Scotland: Transport Links

Kirsteen Sullivan Excerpts

Wednesday 8th January 2025 Westminster Hall

[Kirsteen Sullivan (Bathgate and Linlithgow) (Lab/Co-op)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Lewell-Buck. I thank the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (John Lamont) for securing this important debate, not least because it provides an opportunity for me to talk about the challenges facing my constituency of Bathgate and Linlithgow. Although this debate is focused on transport links between Scotland and the rest of the UK, it would be remiss to ignore the challenges facing smaller rural communities—and, yes, we do have them in the central belt—that rely on local transport links for people to make their way to Edinburgh or Glasgow for onward travel to elsewhere in the UK.

A prime example of the challenges is Winchburgh, one of the fastest growing villages in Scotland, which will soon be a town. However, the residents cannot even get a train to Edinburgh, never mind across the border to England. Many families moved there in the full expectation of regular and reliable transport, but there has been no such ambition from the Scottish Government. Since 2012, there has been a question over how a station will be funded, after Transport Scotland prevented West Lothian council from making delivery of the station a condition of planning consent. Changes have already been made on the main line Glasgow-Edinburgh timetable for a stop in Winchburgh, so the train could stop there—but there is no station to stop at. That means people have to take almost an hour on the bus or they jump into their cars to get there.

Although there has been recent progress, it has been far too slow. Scottish Government Ministers must prioritise that station and ensure its delivery. I take my hat off to the villagers who have campaigned tirelessly for years to keep this issue in the public spotlight. It must be a thorn in their sides to watch the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop—their constituency MSP—open stations and train lines across the country while they continue to fight for a station in Winchburgh.

Now we hear of another challenge facing railway users: ScotRail’s plans to reduce ticket office hours at 54 stations, including Linlithgow. The proposals raise serious concerns, particularly around safety and accessibility for passengers. Many women have expressed a preference for well-staffed stations, where they feel safer. The reduction in hours, particularly in the evening, risks exacerbating safety concerns. In addition, the proposed cuts undermine efforts to ensure accessibility for disabled passengers, many of whom rely on assistance provided by station staff.

On top of that, there are rising rail fares, with a recent hike of 8.7%. That continues to make public transport less accessible and affordable for many. While railways face all those challenges, local communities are further impacted by significant reductions in bus services—of 44% since the SNP took over in 2007. Buses are often treated as the poor relation to trains when it comes to investment from the Scottish Government, but they are a vital way to keep local communities connected, linking people to train services and airports. This lack of joined-up, strategic thinking by the Scottish Government is having a significant impact.

This is all set against the backdrop of the climate crisis, where we aim for people to make a shift from their cars to public transport. That cannot happen if the infrastructure and services are not there for them to make that choice in the first place. We must look at other parts of the UK where things are working well, like the Bee Network in Manchester. Let us work together and use best practice to ensure that the whole UK can remain connected in an affordable and flexible way.