Direct train services to London must continue

Along with my colleague Councillor Tom Ferguson, Labour's Spokesperson on City Development on Dundee City Council and I have called for a continuation of direct rail services between Dundee and London.


Councillor Tom Ferguson said, 'I am glad to support the train service between Dundee and London, this is important for tourists, for students and workers in our city. The city needs good connections with London. It is important that we all get behind these calls to make sure that the direct rail service between Dundee and England survives.'

I have said, 'There must be direct train services between Dundee and London. It is essential for the economic development of our city that these services are retained, indeed they should be improved rather than scaled back. This train service is important to attract jobs and investment and tourists to our city. We must also keep up the fight to get the train station refurbished it is a poor advert for the city at the moment. With the improvements which are taking place at the waterfront it is essential that there is a twenty-first century station in Dundee with twenty-first century rail services stopping there. I am pleased that there is cross-party agreement on this issue and that people are putting the interests of the city first. I am also clear that we cannot hope to get the train station refurbished if the station doesn't have at least the same level of services as at present.'

This was debated by the City Council's City Development Committee (see pages 39-51) on Monday evening and I am pleased that this was passed unanimously. It is important that the council speaks with one voice when discussing matters which affect the future of our city, the Administration should bear this in mind.

Most importantly we must all make our voices heard and as Monday's Courier said a solution must be found.