The Scottish Conservatives are set to seek a debate in the Scottish Parliament regarding reopening a direct rail link between Perth and Edinburgh.
As previously revealed in The Courier, discussions have taken place between Scottish Government officials and representatives from Transform Scotland regarding the matter, which would see the old Kinross rail station reopened and a feasibility study undertaken.
The station closed down in the 1970s to make way for the building of the M90 motorway.
Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, told The Courier she will be tabling a motion calling on the Scottish Government to look again at a feasibility study into reopening a direct line between Perth and Edinburgh.
“I have been heartened by the significant support which my campaign to reopening a direct rail link between Perth and Edinburgh has already attracted,” she said.
“The campaign is resonating with people across Perthshire, Kinross-shire and Fife.”
She continued: “No-one doubts that there is a lot of work to do in taking this forward, but I hope we can get the project on the right track and deliver this key infrastructure improvement.
“Only the reinstatement of this link will truly open up routes to the north from Edinburgh. It would bring a 35-minute reduction in the journey time from Edinburgh to Perth and Inverness.
“The UK Conservative Government is investing over £9 billion to improve our railways in what is the biggest investment in the rail network since the Victorian era.
“The UK Government is also reforming the railway system. I hope that SNP ministers will have the same high ambitions for the Scottish rail network.
“The SNP have made many pledges to improve the rail network for communities north of the Central Belt most of which they have not delivered or scrapped.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “The Scottish Government’s £5 billion commitment in rail infrastructure and services is addressing decades of neglect.
“This includes £3 billion to support the operation, maintenance and enhancement of our existing network, as well as a series of new projects across Scotland.
“This ambitious programme of investment will support improved journey times, connectivity and resilience across the rail network in Scotland.
“We are well aware of the importance of our other cities and rural areas in terms of supporting sustainable economic growth.
“That’s why Scottish Government officials continue to liaise with Transform Scotland to assist the development of their proposal.”
Transform Scotland the national alliance for sustainable transport claim the reopening of the Perth to Edinburgh rail line will cut at least 30 minutes off the journey time between the cities.