Fury at Transport MInister's Crossrail comments

10.12.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 7th May 2008

Aberdeenshire MSP and Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson Alison McInnes has reacted with fury to the Transport Minister's claim that he hasn't been asked to support the Aberdeen Crossrail project.

The exchange took place during a meeting of the Scottish Parliament's Transport Committee. Mrs McInnes demanded to know why the Transport Minister had failed to use any of the £70 Million saved by Government in re-awarding Scotrail the rail franchise to support rail projects in the North East. When pressed about the Aberdeen Crossrail project, the Transport Minister claimed: "I've not been asked to support Aberdeen Crossrail yet".

Commenting, Mrs McInnes said:

"This is an appalling comment from the Transport Minister. For him to claim that he has not been asked for support is completely untrue. Does he not remember the petition I handed to him personally, with 1,000 signatures calling for a new station as part of the Crossrail project? Has he forgotten the NESTRANS business case submitted to his Government? Has the lobbying from Aberdeenshire Council and local MSPs slipped his mind?

"This project has been developed over several years and is now ready to go. All it needs is the political will to make it happen. The fact that the Transport Minister seems unaware of this fact is disappointing, but also extremely worrying.

"The Minister trumpeted the fact that the SNP had re-negotiated the rail franchise and secured £70 Million. He outlined a clutch of rail projects across Scotland that will benefit from this windfall. North East Scotland was notably absent. He seemed blissfully unaware of a commuter rail project in his own backyard in desperate need of Government support.

"How many campaigns will it take for the Transport Minister to consider himself "asked" to support the Aberdeen Crossrail project?"

Alison McInnes presenting a Crossrail petition to Stewart Stevenson.

Gordon MP Malcolm Bruce added: "What planet do SNP ministers inhabit? I have written to the minister about this and spoke to Alex Salmond about it shortly after last year's election. Ministers are so mired in spin they remember only what suits them. Having delayed the Aberdeen by-pass by 3 years they should recognise the case for a commuter rail service to serve Scotland's fastest growing communities is overwhelming. Otherwise congestion and delay is all the SNP will have delivered to North East commuters."