An effective national transport infrastructure is critical to facilitating sustainable economic growth. The Scottish Government is committed to promoting modal shift towards more sustainable transport choices. Scotland needs competitive journey times, improved links between key economic centres and high performing, reliable transport choices which minimise carbon emissions.
Scotland's Railways, published as part of the National Transport Strategy in December 2006, has three strategic outcomes which are aligned with the Scottish Government's Purpose. These are:
Scotland's Railways recognised the importance of Anglo-Scottish routes in providing an alternative to domestic air travel, achieving modal shift and in improving connections to other city regions. The document set out Scottish Ministers' aspiration for a high speed rail link between Scotland and London in the longer term.
Cross border rail links are of significant economic importance for Scotland. Development of a high speed rail link between Scotland and London, with connections to mainland Europe through the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, is a long term policy aspiration of Scottish Ministers. The benefits of high speed rail go far beyond the rail industry offering real economic, social and environmental benefits at a national and regional level. It is important therefore that the case for investment in high speed rail is considered as a long term infrastructure investment rather than as an individual rail project.
This report makes a compelling case for a high speed rail link between Scotland and London. It shows that high speed rail is a fast, reliable and more sustainable mode of transport. The journey times achievable through such a rail link make rail an attractive choice for passengers, encouraging a shift away from domestic aviation and helping us towards our challenging climate change actions and improving our economic competitiveness. There is no sensible alternative.
This is Scotland's case for high speed rail.
The report provides a key input to the work of High Speed 2, the UK Government company set up to examine the case for a high speed link between London and the Midlands and beyond. Transport Scotland has worked closely with government partners and the business community across Scotland in developing this case.
The case is compelling.
There is strong agreement that Scotland's economy will benefit from a high speed rail link connecting us to London and beyond. It is clear that the true benefits of high speed rail will not be realised without a connection to Scotland. The extension of a link to Scotland strengthens the overall business case for high speed rail and allows it to achieve its full potential as an alternative to domestic aviation.
The case is clear.
Simply, development of high speed rail will lead to improved journey times and encourage modal shift, will address emerging capacity issues, and will bring economic, social and environmental benefits. These are the drivers which have underpinned the development of high speed rail internationally. High speed rail will improve inter-regional travel within the UK, with benefits for business and leisure passengers.
It is realistic - and achievable - for high speed rail to deliver a three hour journey time between Scotland and London.
Evidence from other countries' experience of high speed rail clearly demonstrates the success of high speed rail in abstracting demand from aviation. Since the introduction of high speed rail services between Paris and Marseille, rail travel now accounts for 67% of the journeys over that route - up from 22%. It is clear what high speed rail can achieve. It is time for Scotland to benefit.
Our strategic business case makes it clear that our preference is for a new high speed line which splits north of the border to provide direct access to both Glasgow and Edinburgh. To ensure that the potential benefits of high speed rail are fulfilled in Scotland, it must serve both Edinburgh and Glasgow. It is well established that HSR delivers greatest benefit when it accesses city centres directly.
In our review of the available evidence, it is clear that extension of the high speed line all the way to Scotland represents the best development option. Even under conservative assumptions, a high speed line will deliver the most significant economic benefits to Scotland, and only a full line will deliver the step change in journey times which is required to achieve modal shift from air to rail, with the associated environmental benefits. Indeed, it is likely that a high speed rail line will only be able to deliver reductions in UK carbon emissions if it is extended to Scotland.
The strategic business case assesses the journey time necessary to achieve the greatest modal shift from air. We conclude that we can only achieve the three hour journey times to facilitate this if a high speed line fully extends to Scotland, again with direct access to Glasgow and Edinburgh. A three hour journey time is expected to capture over two thirds of the Scotland to London travel market.
The case is current.
The Scottish Government's Climate Change Bill sets a long term target to reduce Scotland's emissions by 80% by the year 2050 and an interim target of a 42% reduction by 2020. Reducing emissions from road and air travel will be key to achieving this target. High Speed Rail affords us that opportunity. To make the greatest environmental contribution, high speed rail must achieve the fullest abstraction from journeys made between Scotland and London by air - the UK's busiest domestic routes.
Britain's rail network is fast approaching full capacity. We know that main lines will see significant demand growth over the next 20 years - particularly on the West Coast Main Line. A full high speed line to Scotland will bring additional capacity in two ways - by providing much need new passenger capacity on HS, and by freeing capacity on the existing network, for freight and improved regional services.
The business case reiterates the findings of other studies that high speed rail has the potential to deliver significant environmental and economic benefits to Scotland. The final scale of these benefits will depend on the size of the network and the timetables operated. These will be the outcome of detailed economic and engineering analysis undertaken by High Speed Two, but recent studies have suggested that the benefits to Scotland could be up to £20 billion. The Scottish Government will work closely with High Speed Two as this work is undertaken to ensure that any future high speed rail network delivers the greatest possible benefits to Scotland, not just to the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, but to the country as a whole.
The Scottish Government Economic Strategy (GES) sets out the Purpose of the Scottish Government as ‘to focus the Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish through increasing sustainable economic growth . The Strategy outlines how this Purpose will be fulfilled, and is central to our thinking on the development of a north-south high speed rail link.
The National Planning Framework 2 (NPF2) takes forward the spatial aspects of the GES to ensure that each part of the country is able to play to its strengths in building a country that is wealthier and fairer, smarter, greener, healthier, safer and stronger.
NPF2 sets out the Scottish Government's commitment to international efforts to promote more sustainable patterns of transport in order to minimise climate change and protect the global environment, and recognises the key challenge of breaking the link between economic growth and increased traffic and emissions. It designates certain projects as ‘national developments'. Scottish Ministers have confirmed that a high speed rail link between Scotland and London is a national priority. Inclusion in NPF2 means that the Scottish Parliament has agreed in principle planning for high speed rail in Scotland.
High Speed Rail will make a significant contribution to Scotland's sustainable economic development and to the achievement of climate change, renewable energy and waste management targets.
The competitiveness of Scotland depends on adequate investment in infrastructure. Improvements in transport infrastructure are needed to strengthen international links and reduce journey times between cities and centres of economic activity.
The case is crucial.
Scotland needs an effective national transport infrastructure which will facilitate sustainable economic growth. A clear, long-term vision and early commitment to high speed rail is vital as transport infrastructure can take a long time to deliver and has a lifespan measurable in decades.
We cannot be left on the sidelines. Without connection to the wider HSR network Scotland will be moved to the periphery, constraining the development of our key economic centres.
We need to be involved now. Failure to bring the high speed line to Scotland will disadvantage the Scottish economy both in terms of its attractiveness as a place to visit and to do business.
There has never been more interest in high speed rail in the UK as there is now. 2010 is the year for decisions on the future of high speed rail. The planning starts now and we need to be part of that process.
STEWART STEVENSON
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
