Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative MSP for Lothian, has today written to the new Transport Minister, Humza Yousaf, asking for an early meeting to discuss the issue of reintroducing passenger services on Edinburgh's South Suburban Railway.
Speaking today Miles Briggs MSP, who has consistently backed the campaign to develop the ESSR for passengers, said:
"I have written to the new Transport Minister seeking an early meeting to discuss the ESSR to ensure it is very clearly on his radar as he takes command of the transport brief.
"As was demonstrated in the Member's debate on the subject initiated by the previous MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Jim Eadie, in the last session of Parliament, there is genuine cross-party support for taking the ESSR passenger concept forward and I am confident this will remain the case in this session of Parliament. I was pleased to work with Jim Eadie on this issue before and am keen to cooperate with MSPs from the governing party and the other opposition parties to make the case for this project.
“My immediate priority will be to push for a new feasibility study to be carried out so we have an updated basis on which to take the campaign forward. As I have argued before, any new study should also consider the potential for the Edinburgh south suburban railway to serve as a university line with a fast link between the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University.
"I am also keen to discuss with the Minister whether the Scottish Government would support funding from the eagerly anticipated Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Regional Deal being used for the purpose of a feasibility study.
"At a time when Edinburgh's population, including its student numbers, is increasing and road traffic capacity issues within the city continue to be of concern to local residents, a passenger railway has the potential to be popular and well used and to be an important part of the city's transport infrastructure which must be as flexible and modern as possible to compete with other cities across Europe and beyond."
