Anas Sarwar vows to build Glasgow Airport rail link 'once and for all' if Labour wins election
Linking Glasgow Airport to the city centre by rail has long been spoken about - but plans have, so far, failed to materialise
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has pledged to build the long-delayed rail link to Glasgow Airport if he becomes first minister - potentially levering in funding from the private sector to pay for the project.
In a key transport policy announcement, Mr Sarwar said his party would prioritise the construction of a rail link between Glasgow city centre and the airport after previous plans failed to materialise.
In May 2008, SNP ministers purchased land near Glasgow Airport, which was later sold back at a loss before scrapping plans a year later after projected costs increased.
Plans for the Clyde Metro upgrade to Glasgow's transport system have included discussions of a light rail link to the airport but are currently only at an early development stage.
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If Scottish Labour forms the next government at Holyrood, the party said it would advance this work - providing Transport Scotland support and expertise - to make the creation of a direct rail link connecting Glasgow Airport and Glasgow city centre a national priority.
Scottish Labour has not yet set out and costs or timescales for the project and will not do so until after the election, if he forms the next Scottish government.
Mr Sarwar said: “For almost two decades, the SNP has wasted public money and kicked the can down the road on development of a Glasgow Airport rail link.
“In doing so, they have not only squandered millions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash, they have squandered the economic opportunities that such a project could bring.
“Most modern cities across Europe have a rail link to their main airports, and it is bizarre that Glasgow should still not have one in 2026, despite plans having been discussed nearly 20 years ago.”
“A Scottish Labour government under my leadership would back the development of a rail link once and for all, ending the delay and wasteful spending of the SNP.
Mr Sarwar said a government under his leadership will “give the resources required to Transport Scotland to make this a reality”.
He added: “We will work with partners to make sure we are identifying the timeline, the costs and making sure we get spades in the ground as quickly as possible so this is actually delivered.
“What I’m not going to do is give a false timeline or a false costing and repeat the mistakes made by the SNP.”
Asked by The Scotsman whether he would be handed Transport Scotland a blank cheque to follow through on plans already in place at an early stage, Mr Sarwar said: “Rather than just being handed out to an arms-length organisation, I will make this a national priority.
“I will make sure the Scottish government is a partner in that national priority. I will resource Transport Scotland so they are a full partner in this too.
“I don’t think the option here is to only look at public finance. We have to look at options on private finance. We could get seed money from the public sector to try and attract that private finance. These are all options we are looking at.”
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “A new public transport link to the airport is currently under consideration as part of Clyde Metro. The ongoing case for investment of this project is being led by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, supported by Glasgow City Council, with Transport Scotland providing a project assurance role.
“We are investing more than £1 billion in rail infrastructure and the maintenance of the network. This will enable us to take forward works to replace Scotland’s train fleets and advance our decarbonisation plans.”
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