Dundee City Council Press Releases

Recent Press Releases | Archive | 2008 | July subscribe to our RSS feed

Letter to minister

CALLS TO upgrade Dundee Railway Station are gathering steam with a new request to the Scottish Government to step in.

The man leading the clamour has written to transport minister, Stewart Stevenson looking for backing at the highest levels in the Scottish Government.

Joe Morrow, convener of Dundee City Council's economic development committee, as well as chair of the Waterfront Board, said: "After the frankly poor response I got from First Scotrail and Network Rail, I have now written to Stewart Stevenson asking him to look at the way the two companies invest in Scotland's critical transport infrastructure.

"Network Rail has said that completely redeveloping Dundee station would cost tens of millions of pounds and need the backing of local and central government, and if that is what is needed so be it.

"In this era of greater consensus between local and central government, I would like to see the minister taking ownership of this issue and helping to drive forward a solution.

"Train operators have their part to play as well, but frankly looking at recent years, I would call First Scotrail, First Central ScotRail based on their investment priorities.

"Fair enough that most passengers use the railways in the Forth/Clyde corridor, but no wonder when you come north of the Forth and look at the shoddy state of the services people are expected to use.

"As a regular user of the railways in recent years, I have seen the fabric of stations, including Dundee, deteriorate before my eyes and cannot blame people outside Glasgow and Edinburgh who want to find alternative means of getting around.

"The transport minister must surely be concerned that in an age when we are aware of the environmental risks posed by excessive private car use, and when we are encouraging visitors from other countries to come to Scotland that in the country's fourth city the railway station is a disgrace."