brought into public ownership.
Labour MSP Alex Rowley said fares needed to be reviewed under new public ownership.
He said: “There are, in my view, some key barriers for people in Fife accessing our rail services with the main one being cost. As rail fares increase year on year more and more, people report that they struggle with the costs and either have to use the bus or revert back to cars. People being priced off the trains is an issue we must address.
“We also must improve the Fife Circle services with both new and more efficient trains and the development of new lines, such as a direct line between Inverkeithing to Halbeath, making the park and ride into a major transport hub.”
Green MSP Mark Ruskell also called for the Fife Circle to be modernised. He added: “As we begin to move out of lockdown, hopefully for the last time, we can’t see a return to the overcrowded and unreliable service commuters in Dunfermline and West Fife have struggled with for years.
“I would urge the Scottish Government to modernise the Fife Circle with new electric trains, which would increase reliability greatly, and the re-opening of the Dunfermline to Alloa line to expand the options for low-carbon commuting in the area.”
However, Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said Fifers would be “wary” about plans to nationalise the country’s railways.
He said: “Everyone will be hoping this nationalisation of the railways goes well but the SNP Government do not have a good track record in taking over major projects.
“As a result, I’m sure many Fife rail commuters, particularly those who commute from Inverkeithing, will be understandably wary on hearing of this news.
“They have had to endure enough train cancellations and delays, as well as having overcrowding on some services, so they will be demanding a very efficient rail service in future.”
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