(S3O-10908) Railway Stations (West of Scotland)

7. Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Government what financial assistance it provides to improve railway stations in the west of Scotland. (S3O-10908)

The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):

The Scottish Government provides direct funding for major rail projects, including the west of Scotland rail improvement programme, which has added a new platform at Glasgow Central and is extending platforms for longer trains at stations in Inverclyde and Ayrshire. The Scottish Government also provides support to Strathclyde partnership for transport to enable improvements to be delivered at many rail stations across the west of Scotland, for example at the Partick station interchange.

That complements the improvements that were secured from ScotRail through the franchise agreement with the Scottish ministers. ScotRail is continuing to progress a programme of station improvements that is worth more than £12 million and which includes installation of escalators at Queen Street station, closed-circuit television, upgraded passenger information systems, help points, toilets, regeneration of station buildings, platform shelters, seating and cycle storage facilities.

Stuart McMillan: I have met representatives of groups that are involved in the adopt a station scheme, and have been impressed by their suggestions to reinvigorate and return to their former glory older and more traditional stations in the west of Scotland. Will the minister give an assurance that any public investment via the scheme will guarantee that the historic and architectural significance of the stations will be of paramount importance and that current branding can be adapted using traditional livery styles, thus guaranteeing the traditional appearance while promoting the current organisational branding?

Stewart Stevenson: Scotland's railway infrastructure is a substantial and fine heritage, much of which dates back well over 100 years. In any developments, we would wish to protect the integrity of our historic stations. The adopt a station scheme is successful and is one of a range of interventions to breathe new life into stations throughout Scotland.

The Presiding Officer (Alex Fergusson): I call Jeremy Purvis, but ask him to bear in mind that the question is about the west of Scotland.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): Indeed, Presiding Officer. I am grateful.

Does the minister agree that railway stations in the west of Scotland will be improved immeasurably if their passengers can access, without necessarily changing, the Borders and Midlothian through the Borders railway? Passengers in the west of Scotland will be as keen as I am to bring forward the proposed financial closure of the Borders railway project from autumn 2011 to before the next Scottish Parliament elections in the spring of 2011. Can the minister give good cheer to those passengers in the west of Scotland who want to access the Borders by rail sooner?


The Presiding Officer: He cannot really, because the question was about railway stations in the west of Scotland and I do not think that the Borders railway will have any of those.

Stewart Stevenson: I am sure that railway stations in the west of Scotland will provide good cheer to those who will enjoy the services that will be introduced for the Borders when the railway opens there.